“This investment means local jobs, rebuilding expertise, youth training opportunities, boosting Otago's economy and making our railway more self-reliant.” The facility was expected to result in 150 construction jobs and up to 45 operational KiwiRail jobs, including apprenticeships. unknown/Stuff The Government has put $1.3 billion towards rail in Thursday's Budget. The facility would eventually assemble about 1500 of the 1900 wagons being replaced. But KiwiRail would need to buy about 400 wagons from overseas in the meantime. The Government will put $722m towards replacing wagons and locomotives. That included replacing the remaining 40 of 65 new mainline freight locomotives in the South Island. That amount also would top up funding for a new South Island Mechanical Maintenance Hub in the Christchurch suburb of Waltham, which would provide about 300 construction jobs over three years.