Botanic Gardens, Central city, New on the scene, Things to do, Volunteering  |  Yesterday

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The Peace Train has completed its biggest season yet with over 10,000 passengers taking a ride along its new route.

The miniature train, gifted to Christchurch by Yusuf Islam following the 2019 terror attacks, operates on a loop through the Botanic Gardens.

The 2024/25 season ran from 1 September 2024 – 27 April 2025 across 25 weekends with a total of 10,743 passengers.

“We were delighted to see an increase in numbers jumping aboard this year, which we partly put down to the new route we’ve designed for the electric train,” says Christchurch City Council Parks Programme and Partnership Manager Dr Roslyn Kerr.

“We’ve previously had trouble with the battery going flat quickly, but after changing the route from a gravel path to concrete, we found the issue was solved.”

The change has made the route slightly shorter, meaning more people can ride the train in the same amount of time each week.

Over the season the train chugged along the tracks at Riverside Market’s 5th birthday celebration and the Unity Sunday event, with its busiest day in the Gardens on 23 March with 526 passengers.

The four carriages can fit four adults each, meaning there were over 600 runs throughout the season.

“We’re incredibly grateful to the 41 volunteers who keep the train running - we’re lucky to have such an enthusiast group, and we’re always looking for new recruits,” Dr Kerr says.

The Peace Train runs every Sunday from September to April, between 10am and 1pm. The train leaves behind the kiosk in the Botanic Gardens and follows a loop around the Observatory Lawn and Cuningham House. 

Parks staff will undertake training for volunteer train operators in August for the 2025/26 season. Register your interest via our website.