Aratere

	Aratere in Tory Channel, June 2018
History
Name	1998–2025: Aratere; 2025 onwards: Vega;
Owner	KiwiRail
Operator	Interislander
Port of registry	Wellington, New Zealand
Route	Wellington to Picton
Builder	Hijos de J. Barreras, Spain
Cost	NZ$132 million
Yard number	1570
Launched	8 September 1998
Christened	1999
Completed	15 December 1998
In service	1 February 1999
Out of service	18 August 2025
Identification	IMO number: 9174828; MMSI number: 512071000; Callsign: ZMII;
Status	Withdrawn
General characteristics
Tonnage	12,596 GT (original); 17,816 GT (current);
Length	150 m (492 ft 2 in) overall (original); 183.6 m (602 ft 4 in) overall (current); 168.3 m (552 ft 2 in) bpp (current);
Beam	20.5 m (67 ft 3 in)
Draft	5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Decks	6
Installed power	Four Wärtsilä 8L32 diesel engines; 3,680 kW (4,930 hp) at 750 rpm, ; Two Wärtsilä 8L20 diesel engines. ; 1,300 kW (1,700 hp); Two KameWa Bow Thrusters each at 1,000 rpm.;
Propulsion	Fixed propellers, each four blades inward turning
Speed	19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph)
Capacity	670 passengers; 230 cars or 30 trucks (800 tonnes); 32 rail wagons (1,700 tonnes);
Crew	31

DEV Aratere is a roll-on/roll-off rail and vehicle ferry operated by KiwiRail in New Zealand. Built in 1998 for the then-private company Tranz Rail and lengthened in 2011, she operated four daily crossings on the Interislander service across Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton each day (with six crossings over the December/January period).

As of 2024, Aratere was New Zealand's only rail ferry. When the vessel was not available, rail freight between the North and South Islands had to be transferred to trucks, driven onto other Cook Strait ferries, and then transferred back to rail after the crossing, with associated additional time and cost. She was retired in August 2025 and sold for scrapping in India.