A historic South Island rail route is back by popular demand

Great Journeys NZ has added extra dates for The Southerner, letting travellers ride between Dunedin and Christchurch from today through Monday.

A new Christchurch Explorer package offers two nights in a central city hotel, along with guided tours to Banks Peninsula, Lyttelton, and Sumner.

Executive Passenger General Manager, Tracey Goodall says earlier trips sold out in May - with a long waiting list.

She says the journeys honour the original passenger train that once linked Christchurch and Invercargill.