The two new Cook Strait ferries will be named Kupe and Cook.Minister for Rail Winston Peters has also confirmed KiwiRail will operate the ferries, once they arrive in 2029.The government is buying two rail-enabled ferries, to be built by Guangzhou Shipyard in China, to replace the current ageing fleet.In a speech to stakeholders at Parliament, Peters said the names Kupe and Cook were a "look to the future with positive recognition of the past," and spoke to New Zealand's maritime heritage."These are proper names. Historic names. New Zealand names."Peters anticipated there would be pushback against the name Cook, with his speech targeting "snivelling wokesters" who considered Cook to be a "harbinger of colonisation"."A mature country does not run from its history. A serious country does not vandalise its memory to satisfy the latest fashion in whinger politics."Asked who came up with the names, Peters said "history did."Previously, all the rail-enabled ferries have carried the Ara- prefix.He also confirmed KiwiRail would operate the new ferries, and pay commercial port fees to CentrePort, Port Marlborough and Ferry Holdings.Centreport in Wellington and Port Marlborough in Picton would contribute $100 million and $110m to the wharf infrastructure, with Ferry Holdings putting $373m towards the Picton redevelopments."In its various guises from New Zealand Railways, to TranzRail, to Toll, and now KiwiRail, it has managed the Interislander for 64 years. In our book, experience counts," Peters said.Winston Peters making the ferry announcement.RNZ / Samuel RillstoneThe arrangement will be reviewed in 2039, 10 years after the ferries come online. KiwiRail will also be required to build up a reserve so it can directly purchase new ferries in 2059.Brian Perry Civil has been contracted to deliver the infrastructure in Wellington, while HEB Construction will carry out the work in Picton.Upon entering government, the coalition pulled the plug on the previous government's iReX project.The total costs of the cancellation, which included fees paid to formerly contracted Hyundai-Mipo shipyard, came to $671 million.Had they not been cancelled, the iReX ferries would have been operational by now.But the government has defended the cancellation by saying the cost of the project had blown out to $3 billion."There is real world, good honest ballast in our approach. Build what is needed, not what is desired. Do what works, not what dazzles. Trust the experts, not the yes-men," Peters said.Labour's transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said the government had already wasted three years and hundreds of millions of dollars, and pushed replacement and resilience even further into the future."Winston Peters announcing the names of ferries New Zealand won't see for another three years is another sideshow from a government that's become far better at holding press conferences than delivering projects."Ferry Holdings chief executive Sandip Ranchhod said some of the costs outlined in the contracts were not yet set in stone."No, they're based off long-range estimates, and they'll come down as the target outturn prices get fixed."However, the amounts contributed by the port companies were fixed.Ranchhod said the port assets in Wellington were being renovated and added to, with Centreport owning the parts it built "and we own the rest".In Picton, however, a new wharf would be owned 50-50 between Ferry Holdings and Port Marlborough, despite the Crown's larger contribution.Ferry Holdings chair Chris Mackenzie said that meant the port would continue to operate as normal, and "if there's future revenue from there - for example if at some point in the future Bluebridge shifted across onto the western side - then the revenue goes to both Marlborough District Council and Ferry Holdings".He said keeping KiwiRail as a ship operator rather than owning the ships outright had been deemed more efficient."That's the decision that ministers made."Centreport chief executive Anthony Delaney said they were "not at all" disappointed not to have the same co-ownership deal Picton had secured over the new works, saying they already had some assets under that structure and would continue with business as usual."We operate as we are today with joint ownership with assets that are owned by KiwiRail and Centreport ... so for us it's exactly the same in reality."He and chair Lachie Johnstone, along with Port Marlborough's chief executive Rhys Welbourn and Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor, said they learned of the ships' names when the public did - at Peters' announcement.Ranchhod said the decision on the ships' names was a ministerial one.Marlborough District Mayor Nadine Taylor said it was appropriate the names of the ferries were chosen by the person who commissioned and paid for them."I'm from a maritime background, my husband's a commercial fisherman and I'm very much of the opinion that he who pays for the boat names the boat," she said."The names absolutely reflect the strong maritime navigation history that we have here in New Zealand, Kupe and Cook, are two of our greatest navigators."They were "really lovely" names for the ferries which would "navigate Cook Strait and serve the country very well going forward", Taylor said."It's going to be really nice to give them an identity rather than to call them 'the two new ships'."Taylor said the announcement of the operating arrangements for ferries was an exciting milestone which let people know where the project was heading."I'm really pleased for the people of New Zealand who just want to see two new ports delivered, two new ferries in play, so that they can safely, efficiently, confidently navigate Cook Strait."