The Railways Department attempted to replace the "Northerner" and "Silver Star" with a refurbished version which would be a 50% seating and 50% sleeper train. This plan would include the redeployment of eight 30-seat cars from the "Northerner" fleet to the Wellington-Napier "Endeavour" service, and relocation of the three 32-seat and three 36-seat "Endeavour" cars onto the Christchurch-Picton route. These plans, however, came to nothing after the "Silver Star" stock was withdrawn from service and blue asbestos insulation was found inside the coaches. The union workforce refused to work with the dangerous material, and the cars lay parked in sidings for over ten years while their future was debated. In 1982, Minister of Railways, George Gair, facing a cost of $7 million for the asbestos removal and modernisation of the carriages, as well as rail losses and demand for other new rail equipment, commissioned Boston consultants, Booz Allen & Hamilton, to review NZR and in particular to investigate the most economical way of providing rail passenger options. The Ministry of Transport refused to accept NZR estimate that the rebuilt "Silver Star" would exceed the "Northerner's" patronage by 60% and operate profitably