Support for Orakei train station

Roy Clements looks pleased as he scans his eyes over Purewa Valley. He organised the replanting of native trees in this reserve at the foot of Selwyn College but, today, his plans for improvements to the eastern suburbs are  more about planting ideas.

Mr Clements and Selwyn College teacher Chris McGuirk's vision is for there to be a train station in the valley. Supported by the Orakei local board, the two believe the station will service students travelling to the college, provide better access to ASB Stadium and generally ease congestion along Kepa Rd and surrounding streets.

"It's been off and on for 10 years," says Mr Clements of the plans. "The existing stations are at Meadowbank and Glen Innes. They're quite some kilometres apart and not much use to us."

Selwyn College principal Sheryll Ofner says the station would benefit the community and the school. Many of her students endure disjointed journeys daily.

"Students from Parnell have to take two buses. Meadowbank kids, they have to come up and past St Johns - it's quite a big walk."

She says there is also an ongoing issue with cars clogging the surrounding streets, access to ASB Stadium and she notes that plans for a large retirement village on former college land will also add to traffic volume.

"In terms of the traffic out here, it would have a huge impact. When there's an event at the stadium, parking's a real issue. People have to park on our fields, which we have just spent a huge amount of money on for drainage."

To build a station at the designated site would involve buying several homes and church land as well as creating access to the site via Gowing Drive. Auckland Transport estimates the development would cost around $20 million.

Although the concept is now in Orakei local board plans, with $50,000 earmarked for a feasibility study, Auckland Transport has declared it does not support the idea - something local board member and former Auckland transport committee chairman, Ken Baguley, hopes to change.

"We've had a knockback from Auckland Transport and Kiwi Rail, but we're still going to fight it.

"There's always been an issue in the area with land. Local roads here have just become through-roads; we've got similar issues to what was happening on Dominion Rd. There are 30,000 [vehicles] a day travelling along Tamaki Drive. This could help ease that. I accept it was always going to be a push financially, but if we genuinely want to incorporate all suburbs into public transport, we need to provide for everyone. There's an issue of all people in eastern suburbs not getting access to public transport."

Mr Baguley says the idea has been highlighted in public discussions.

"The people who were against a crossing in Hobson Bay 10 years ago are the ones now deeply affected by congestion. The people who are suffering can see the sense in it."

The spokeswoman for Auckland Transport, Sharon Hunter, says, at this stage, the organisation does not believe passenger numbers would support the operation economically. But Mr Clements, Mrs McGuirk and Mr Baguley argue that for residents who live close to Meadowbank station, access across the estuary is extremely difficult. They suggest a Selwyn station would open up rail travel to people living on the northern side of the estuary.

Auckland Transport also stated the central rail network is working at capacity and adding another station would mean buying more trains, which would slow the network down.

Mr Clements disagrees. "Well isn't that the point of a having a transport system?"

Mr Baguley is putting together a proposal to present to Auckland Transport.

EAST VS WEST

The Western line follows the Auckland-Newmarket line from Britomart to Newmarket, then the North Auckland line to Waitakere. (Britomart, Newmarket, Grafton, Mount Eden, Kingsland, Morningside, Baldwin Ave, Mount Albert, Avondale, New Lynn, Fruitvale Rd, Glen Eden, Sunnyvale, Henderson, Sturges Rd, Ranui, Swanson, Waitakere.)

The Eastern line follows the North Island main trunk railway from Britomart to Pukekohe. (Britomart, The Strand, Orakei, Meadowbank, Purewa, (closed after a fire), Glen Innes, Panmure, Sylvia Park, Westfield.)