Protest speaks out against diesel trains

Tauranga residents braved their safety as they walked backwards on the railway line along The Strand in protest of Government pressuring KiwiRail to buy diesel-powered trains.

Eight people gathered with protest signs in the hopes to turn the Government and KiwiRail's decision of buying diesel trains instead of electric-powered trains.

Local advocate Emma-leigh Hodge said they were holding a local protest to coincide with a parliamentary protest being held to in Wellington today.

She said they were walking backwards in the direction the Government was taking.

"We're trying to get National to get KiwiRail to go in the direction of electric trains and not backwards to diesel trains." Ms Hodge said.

Strong advocate and protest organiser Dr Ian McLean said diesel emissions were already a big problem for global warming issues and the short-term value of diesel trains weren't the right choice.

"When you buy these trains they last for 30 years, the price of diesel is going up and the carbon-dioxide production from diesel is already a massive problem. We have electric technology that runs on renewable energy that makes much more sense." said Mr McLean