Council told opportunities exist for rail

BEFORE THE STORM: A north-bound freight train winds its way around Blacks Beach, Nuhaka in March 2012. That same month a storm caused wash-outs and slips and KiwiRail resolved to mothball the line. Picture by Bob Hepburn

Gisborne district councillors have been told to “seize the opportunity” and advocate for the restoration of the Wairoa-Gisborne rail line.

Former council planner Hans van Kregten, in his Long-Term Plan (LTP) submission, said the silence of council on the issue of rail had contributed to the rail line only being extended from Napier to Wairoa.

Wairoa District Council and Hawke's Bay Regional Council had advocated for that rail line, he said.

There was a political climate where government was reinvesting in rail and economic consultants like Berl were forecasting demand for rail services.

In his written submission, Mr van Kregten said rail should be promoted as a heavy transport option.

It was safer and used less fossil fuel on a weight basis.

The line to Wairoa needed to be opened soon with LTP funding being set aside to provide infrastructure at the Gisborne terminus.

Gisborne Rail Action Group's Gillian Ward said her group applauded the council for including the repair and re-instatement of the rail line in the draft Te Tairawhiti Regional Land Transport Plan.

The council had noted the economic benefit of the line.

There was no council funding or commitment to the line but that was to be expected as the line was a national asset.

Ms Ward said there were “aspirations” in the Tairawhiti 2050 Spatial Plan for the region to be carbon neutral, for no road deaths or serious injuries and for alternative traffic routes.

The transport minister would take into account a region's Regional Land Transport Plan when approving investment in the rail network, she said.

The BERL Turanga ki Wairoa rail feasibility study concluded that “there are numerous environmental, social, cultural, and economic wellbeing advantages in favour of the reinstatement”.

There was sufficient freight demand from horticulture for five trains a week and that would increase during produce season.

Demand had increased since 2011.

KiwiRail had made the line compatible with the new configuration of the 40-foot containers.

In early 2012 Weatherell Transport ran three trains per week, each with up to 20 40-foot high-cube chilled containers on railway wagons, from Gisborne to Napier Port, but KiwiRail had not been able to provide sufficient containers.

Ms Ward said the draft Climate Change Commission's report noted that more freight should be moved by rail.

Rail would connect rural communities.

Rail travel was more comfortable and cheaper than air travel and it would make Gisborne an attractive region.

Gisborne had worked hard to become part of the rail network.

Construction of the rail line had proved challenging and was “designed to last”.

Gisborne had made a huge investment in the line. Twenty-two rail workers employed to build the line had lost their lives in flooding at Kopuawhara in 1938.