Rail needs new ideas — and a new operator

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Road or rail? There has always been a lot of controversy about this and I for one think it is time we looked outside the very narrow way we approach this subject.

State-owned NZ Rail and now KiwiRail have never been good providers — so why not have private enterprise do the job?

Large road transport companies with freight-handling expertise could take over the operations. If this happened, I am sure it would be a major success.

My thoughts would be to have low-profile trailers with small wheels; these would be multi-operation units with drop sides that could carry all sorts of goods — fertiliser, shingle, etc — and the ability to add drop-in poles so they can carry logs or special fuel tanks . . . the list goes on and on.

Also, a special platform could allow trucks to drive specially designed trailers on to the rail wagons. Having a plate in between the wagons would allow the trailers to be driven to the allotted position, be unhooked, and drive the truck off again at the end of the delivery/journey. The reverse procedure would also happen.

Because the purpose-made trailers would be for specific loads, they should have to be towed at, say, 35-40kmh on roads for drop-off — reducing on-road costs.

In the old days the rail was designed for heavy loads and roads were for lighter vehicles. The base course of our roads is not adequate for the massive loads they are now carrying.

Please, let’s put more thought into this subject and not carry on being negative.

No, Merv, I have not walked the line and have no intention of doing so, but the road that I call a goat track through to Napier is not a safe road for heavy transport — ask the truck drivers who travel it. They hate it.

More views, please. One day we will get somewhere with this, if more thought is put into it. All views should be considered, or we are just not going to get anywhere . . . which has been proven so far regarding this subject.

Ray Hill