Purchasing and refurbishing the diesel engines and carriages will cost $19.8 million. It is bizarre to see a Government claiming to address climate change one day and buying diesel trains the next.
If they are going to invest in rail, then why not complete electrification of the network from Pukekohe to Tuakau for approximately $130 million which is much more environmentally friendly. This could then come with a park and ride for Waikato commuters to Auckland.
With the Waikato Expressway nearing completion, electrification could maximise its usefulness. Building park-and-ride facilities at Tuakau could attract many more rail passengers who can take the train instead of using the Southern Motorway.
We are yet to see any measured benefits from the associated costs this train is creating. For example, NZTA has stated the benefit cost ratio (BCR) for the completed Waikato Expressway project will be 2.4 with economic benefits of $5 billion resulting from an investment of around $2 billion. We need to know what we are getting for $81.7 million and if it will be a white elephant.
In 2009, Environment Waikato estimated a BCR of 1.9 for spending $1.8 million annually subsidising a commuter rail service, which calls into question the value of this $81 million option.
The smart solution is to extend the electrification into the North Waikato at Tuakau and make best use of both the Auckland rail network and the Waikato Expressway.
This complements the Auckland Plan 2050, which already includes electrification to Pukekohe.
Overall, this project costs $545,000 per passenger for 150 people to travel from Hamilton to Papakura on a diesel train when at the same time the Government has cancelled the $450 million extension from Cambridge to Piarere. If local and central government want us to believe that this is money well spent, they should provide us with a long-term plan and numbers that justify the expense.