Support needed for Wairoa-Gisborne rail reopening

COLLABORATION: Support is needed for a proposal to reopen the Wairoa-Gisborne rail line. PHOTO/FILE

The future of the Napier-Gisborne rail line could look a little brighter, if East Coast councils collaborate.

Earlier this week it was recommended the Hawke's Bay Regional Council continue supporting efforts to get the Wairoa to Gisborne section of the line reopened.

The line was closed in 2012 after a washout during a major storm, but in October it was announced the Napier-Wairoa section would be reopened for a dedicated log service from Wairoa to Napier Port.

At a council corporate and strategic committee meeting earlier this week, the Gisborne Rail Cooperative lobby group requested the council make a joint approach to KiwiRail for consideration of Gisborne Regional Council's proposal to reopen the Gisborne end of the Napier-Gisborne line for freight, as well as for tourism services.

Committee chairman Neil Kirton said the meeting saw a high level of support for the concept of reopening the northern section of the line from "around the table".

However, he said a "strong" business case for reopening the line would be needed, as well as support from the Gisborne District Council on the proposal, which "until now was conspicuously absent".

As well as making the business case stronger, Mr Kirton said working with Gisborne on the approach would strengthen the relationship between the councils.

"I can visualise an East Coast consortium that benefits both regions," he said.

He said if GRC could get a commitment from the district council to put some funds towards developing a business case then HBRC would also consider contributing.

The group were directed to speak with the district council, and if support was pledged, return with a business plan to the regional council.

The council were recommended to continue offering support for the preservation, and preferably the restoration of rail freight options for the Wairoa to Gisborne section.

Both Gisborne District Council and Wairoa District Council were said to have responded to KiwiRail's request last year for expressions of interest (EOI) from tourism operators interested in running services on the Wairoa to Gisborne section of the rail line.

Yesterday a KiwiRail spokesman said they were reviewing submissions received from the request for EOIs, and would announce the outcome of the tender in the first quarter of this year.

Following the washout in 2012, it was said there could be a $4 million repair bill and increased maintenance costs of $6m per year.

He said no detailed costing work had been done on the Wairoa-Gisborne line, and the amount of work required would be dependent in part on the nature of any successful tender to use the line.

However, it was likely costs had increased.