Auckland working on rail electrification

The Auckland region is working up a case for electrification of its railways to take to the Government.

Auckland Regional Council said a programme of refurbishing old diesel trains would only cope with the 30 per cent annual increase in rail patronage for another year when the region would need to start buying new trains.

The Government has firmed up plans to spend between $450 million and $600 million on Auckland's railway network but sees no need for electrification and a central city tunnel in the short term.

ARC transport authority chief executive Alan Thompson said the region was working up a case for electrification to take to the Government in about April next year.

Green Party transport spokesman Keith Locke said double-tracking the western line, new signalling and platforms including the Newmarket junction were all good news.

"But it is disappointing this money doesn't cover electrification, which is both vital for a modern public transport system and the best option for reducing carbon emissions even further," he said.

"Electrification needs a green light pretty urgently so Auckland Regional Transport Authority can plan the purchase of electric rather than diesel rolling stock."

A package to double-track the congested western railway line, reconfigure the Newmarket junction and build a new railway link to Manukau City was announced yesterday by Finance Minister Michael Cullen and Transport Minister David Parker.

This followed an announcement by former Transport Minister Pete Hodgson on the election hustings in August that the Government would build all new rail tracks and signal controls in Auckland, leaving the region to pay for trains and station upgrades.

Regional funding would come from rates and income from locally owned assets such as Ports of Auckland.

The Crown's funding package was greeted enthusiastically by Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee on the proviso that state-owned Ontrack, which owns the rail network, gets on with the job of double-tracking without delay.

There are high hopes the western line will be double-tracked from Newmarket to Swanson, about 26km, before the end of 2008 and certainly before the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

There are also high hopes the Government will sort out the clumsy manoeuvre at Newmarket that sees western trains arrive in one direction and having to back out in the opposite direction.

The Government will also build a new 2km branch railway from central Manukau to the main southern line at Wiri.

Dr Cullen and Mr Parker said the package did not cover electrification of the Auckland rail network or a 3.5km rail tunnel from Britomart under the central business district to Mt Eden.