Hamilton train trial too costly

A trial passenger rail service between Auckland and Hamilton has been canned because of the cost.

But Hamilton city councillors say the concept has not been abandoned.

The Hamilton City Council had asked KiwiRail for a one-year trial using the Silver Fern railcars but KiwiRail responded with a three-year proposal which needed a subsidy of more than $1 million a year, said the council's transport committee chairman, Dave McPherson.

The council said a subsidy of more than $1 million was not affordable and Nigel Parry from KiwiRail said yesterday that the service had to be viable and would not be run at a loss.

Mr McPherson said the fight was not over. The council would now go back to the Government in another attempt to get subsidies for the trial.

A 10-trip commuter ticket was likely to cost $190 and KiwiRail said the initial plan was to run the two-hour trip early enough for people to get to work in Auckland and come home in the evening.

Costs were based on 70 to 100 passengers on each trip.

He said the proposed trial might have been abandoned but the door was still open.

- NZPA