KiwiRail denies ultimatum

Auckland Transport denies forcing KiwiRail's long-distance passenger trains out of Britomart to a desolate station more than a kilometre away, but acknowledges it needed $600,000 to let them stay.

An Auckland Council member on the transport organisation's board, Mike Lee, says he has heard on good authority from KiwiRail that it was told to pay for an upgrade of ventilation and related equipment at the underground station - or get out.

"I have been told by a highly placed person in KiwiRail that KiwiRail was asked by Auckland Transport to pay $600,000 for the overhaul of the Britomart fans," he said. Mr Lee was referring to extraction equipment installed for Britomart's opening in 2003, for Auckland's diesel-fuelled urban passenger trains, which were replaced in July by a wholly electric fleet.

An Auckland Transport spokesman said KiwiRail was offered the chance to keep running its Northern Explorer diesel passenger trains from Britomart, on its thrice-weekly service to Wellington, before the Government operator decided to remove them to the previously disused surface station off The Strand - at its rail junction beneath Parnell Rise.

But he said that to maintain fire safety certification during construction of the $2.5 billion underground rail extension from Britomart, and to ensure passengers had enough time to get to safety in a diesel train fire, extra work costing about $600,000 would have been needed.

KiwiRail converted shipping containers into a check-in kiosk for up to $200,000 before running its first passenger train last week from The Strand station, but says it is unfair of Mr Lee to have nicknamed the site "Siberia" while questioning its suitability for tourists setting off on one of the world's top scenic rail journeys.

Scenic journeys head Gavin Rutherford also denied Auckland Transport had forced his trains out of Britomart, but acknowledged staying there would have meant "a significant cost" in upgrading and maintaining the underground station's diesel fire suppression system.

The trains would also have to leave for Wellington later than their current departure time of 7.45am.

"Therefore the decision to move to The Strand was [commercial and operational], and by investing in the new terminal, KiwiRail has reaffirmed its commitment to the Northern Explorer," Mr Rutherford said.

Mr Lee said that was certainly not what he had been told by his senior KiwiRail source, whom he was not at liberty to identify.

Ruapehu Mayor Don Cameron has also raised concern about the Northern Explorer's relocation, given what he says is the strategic importance of long-distance passenger rail to regional tourism.

But he told the Herald he welcomed a KiwiRail assurance it was committed to upgrading the service.