Parnell businesses make train-stop plea

Parnell's business community wants a new train stop between their suburb and the Auckland Domain - before the only remaining suitable site is gobbled up by property developers.

Government rail agency Ontrack and the Auckland Regional Transport Authority have for several months been investigating adding a station half-way between Britomart and Newmarket, but the Parnell Mainstreet business group is becoming frustrated at how long they are taking.

The organisation - representing more than 400 businesses - says land owned by Ontrack behind Carlaw Park is the only site remaining from housing developments. It wants the historic Newmarket station building to be moved there, given that Ontrack says a $70 million redevelopment project will leave no room to keep it where it was opened in 1909.

Although moving it to Parnell appears the preference of rail officials, Mainstreet fears it may end up somewhere else if a decision to build a train stop beneath Parnell is not made before the Newmarket redevelopment.

Manager Debbie Harkness told Auckland City's transport committee that a train stop would provide immense value to her area.