Ruapehu Mayor Don Cameron doubts whether KiwiRail would reinstate the Northern Explorer service as it used to be. Photo / Supplied
Ruapehu Mayor Don Cameron doubts whether KiwiRail would reinstate the Northern Explorer service as it used to be. Photo / Supplied
The push for an Auckland-Wellington rail service continues, with one group feeling hopeful about a KiwiRail survey and another requesting a meeting with government departments.
The Save Our Trains group was encouraged to find KiwiRail was considering "bi-directional services going daily each way between Auckland and Wellington" as one ofa range of ideas when it resumes rail services in the central North Island in July.
Save Our Trains has started a petition, now with 5200 signatures, asking for the reinstatement of the Northern Explorer service between Auckland and Wellington. It was suspended in August last year because there were few tourists and it was making a loss.
Member Patrick Rooney said he was told KiwiRail would look for feedback soon.
But that feedback wasn't formal market research, KiwiRail general manager scenic services and commuter rail Tracey Goodall said.
"The answers we receive, along with other feedback such as the Save Our Trains petition, will be considered as we continue to develop what we offer our tourism customers," she said.
Meanwhile, Ruapehu Mayor Don Cameron and a group of 20 councils along the length of the rail line between Auckland and Wellington are working for the same objective in a different way.
They sent off letters earlier this week, asking for a meeting of government departments to discuss a once or twice daily passenger service between Auckland and Wellington.
It's important that people can travel to the Ruapehu District by train, Mayor Don Cameron says. Photo / Bevan Conley
They joined forces to fund a feasibility study and now want funding for a business case.
They want a meeting with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The meeting would work better if everyone was in the same room, Cameron said. After that, the matter could go to Transport Minister Michael Wood.
"We will be looking for the minister to supply money for a business case."
The group would not mind if it didn't get the money straight away, he said.
"We are more concerned to keep the momentum for the project. Government is very keen to keep cars off the road and reduce climate change emissions."
Cameron doubts whether KiwiRail would reinstate the Northern Explorer service as it was before it was suspended - because it was slow, its rolling stock was ageing and it was losing money.
However, he said KiwiRail had been really supportive of the councils' drive to get a passenger service happening, because the decision had to come from the Government and not from KiwiRail.
The new service would cost billions to set up and would need to be heavily subsidised, Cameron said.
"We have got a hell of a lot of work to do around this one. We have got to concentrate on making sure that we bring in something that's going to last forever."
