The topic of regional public transport is receiving a lot of commentary including nostalgic wishes and challenges on why can’t we have passenger rail, as well as the very public disruptive campaign of Restore Passenger Rail.
In my view there is a lot of emotion, especially when coupled with climate change concerns, and some of the benefits claimed are not realistic in terms of emissions reductions or achievable timeframes. I responded at length on my blog, Inter-Region Travel Options in NZ, but there are some key things to consider when discussing regional travel.
There is consensus that the rail system has been run down and asset-stripped, as mentioned in ‘Just how hopeless is KiwiRail?’ Long distance passenger rail is relying on old rolling stock pulled by diesel locomotives from an earlier era. One upgrade has finally been announced, with funding for new passenger trains being celebrated by Greater Wellington and Horizons. Hopefully these will come in just in time to replace the worn out 1970s equipment.
