Don't Throw Good Money After Bad on Gisborne Line
Don't Throw Good Money After Bad on Gisborne Line
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Hawke’s Bay politicians not to give in to those lobbying for the reopening of the former Napier-Gisborne railway line.Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams says:
“We recently reviewed the economic arguments of rail, as part of our Northland by-election policy costing project. For regional lines such as Napier-Gisborne, it is clear that getting them to even break-even is as hard as pushing water uphill with a rake.”
“I love trains, but the idea of rebuilding a line for one daily service with five-carriages makes no sense.”
Since Helen Clark’s Government renationalised rail in 2008, the total cost of subsidies and write-downs of KiwiRail has totalled $12.8 billion.
“$12.8 billion is an average of $2,863 for every New Zealander trying to breathe life into loss-making lines up and down the country," says Mr Williams.
“The Government has already spend the equivalent of a return trip to London for every Kiwi. Why would Hawke’s Bay want to throw even more good money after bad?”
More information about the cost of rail to taxpayers can be found in the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union report on corporate welfare, Monopoly Money.
ENDS