New Zealand needs to lower transport emissions and improve the economy. What better way to do this than shortening journeys and making rail more competitive.

TRAINZ is currently aware of proposals to shorten the distance between Wellington and Christchurch and from Auckland to Wellington by rail. These proposals are building a ferry terminal at Clifford Bay and rerouting the main trunk railway directly from Marton to Levin to shorten the distance from Auckland to Wellington.

TRAINZ national coordinator, Niall Robertson says, “Governments are always stressing about fiscal deficits, but don’t seem to realise that this stifles infrastructure investment and creates an even bigger infrastructure deficit”. Robertson adds, “Investment in some infrastructure will improve the economy, cut costs to business and create more wealth to deal with fiscal deficits, and TRAINZ believes we have a couple of these investments that are crying out to be realised”.

There is a proposal by investors to develop the Clifford Bay inter-island port for rail enabled and road capable roll-on roll-off ferries. Developers say this has the potential to reduce sailing time by 90 minutes and road and rail time by 60 minutes. That shortens the journey from Wellington to Christchurch for road and rail by about two and a half hours.

Further north TRAINZ has noticed that KiwiRail struggles to compete with trucks from Auckland to Wellington because the line has to divert to Palmerston North on the way to Wellington. However, a proposal to straighten the Main Trunk by building a railway from Greatford near Marton, directly to Levin will solve this problem. When this project was last costed, the Otaki to North of Levin motorway was costed at $1.5b for 24km with a BCR of between 0.22 to 0.37. This rail project was costed at $750 to $900m with a BCR of 1.23 to 1.85 for 85km.

TRAINZ chair Guy Wellwood says, “When one looks at these figures one can see this is a no-brainer” and Wellwood goes on to say, “This also shortens the journeys from New Plymouth and Whanganui making passenger rail viable on this route too”.

Robertson adds, “The rail from Greatford to Levin via Palmerston North will still be busy though and has more than enough freight and potential and actual rail passengers justifying that route as well”.

TRAINZ believes that the wider benefits are huge and are seldom directly factored into transport cost sheets. Robertson says that a Minstry of Transport study in 2023 put the cost of road traffic accidents at $9.77b per annnum and a Massey University study in 2016 put the cost of road transport particulate matter from tyres, brakes, suspension and general road dust at $11.5b per annum.

Furthermore TRAINZ realises that motorists get a good deal from rail by reducing congestion, as well as road maintenance costs and everyone benefits from improvements regarding transport emissions. Robertson adds that TRAINZ is aware that 30% of the population require public transport for social connectivity, including the elderly, younger people, the disabled and those on low incomes.

Wellwood says, “TRAINZ is all about promoting shorter journeys, providing freight and passenger services for all at a cheaper rate and using the cleanest and greenest way possible”. Wellwood adds, “These two proposals do just that for the million in the middle of New Zealand who have been a little neglected in favour of the higher populated north”.

TRAINZ supports these proposals and Robertson says, “The government want to cut costs, improve productivity and pay off the fiscal deficit. This is the way to do it and TRAINZ challenges the government to put their money where their mouth is!”

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