A public meeting of the Save Our Trains campaign will be held on Saturday 15 April 2023 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm at the auditorium of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, 31 Queens Gardens, Central Dunedin.

Save Our Trains spokesperson Patrick Rooney says the inaugural Dunedin meeting for the campaign will feature a panel of local and national rail and transport campaigners and experts.

These include Patrick Rooney (national organizing committee of Save Our Trains), Dunedin list MP Rachel Brooking, Dunedin City Councillor Jim O’Malley, Dr Duncan Connors (University of Otago) and Dave McPherson (former Hamilton City Councillor.)

The meeting will be chaired by Dunedin unionist Victor Billot.

Mr Rooney says the Save Our Trains campaign is focussed on rebuilding high quality and affordable inter regional passenger rail services throughout New Zealand.

He says there has been strong interest in the campaign from Dunedin and Otago.

Mr Rooney says there has been a number of local initiatives and campaigns around passenger rail in Dunedin, including the potential for Dunedin Rail to be extended into offering commuter passenger services.

He says there is interest in revitalizing an intercity service such as the former Southerner service.

Mr Rooney says passenger rail has many social and environmental benefits but will require investment and leadership to fulfil its potential.

He says the purpose of the meeting will be to promote passenger rail and to build a local network of supporters to put the issue on the agenda for the general election and going forward.

Mr Rooney is on a national tour of speaking dates for Save Our Trains.

Save Our Trains is one of the supporting organizations of a national passenger rail conference to be held in Wellington on 28 June.

The Save Our Trains campaign was started in January 2022 by concerned members of the public focused on maintaining and developing passenger rail services.

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