Save Our Trains Campaign says the budget offers glimmers of hope for some regions, but leaves most of New Zealand stranded when it comes to passenger rail.

Save Our Trains Spokesperson Suraya Sidhu Singh says “the climate crisis requires politicians of all stripes to exercise leadership. More must be done to deliver real transport choice to New Zealanders.”

She said 18 new hybrid trains confirmed for the Lower North Island and funding for a business case into electrifying the Golden Triangle and North Island Main Trunk line should be celebrated. They will connect people, reduce carbon emissions, and help support planned population growth. However, the funding for these business cases will only hit their full amount in 2026.

"With work already underway electrifying Papakura to Pukekohe it makes sense to bring funding forward to make the most of the existing workforce. We're already feeling the extreme weather events of the climate crisis – we cannot afford to delay sustainable transport options any longer."

In addition, the electrification business cases must look beyond freight and explicitly explore opportunities for increased, affordable passenger rail along the Main Trunk line and between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.

Save Our Trains Spokesperson Lindsey Horne says the Golden Triangle of Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty, where 40% of Aotearoa's population lives, is an obvious choice for enabling passenger services.

"Funding a business case into electrifying the Auckland to Tauranga route is a start, but it’s a long way from a study to having trains on tracks. If we are serious about reducing carbon emissions we need action and we need it now. We can't have our climate policy looking like smoke and mirrors. We need to give people real transport choices.”

While investment in passenger rail announced in the budget will help people in some regions, support for public transport in other regions is noticeably absent.

"Little is being done to connect other cities and encourage mode shift in the regions" says Ms Singh of Taranaki.

The Save Our Trains campaign was founded in late January 2022 by members of the public concerned about threats to passenger rail services throughout New Zealand.

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