South Island and national rail advocacy groups have expressed deep concern over the Government’s failure to announce a rail-enabled replacement for the cancelled iRex rail ferry project. In response, Save Our Trains and The Future Is Rail have launched a petition to ensure that the new Cook Strait ferries can carry trains.

The petition, which can be found at https://thefutureisrail.org/, garnered more than 1,000 signatures within its first day, highlighting the significant public interest in this issue.

“Rail infrastructure and services, both for freight and passengers, are vital to our country’s transport future,” said spokesperson Dave Macpherson. “We are worried that recent Government transport decisions will severely degrade the South Island’s transport networks and the economy that depends on them.”

Macpherson emphasised that the cancellation of the iRex rail-enabled ferries project, combined with a lack of Government investment in South Island strategic rail and other transport infrastructure, will have long-term negative impacts.

The advocacy groups are calling on local and national politicians to “strongly and publicly advocate for the replacement of the existing, aged Interislander ferries with modern rail-enabled ferries.”

“The ageing Interislander ferries must be replaced. It is crucial that the new ferries are rail-enabled to maintain the connectivity of our rail networks,” Macpherson added. “Without rail-enabled ferries, the two islands’ rail networks will be disconnected, restricting the movement of goods and jeopardising the South Island’s entire rail network. That means more trucks on our already battered roads.”

For more information and to sign the petition, visit https://thefutureisrail.org/

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