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Poor Quality Locomotives Will Cripple Kiwirail in Future
Poor Quality Locomotives Will
Cripple Kiwirail in Future
New Zealand First is opposed to KiwiRail
replacing its North Island electric-powered trains with
diesel locomotives from China – it’s a dinosaur
decision.
“Importing more lower-cost DL-class diesel
locomotives from China when KiwiRail has found them to be
unreliable and poor quality raises questions about its
judgement,” says Transport Spokesperson Denis
O’Rourke.
“These locomotives have proved to be of low
standard, the same as quantities of imported steel and
plumbing products coming from China – it’s senseless.
The old saying is true: you get what you pay for.
“We
call on Transport Minister Simon Bridges to step in
immediately. The reasons are stacking up:
•
KiwiRail bought 48 diesel locomotives from China, but 40
contained asbestos despite the Chinese being repeatedly told
no asbestos was to be used. The clean-up cost $12 million,
but more asbestos has been found.
• Despite this,
KiwiRail revealed it had ordered 15 more and now wants to
order more to replace electric trains on part of the
Auckland to Wellington line.
• These diesels cost
twice as much to run as the 35-50 year American-built diesel
locomotives that KiwiRail uses.
• They cost three
times as much as the electric fleet KiwiRail wants to
replace.
• It’s visionless to put diesels back
on the line in an age of concern about climate change,
particularly given electricity is a resource NZ is not short
of.
• KiwiRail continues to run down services,
closing the Kauri to Otiria line in Northland, and halving
the trains from Whangarei to Auckland.
“Chinese
manufacturers can produce quality, but as a steel expert
pointed out recently, we will continue to get low quality
products if we don’t have Kiwi experts on the ground
testing the quality.
“A balanced transport network of
road, rail and shipping is common sense for the
future.
“However, it will be crippled if National
allows a massive buy up of cheaper locomotives. Making
limited savings on the purchases now will add huge costs
down the track.”
ENDS
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