A campaign asking the Government and KiwiRail to back the continuation of axed national passenger rail services continues to grow with more than 4,500 people signing an online petition.

The Save Our Trains campaign was started in late January by members of the public who were concerned about KiwiRail’s announcement in December to pull out of providing same day scheduled passenger services on both islands.

Spokesperson, Michael Nicholson, said: “KiwiRail’s decision decimates the limited national network we had. It leaves us with disconnected urban services and large parts of the country unserved by rail. It just isn’t good enough, especially when the Government talks so much about regional economic development and climate action.”

Spokesperson, Paul Callister, said: “We need to make bold decisions around the future of public transport if we’re really serious about making a dent in CO2 emissions. National passenger rail needs to be part of the solution. But it’s also about creating a service that meets the needs of local communities. The first step is to save what we have.”

The petition to Save Our National Passenger Rail Network reads: We call on the Government and KiwiRail to commit to maintaining existing intercity passenger rail services. Furthermore, we ask for a comprehensive national strategy for future passenger rail services built around concern for climate action and economic development.

The petition to Save Our National Passenger Rail Network can be found at: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/p/saveourtrains

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