Save Our Trains Campaign says the launch of an inquiry into the future of inter-regional passenger rail in New Zealand by the Transport and Infrastructure Committee offers a chance to reset decades of decline in our rail system.

Save Our Trains spokesperson, Dr Paul Callister, says “Inter regional passenger rail services have been run into the ground through decades of deliberate decline and bias towards road and air transport. This inquiry offers an eleventh-hour chance to reverse the decline of our rail network and replace our rusting rolling stock.”

Dr Callister says ongoing issues with the ageing and increasingly unreliable Wellington to Palmerston North Capital Connection and near termination of the Auckland to Wellington Northern Explorer passenger service are recent real life examples of the failure to develop a rail network to meet the needs of New Zealand’s future.

The Budget in May 2022 omitted funding for a fleet of hybrid electric trains in the lower North Island, proposed by regional councils.

KiwiRail suspended long-distance passenger services in 2021, later reversing that decision in 2022 following a public campaign to save our trains. Reinstated services were accompanied by significant fare increases.

Dr Callister says it is no longer a service New Zealand families can afford.

Save Our Trains spokesperson, Suraya Sidhu Singh, said “most New Zealanders live in regions that are poorly served by public transport, yet with investment our existing rail network could connect millions of people. There is an opportunity to invest in rail to connect our regional communities and impact climate change goals.”

Suraya Sidhu Singh says this inquiry offers an opportunity for various agencies to better align transport, climate, and economic development policies and have real impact for future generations of passengers.

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

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