Purakaunui resident Danielle Cameron handed over a 2348 signature petition and submissions to the council's long-term council community plan asking that the council to do a feasibility study into a commuter rail service to the city's outlying communities.
Cr Deaker said the submissions and petition would be considered by the hearing panel for the long-term plan.
However, the council had looked at the possibility of rail many times but it had "never made it over the first hurdles of cost and flexibility", he said.
There was the lack of infrastructure such as train stations and platforms in many of the towns and villages outlying the city and the cost of rolling stock.
"The last time we looked at it, it was over $2 million. We could get five buses for that."
It was not even viable to have the Palmerston bus go through Karitane and Warrington, let alone a train, he said.
"They're an excellent community. I admire the people but it's their idea I can't support."
