Dunedin rail protester undeterred by arrests

A Dunedin man who breached his bail conditions to blockade a motorway says protesting for better rail services is the best thing he could be doing with his life.

Restore Passenger Rail protester James Cockle, of Dunedin, said the protest in Wellington’s Transmission Gully yesterday was successful in terms of what the protesters were aiming to do, through it was unfortunate they had to keep doing it.

Protesters wanted to hear a definitive statement from political leaders and would not have much choice but to keep going until they got a solid answer about whether better rail services were supported.

They would like to meet with Transport Minister Michael Wood, and his actions had been dismissive and dangerous to date, Mr Cockle said.

It did not go unnoticed by the court that his being arrested at the Transmission Gully protest put him in breach of his bail conditions from an arrest at a similar protest outside Wellington’s Melling Train Station on Friday.

However Mr Cockle was undeterred.

"I feel like its the most important thing I can be doing with my life at the moment," Mr Cockle said.

The protests had been going almost two weeks and it was time for politicians to stand up and let the public know where they stood, Mr Cockle said.

oscar.francis@odt.co.nz