Trains could come to the rescue the next time snow causes Dunedin transport to plough to a halt.
Taieri Gorge Railway chief executive Murray Bond said railway was the only transport system not subject to weather conditions and would have made a big difference during this week's deep freeze.
"We can operate any day. Any day at all. It makes no difference how deep the snow is. Snow and ice seldom, if ever, stop a train," he said yesterday.
"But I don't think the authorities understand the strategic importance of rail in these situations. It's a pity, because we can do so much on snow days when no other transport option is available. We could have picked up all those motorists who were stranded at Waitati. It takes about 40 minutes for a train to get out there. They could have got in a nice, warm train and come to Dunedin, where there's lots of accommodation around the railway station," Mr Bond said.
"But we're not going to do it off our own bat. We're ready, we're well-staffed and we're stocked up on most occasions. All it would have taken was a phone call from a relevant authority. And to be honest, I'm a bit surprised it didn't come."
The Taieri Gorge train provided a vital service for residents of Middlemarch this week.
"We've been delivering mail, newspapers, food and medicines to Middlemarch. We're delighted to do that, because it shows our usefulness and it helps out our friends in Middlemarch, where there is a railhead," Mr Bond said.
"We could have operated on any of the snow days. The only reason we didn't operate on Monday was because we had no bookings. But we ran on Tuesday and it was an absolutely spectacular trip. Some of the best trips we've run have been through the snow."
New Zealand was "decades" behind the rest of the world in using railways for land transport, Mr Bond said.
"Local and national authorities don't seem to recognise rail transport. The Otago Regional Council's new land transport strategy doesn't mention railways at all."
