In recent decades, it seems like New Zealand has become something of a train-averse country, especially regarding the introduction of new services and the redevelopment of existing lines.
There is always some excuse put up as to why an improved rail network is not a feasible option for public transport. Funding in recent years has instead gone to bigger, faster motorways, new bus services and, somewhat shortsightedly, towards cutting the cost of petrol to keep motorists in their cars and clogging up the roads.
The Southerner, a popular daily service from Christchurch to Invercargill and vice-versa, was scrapped in 2002 because it was seen as unviable unless subsidised, and remains much-missed.
What wouldn’t residents of Mosgiel and Waitati, of Rangiora and Rolleston, give for a regular commuter rail service connecting them to Dunedin and Christchurch respectively?
It is encouraging that the Dunedin City Council has now committed to telling the Government it is long overdue that it should be investing in the southern network.
Councillors this week approved a select committee submission calling for improvements to the Main South Line across Otago and Southland, and money to investigate the resurrection of passenger rail, with a passing loop to be constructed between Caversham and Mosgiel.
The submission to the inquiry into the future of inter-regional passenger rail makes the point there has been ‘‘continuous under-investment’’ in the South for too long.
All city councillors at this week’s meeting supported the submission, except for Cr Lee Vandervis, who resorted to the argument that the South Island was too small and did not have economies of scale to make passenger rail work.
So, where is the vision when it comes to passenger trains? Put simply, there has been a considerable lack of it, particularly from people with influence.
Unfortunately, too many people are still too wedded to their cars and the convenience they bring to want to even think about making a change to a transport method which could help bring down the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Rather than support free or cut-price public transport to help relieve the cost of living for Kiwis, just-released documents to Newsroom show the Cabinet instead opted to introduce the most generous discounts for petrol and diesel users.
This is a time for people with the gift of farsightedness, who are prepared to make a start on developing and promoting something which goes way beyond any three-year electoral cycle and could take a decade, or decades, before it bears fruit.
There are plenty of such visionaries in the South, who can see beyond the immediate problems and potential hiccups, to benefits down the line.
