Helensville service derailed

BY GEMMA REDDELL

The jam-packed steam train at Helensville's Heritage Day was a stark contrast to the failing Helensville passenger rail service.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority has withdrawn funding for the rail trial from Helensville, but the service may be continuing as far as Huapai or Waimauku.

Nor-West Rail Support Group chairman Scott Osmond says the Auckland Regional Council transport and urban development meeting last week saw much of the blame for the service's failure put on the authority.

"The Helensville rail service trial has been a farce, and I believe much of the blame for its failure lies with the authority," he says.

They passed a resolution of the possibility of continuing with a more frequent service but only as far as Huapai or Waimauku, and this was to be undertaken urgently with a view to starting such a service from February 2010.

An average of 43 passengers daily have travelled in total on the three daily services, says the authority customer services general manager Mark Lambert.

"The subsidy paid by the ratepayer and taxpayer per person per journey for this service is $45.72. This compares with a regional average of $5.02 per passenger per journey.

"A great deal of time, effort, promotion and research was put in by the authority towards making this service successful within constraints such as limited rolling stock and taking into consideration the provision of services to other parts of the region."

Regional council chairman Mike Lee says he is very disappointed that for a number of reasons
the trial service to Helensville did not work out, but given the current state of the rail system he was not surprised.

In June 2009, Mr Osmond says he asked for the Nor-West Rail Support Group to be included in the review process, but the first communication from the authority on the review was a press release announcing the cancellation of the trial.

"During the lead-up period to the introduction of the service the Nor-West Rail Support Group was frequently asked for input and advice on the service. This showed a good level of community consultation," he says.

"However, since early 2009 this has stopped."

He says when the service was announced in June 2007 they told the authority that having only one daily return service wouldn't work.

"No matter what time it ran or how long it took they completely missed the point that it was about changing behaviour, which is one of the most difficult marketing and service challenges, especially when the product or service has not been designed to 'fit' the needs of the market.

"In this instance the main market identified by the authority was limited to commuters, however without knowing the destination and times of the majority of commuters even this was rather a stab in
the dark," says Mr Osmond.

He says they agreed to support the trial anyway, as they felt it would be the only opportunity to use the valuable resource, which last ran as a suburban service in 1980.

The Nor-West Rail Support Group, made up of local community members, made many suggestions to the authority to improve patronage, but he says all were rejected.

"These included the use of a railcar as a shuttle service to link with western services, fare stage changes, use of concession options on the morning train as it is the only service despite running earlier than the normal concession time, and more post introduction promotion."

He says they asked for a survey to be done before the service
started, and the group ran an informal one when the authority refused. the authority finally held a survey in December 2008, when the train service wasn't running, and no changes were made.

He says Helensville passengers were frustrated when the train stopped each morning metres after beginning the journey while the locomotive engineer got out to change a signal.

"When I spoke to a senior Kiwirail train running official informally it was fixed within days by allowing it to be done as the train arrived."

There were regular stops of about six minutes waiting for citybound trains, and the time between Waitakere and Helensville was continually hindered by ever-changing speed restrictions, one of which is 10kmh through Kumeu, says Mr Osmond.

The train also frequently stopped at all stations instead of running as an express service, adding half an hour to the journey, and it often left the station early - leaving passengers behind.

"The timetable has never been achievable and was unrealistic," says Mr Osmond. "The service has been beset by poor reliability and poor staff attitude."

He says a bus-rail combined ticket would have certainly been worth trialling, especially over the summer.

"This was suggested in September 2008 when it was clear the patronage was not meeting expectations. It was not actioned until February 2009, then offered in June but declined as the trial was supposed to end in July."

He says with proper support, alternative options could have been tried throughout 2009
to produce a better result.

"I would suggest it stops this week rather than spend another six weeks languishing in this state of apathy," he says.

"We can only hope now that despite the best tradition of local, regional and central government in ignoring the needs of western Rodney and a carefully planned strategy is adopted to enhance the provision and uptake of properly integrated public transport, including rail, in our area."

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