City rail link to capital in jeopardy

Uncertainty surrounds the future of the Capital Connection, the only commuter rail service between Palmerston North and Wellington.

Operator KiwiRail is upgrading the rail link between Wellington and Waikanae, extending electrification north from Paraparaumu and double-tracking the line.

This worries Palmerston North MP Iain Lees-Galloway, who has been told by KiwiRail that an increase in Waikanae passengers using more frequent Wellington metro services could affect the Capital Connection, which runs once daily.

Wellington metro services are owned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council but operated by KiwiRail. However, KiwiRail told the Manawatu Standard that as the work around Waikanae was still some time away from completion, it was too early to make any final decisions.

A letter to Mr Lees-Galloway from KiwiRail general manager public affairs Kevin Ramshaw said it would be about 18 months before anything was decided.

"The Capital Connection's future will be determined by the loss of passengers to the Wellington metro when metro services extend to Waikanae."

Mr Lees-Galloway said Palmerston North needed some form of rail connection to Wellington, which in the future may be a shuttle-like service to the Wellington metro system.

"It could be that we can show KiwiRail that the Capital Connection is worth saving. It's very important that KiwiRail sees that Palmerston North residents value their rail service."

Travelling to Wellington by train was better than making the journey by road, Mr Lees-Galloway said. "You arrive having two hours' work under your belt, or at least having read the newspaper."

KiwiRail marketing communications manager Nigel Parry said it was "far too early" to decide about the Capital Connection's future.

It would not be accurate to assume all Waikanae commuters who caught the Capital Connection would switch to the metro service.

Waikanae and Paraparaumu each account for about 20 per cent of Capital Connection's passengers, Mr Parry said.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Steven Joyce said: "The minister understands from KiwiRail that no changes are proposed to the Capital Connection commuter train service ... at this time."

Destination Manawatu chief executive Lance Bickford said people would use rail more if it was more frequent.

"I'd hate to see it go," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News