New bid for train link north

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Attempts are being made to fast-track a new-look Hamilton to Auckland commuter train service.

Hamilton local body politicians have been in talks with KiwiRail and say they are on the verge of getting a final concrete proposal on which to base a decision.

The deal is far from done but a rough proposal is for a service leaving Hamilton between 6am and 6.30am and departing Auckland at 5.30pm. A suggested route is from Frankton with stops at The Base in Te Rapa, Huntly, Papatoetoe and stopping at either Britomart or Newmarket.

Suggested fares are $24 from Hamilton and $17.60 from Huntly.

The last effort at a commuter train, the Waikato Connection, was scrapped in 2001 and the new service is being touted as a 12-month trial.

The possibility has arisen because KiwiRail is about to have old railcars coming off service.

A key issue is whether the Government's New Zealand Transport Agency would be prepared to subsidise the cost.

Mayor Bob Simcock said there was a lot of doubt about this as the current Government didn't appear to have rail as a priority.

But it didn't preclude a one-off situation if it came to a choice of the rail cars being "parked up" or put to use somewhere.

"There's a lot of work gone into to make sure the conversation can occur. If it can be done at a reasonable cost to the region we will certainly look at it."

A feasibility study for Environment Waikato by consultants suggested the service would be viable, particularly if it was done in a way which required no capital expenditure on stations and use of existing Silver Fern railcars.

But even if the NZTA subsidy was available, the study predicts the service would still need an additional annual $456,000 subsidy from Waikato sources.

The study by Murray King, Richard Paling and Simon Wood predicted potential patronage from Hamilton and Huntly at 72 journeys each way a day, 75 per cent filling the railcars. KiwiRail had offered a service at a cost of $1.84 million. Revenue was predicted at $840,000, an NZTA subsidy would equate to $648,000, leaving $456,000 to be found.

There's an element of "now or never" in the talks as KiwiRail wants to know early next month when it has the railcars available.

City council transport chairman Dave Macpherson said if they were not snapped up by Hamilton they could be used in either Wellington or to start a new service in Dunedin. Mr Macpherson, who travelled to Auckland last week for talks on the proposal, told a city council transport committee meeting that the proposal was now in KiwiRail's hands.

"Is KiwiRail going to come back to us with a proposal in writing that matches the words they have been saying?"

City council general manager works and services Chris Allen said there was considerable public interest.

The subject accounted for 43 out of 90 submissions to the Environment Waikato Regional Land Transport Plan, despite the fact that the proposal was not even in the plan.

He said a number of corporates had approached him saying they would use the train, as well as rail enthusiasts and others who wanted to use the service.

"The thing I picked up from them was that people see real value in their time and they see the value of sitting on a train and being able to work."

Councillor Roger Hennebry questioned the service's viability given the lack of support for the Waikato Connection.

"Last time it was only running with about 30 people on it."

Isay: Would you use a commuter train from between Hamilton and Auckland? We want to hear from you. Email your details to news@waikatotimes.co.nz

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