Latest news with #SaveOurTrains
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
Petition To Bring Back The Southerner Passenger Train Launched
Press Release – Save Our Trains Save Our Trains Southern spokesperson Dave Macpherson said there are 750,000 New Zealanders living along the rail route between Christchurch and Invercargill who are starved of reasonable public transport links between their communities. A petition has been launched in the South Island calling for the restoration of The Southerner regular passenger train, running from Christchurch to Invercargill, via Dunedin. The passenger rail service would also stop at key towns and cities such as Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Balclutha and Gore, and possibly other stops such as Temuka, Palmerston, Mosgiel (for bus connections to Dunedin Airport) and Milton, should demand warrant. The petition will be presented to a cross-Party group of South Island MPs at Parliament in early July, and calls on the 'House of Representatives [to] urge the Government to restore The Southerner Train, from Invercargill, via Dunedin to Christchurch, as a regular public transport service, supporting South Island towns and cities along the route' Save Our Trains Southern spokesperson Dave Macpherson said 'there are 750,000 New Zealanders living along the rail route between Christchurch and Invercargill who are starved of reasonable public transport links between their communities.' 'Rail is a preferred choice of travel for large numbers of them, judging by the very positive early reaction we are getting to our petition out in the streets and on the airwaves. We are starting to collect signatures in the streets of Oamaru, Dunedin, Balclutha and Milton already, and are adding volunteers for that task in Invercargiull, Ashburton, Christchurch, Gore and Timaru.' 'We have today launched the petition online as well, and are making that available to people around the country.' [see Petition link: ] Mr Macpherson said 'we are being told by tertiary students, retired people, families, businesspeople, and especially disabled people that rail will provide them affordable, safe and comfortable links to friends, relatives, study and work activities that are not well served – if at all – by expensive airliinks, unsafe car journeys and slow, uncomfortable private coach links.' 'The North Island already has three Government-supported long distance rail links, but the South Island has nothing. It is about time that this part of NZ Inc. received some transport support.' He pointed out that, 'unlike new highways, the rail route is already in place; the Hillside (Dunedin) and Waltham (Christchurch) KiwiRail workshops are in place to support passenger rail services, rail-enabled ferries are being bought, and tourist trains in the South Island are a roaring success. Everything points to passenger rail being successful in the South Island.' 'Local people need passenger trains providing affordable local services.'
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
Petition To Bring Back The Southerner Passenger Train Launched
Press Release – Save Our Trains Save Our Trains Southern spokesperson Dave Macpherson said there are 750,000 New Zealanders living along the rail route between Christchurch and Invercargill who are starved of reasonable public transport links between their communities. A petition has been launched in the South Island calling for the restoration of The Southerner regular passenger train, running from Christchurch to Invercargill, via Dunedin. The passenger rail service would also stop at key towns and cities such as Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Balclutha and Gore, and possibly other stops such as Temuka, Palmerston, Mosgiel (for bus connections to Dunedin Airport) and Milton, should demand warrant. The petition will be presented to a cross-Party group of South Island MPs at Parliament in early July, and calls on the 'House of Representatives [to] urge the Government to restore The Southerner Train, from Invercargill, via Dunedin to Christchurch, as a regular public transport service, supporting South Island towns and cities along the route' Save Our Trains Southern spokesperson Dave Macpherson said 'there are 750,000 New Zealanders living along the rail route between Christchurch and Invercargill who are starved of reasonable public transport links between their communities.' 'Rail is a preferred choice of travel for large numbers of them, judging by the very positive early reaction we are getting to our petition out in the streets and on the airwaves. We are starting to collect signatures in the streets of Oamaru, Dunedin, Balclutha and Milton already, and are adding volunteers for that task in Invercargiull, Ashburton, Christchurch, Gore and Timaru.' 'We have today launched the petition online as well, and are making that available to people around the country.' [see Petition link: ] Mr Macpherson said 'we are being told by tertiary students, retired people, families, businesspeople, and especially disabled people that rail will provide them affordable, safe and comfortable links to friends, relatives, study and work activities that are not well served – if at all – by expensive airliinks, unsafe car journeys and slow, uncomfortable private coach links.' 'The North Island already has three Government-supported long distance rail links, but the South Island has nothing. It is about time that this part of NZ Inc. received some transport support.' He pointed out that, 'unlike new highways, the rail route is already in place; the Hillside (Dunedin) and Waltham (Christchurch) KiwiRail workshops are in place to support passenger rail services, rail-enabled ferries are being bought, and tourist trains in the South Island are a roaring success. Everything points to passenger rail being successful in the South Island.' 'Local people need passenger trains providing affordable local services.'
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
South Island Rail To Be Cut Adrift For 4 Years, Due To Early Axing Of Aratere Ferry
Press Release – Save Our Trains While we have applauded the necessary decision by Minister Peters to resurrect the rail ferries programme, we now see how much the Governments earlier axing of the rail ferries is costing us, spokesperson Dave Macpherson said. The Government's decision to cut short the Aratere rail ferry's existence this year will leave the country with no rail link between the North and South Islands for four years, points out rail advocacy group The Future is Rail. 'Four years with no direct rail link between the economies and populations of the two islands is far too long, and will seriously affect businesses, communities and jobs, especially in the South Island,' said spokesperson Dave Macpherson. KiwiRail and the Government claim the four year gap is needed to enable re-development of the Picton wharf area to accommodate the two new rail ferries announced for 2029 by Rail Minister Winston Peters. The Future is Rail pointed out that wharf alterations at Picton, to accommodate the previous Government's contracted two new rail ferries, were already under way, while the Aratere was still able to use existing Picton facilities. 'The short-sighted cancellation of the iRex ferries by Finance Minister Nicola Willis 18 months ago has therefore caused the four year loss of one of this country's most important and strategic transport connections.' 'While we have applauded the necessary decision by Minister Peters to resurrect the rail ferries programme, we now see how much the Government's earlier axing of the rail ferries is costing us,' he said.
