New Zealand First would make the Te Huia passenger train between Hamilton and Auckland permanent and hand metropolitan rail in the two biggest cities to new council-government companies under a ten-point rail policy announced on Tuesday.
NZ First leader Winston Peters said the policy “locks in” rail projects his party had already delivered and funded during its time in government, then took “the next practical steps”.
“New Zealand First has always backed rail, and unlike the other parties that sold it off, ran it down, or talked about it without delivering, we have the track record to prove it,” Peters said in a statement.
Under the plan, new companies called Auckland Rail and Wellington Rail would take responsibility for metropolitan rail infrastructure and passenger trains in each city. Taxpayers and ratepayers would co-own the companies, which would share a chair and guarantee access for freight, inter-regional and heritage services.
The party said the change would replace fragmented responsibilities and let KiwiRail focus on its freight, ferry and property business. Establishment would cost $5 million, and ownership of railway land would not change.
Te Huia’s contract runs out in 2027. NZ First would extend it and add three train units, costing $130 million, to Greater Wellington Regional Council’s new rolling stock contract so the service has modern trains.
The party would also start planning Auckland’s third and fourth main lines and protect the Avondale-Southdown rail corridor between west and south Auckland before its designation expires in 2029.
Swipe at electrification
NZ First wants to ventilate the Kaimai Tunnel between Tauranga and the Waikato and build passing loops on either side, for less than $100 million, to allow more freight trains through the Golden Triangle linking Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.
Peters said that offered better value than electrifying the line.
“We believe in getting more out of what New Zealanders already own, not spending $1.5 billion electrifying the Golden Triangle to save just $15 million in fuel each year in an already low-emissions technology,” he said in a statement.
“That sort of ideological idiocy is best left to the Greens.”
The Greens’ own rail policy, released earlier this month, also included Kaimai ventilation upgrades and extra passing loops, as part of a two-stage plan to extend the Te Huia train to Tauranga.
Peters said the national network was in its best condition in decades after the Government changed the law to fund rail infrastructure in the same way as state highways.
“Rail freight volumes are growing faster than road freight volumes, KiwiRail has exceeded its earnings target for the second year in a row, and brand new locomotives and wagons will shortly ply the national network,” he said.
Peters said rail contributed $3.3 billion to the economy each year, moved a quarter of export freight and carried more than 24 million metropolitan passenger journeys annually.
The party would also keep $500,000 a year in funding for the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand and continue discounted network access for heritage rail operators.
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