Greens want lower North Island rail investment, which could have been paid for with lost fuel tax
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WARWICK SMITH/Stuff
The Capital Connection train between Palmerston North and Wellington needs investment to keep running and accommodate extra demand.
Three months of lost fuel tax revenue could have been used to future-proof lower North Island commuter rail, Green Party transport and finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter says.
The Greens are putting pressure on Minister of Finance and Infrastructure Grant Robertson to stump up the cash to upgrade the rail services and combat climate change.
Trains running from Wairarapa and Manawatū to Wellington, mostly used for people commuting into the capital, are old.
The carriages used for the Manawatū service, the Capital Connection, are more than 50 years old and technically at the end of their lives, but are kept on the line due to hard work by KiwiRail engineers.
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In an open letter published on Tuesday afternoon ahead of an event in Palmerston North, the Greens called for Robertson to do something about it.
Horizons and Greater Wellington Regional councils and Waka Kotahi already had a business case for 22 new commuter trains and committed more than half the funding required for the $762 million investment.
Stumping up the rest of the money would keep the services running and help meet the Government’s goal of reducing transport emissions by 10% by 2030, the letter said.
Genter said the first three months of the fuel tax cut cost $350m, which was enough to cover the Government’s share of the rail upgrade.
Trains were a key way to address climate change while also connecting communities with fast, frequent, low-carbon transport options, she said.
Furthermore, the Wairarapa-Welington line was due to exceed passenger capacity by 2025, with the same happening with the Capital Connection by 2030.
“The Government can prevent this from happening by coming to the table with a mere $350 million, which will at least quadruple the services to Manawatū and double the services to Wairarapa,” Genter said.
Greens regional development spokesperson and Palmerston North-based list MP Teanau Tuiono said the services could not be taken for granted.
“We need to future-proof these existing services so more people can make the switch from car to train.”
The open letter has already been signed by multiple councillors and mayors from Palmerston North, Wellington, Kāpiti and Horowhenua, as well as the Rail and Maratime Transport Union and Manawatū Business Chamber.
Stuff has asked Robertson’s office for comment.