If ever there was a time to invest in upgrading or buying back our rail network, it is surely now. Fluctuating petrol prices, rising fossil fuel emissions which add to climate changes, and concern over the carnage trucks cause on our roads, all underscore the urgent need to invest in public transport and alternatives to roads.
Railways use far less fossil fuel per volume of freight than trucks or cars.
They alleviate congestion on our roads, and they can transport logs and other goods around the country without creating havoc. So the government's hands-off attitude towards the crisis in our rail network, brought about by Tranz Rail's announcement it intends to close down parts of the network and sell off passenger services, is puzzling, to say the least. We don't have the money to fix up a rail system in New Zealand when there are problems with it up and down the country. The government's reluctance to step in and invest in upgrading and modernising our rail infrastructure could see the demise of key provincial rail links such as the Napier-Gisborne line. Tranz Rail has signalled it wants to close the line, but has grudgingly agreed to keep it open until next February while local interests seek government support for a long-term solution.