Greens steam ahead with rail plan while gorge road shut

The Green Party wants to trial a twice-daily passenger train from Palmerston North to Napier to ease the pressure caused by the closure of the Manawatu Gorge road.

The ‘‘Ruahine Runner’’ would leave from Palmerston North and stop in Woodville, Dannevirke, Waipukurau, Napier.

Green Party candidate Thomas Nash announced the proposal during a visit to the Manawatu Gorge yesterday.

State Highway 3 through the gorge was closed by major slips in late April, blocking the main route between Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay.

It was closed indefinitely from Hastings and July 7 because unstable.

Since then, traffic has been diverted to the Saddle Rd and Pahiatua Track, both slower routes.

‘‘[The passenger train service] is going to provide a fast, stressfree way for people to travel,’’ Green MP Julie-Anne Genter said.

It would be affordable for passengers and a low-cost way for the the hillside is Government to connect surrounding communities, Genter said.

Nash said a long-term solution would include an alternative roading route and improving railway and coastal shipping for freight.

Greens co-leader James Shaw said the trains could take some of the stress off the Saddle Rd and around Ashhurst.

‘‘In time, we’d look at extending the new service all the way to Wellington, essentially restoring the Napier-Wellington service.’’

Shaw also said the Greens wanted to subsidise the Capital Connection service between Palmerston North and Wellington in an effort to reduce fares.

The visit follows that of Transport Minister Simon Bridges, who on Wednesday reiterated that the Government was exploring a longterm gorge solution.

That would likely be in the form of a new, permanent alternative route, but in the meantime, a bypass around Ashhurst was being investigated.

The NZ Transport Agency previously announced it had invited three organisations to tender to investigate long-term options.

Tenders close in mid-August and a final recommendation is expected in December.