Double tracks but no new trains
A desperately needed new fleet of trains to replace outdated and undersized Wellington stock was among the projects snubbed in the Government’s $6.8 billion transport spend-up.
In December, Greater Wellington Regional Council sent a business case to the Government seeking funding for 15 new regional trains as part of a $415 million package.
The hybrid trains would be capable of travelling on the electric network to Waikanae and Upper Hutt, then switching to diesel or another fuel source for the remaining journey.
Council chairman Daran Ponter said without bigger and more frequent trains on longdistance routes, the region’s commuters would be ‘‘packed in like sardines’’ in the near future.
‘‘In Wellington, there’s a 6 to 8 per cent patronage growth per annum, which is way in excess of what we had forecasted. We will be leaving people standing on platforms within 3 to 5 years,’’ he said.
The regional population had grown much faster than expected over the past five years – an increase of 35,000 against an initial forecast of 24,000.
Annual passenger numbers on the rail network increased by 800,000 in 2019, to a record 14.3 million passengers. The current trains are nearly 50 years old, having been built in the 1970s.
In the announcement, $15m was dedicated to refurbishing carriages on board the Palmerston North lines, which Ponter said would extend their life by about 10 years but was ultimately a Band-aid solution.
There was no upgrade to trains on the Wairarapa line. ‘‘We can’t just keep pumping more money into upgrading them. Beyond that, we don’t have any more trains in the yard, so we either buy more old ones or we cut loose and buy a fleet of new trains.
‘‘We need a decision on funding in the next 12 months because trains are a bespoke item.’’
Ponter said the council had been hoping for new trains but many of the things they had asked for were addressed. ‘‘The $211m [rail package] includes most of the things we asked for.’’
That included duplicate lines to allow freight and passenger trains to pass each other, and clearing congestion at entrance to Wellington central station.
He was now pinning his hopes on Budget 2020 or 2021.