‘One shot’ to get rail right

Massive housing and industrial growth is being touted as a spinoff to the Hamilton commuter rail trial.

But don’t call it a trial, said Waikato Regional Transport chairman Hugh Vercoe.

‘‘You would not spend $78 million on a trial,’’ Vercoe said.

Yesterday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced the Government’s support for a startup passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland.

The five year trial is estimated to cost $78.2m including the cost to fit-out rolling stock and the infrastructure design.

The New Zealand Transport Agency will fund $68.4m funding with $9.8 million raised by local councils.

‘‘In 20 to 30 years time, we will see it fully electrified,’’ Vercoe said. ‘‘There will be significant growth – possibly the size of another city – in the Te Kauwhata/Mercer area and transport is a critical link for that to occur.’’

‘‘We are already speaking with the Ministry of Health, the DHB, the Ministry of Education saying lets plan the development of the whole of the corridor so we can manage the growth that’s coming in.’’

Waikato District Mayor Allan Sanson said the rail connection was inevitable.

‘‘We have to make a paramount shift towards using public transport and giving the community the confidence that public transport works,’’ Sanson said. ‘‘I think we’ve got one shot here – one shot only – of getting this right.’’

Hamilton Mayor Andrew King said the Government announcement triggers the building of a park and ride railway station near The Base at Rotokauri. Funding is approved in the city’s 10-year plan. King said Hamilton has never seen so much come out of government.

‘‘You would not spend $78 million on a trial.’’ Waikato Regional Transport chairman Hugh Vercoe

‘‘We’ve got $180m in benefit that we don’t have to pay back from HIF (Housing Infrastructure Fund) to open up Peacocke [development] and now we’ve got another $68m for the train to Auckland. This is just unprecedented.

‘‘It’s never happened in the history of Hamilton before to get this much support from central government,’’ King said.

Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chris Simpson said the service may not meet the needs of a future economy while National MP David Bennett said it’s a huge sum of money for a small number of travellers.

‘‘Only 150 people can access the service,’’ Bennett said.

‘‘For close to $80m for 150 people and not actually get them into Auckland, it does seem like a gross waste of funds when you consider other roading projects have been shelved in the region, like Cambridge to Piarere, which would have had 20,000 people serviced.’’

But Labour MP Jamie Strange expects productivity to soar.

‘‘I’ve spoken to a lot of Auckland businesses who have said their staff are often tired when they are commuting from Hamilton so staff being fresher will add to productivity,’’ Strange said.

Rail Opportunity Network chief executive Susan Trodden campaigned for seven years to bring the train into the station and is feeling satisfied.

‘‘It’s actually the wider social issues and it just segues so nicely into the new wellbeing measures the government is introducing.

‘‘It is part of that quality of life, accessibility, opening up career opportunities to Waikato-based people they otherwise wouldn’t have,’’ Trodden said.