Dunedin Railways must be saved, somehow

IT was interesting to read the article (ODT, 21.4.20) about Dunedin Railways’ financial troubles being exacerbated by the Covid19 pandemic to such an extent that Dunedin City Holdings chairman Keith Cooper recommended to the city council to close down completely the whole operation and dispose of all its assets.

I find this incredible given that Mr Cooper has not even bothered to ascertain, nor was able to release any facts or figures, how much income the city gets from Dunedin Railways.

Dunedin Railways is not only this city’s premier tourist attraction but it’s one of only a very few genuine attractions to draw visitors to the city who might well otherwise bypass us altogether.

Mr Cooper states that the rationale for his recommendation to sell and/or scrap all the assets is because the medium to longterm outlook for the company is, as he puts it, poor.

He should compare this to the stadium, which from day one was never going to pay for itself. It stands empty most days of the year, and it will never break even, let alone turn a profit.

Its medium and longterm prospects are worse than poor — they are nonexistent. This will be especially so when Christchurch’s covered stadium is built.

But I don’t see Mr Cooper recommending the stadium be demolished or even mothballed.

No matter what your viewpoint was, whether the stadium should ever have been built in the first place, the fact remains it is there for the greater good of the city, just like Dunedin Railways. Something that seems lost by the boffins at DCHL.

Back in 1990, when the Dunedin City Council and the Otago Excursion Train Trust had the foresight to purchase the line and rolling stock from the Government, it was never intended to be a moneyspinner. Just an asset to the city.

Make no mistake, once it’s all gone, it will be gone forever.

P. Graham

Pine Hill

AS a longtime member of the Otago Excursion Train Trust, which was the catalyst for what has become Dunedin Railways, I am appalled at the sudden demise of an ‘‘iconic’’ New Zealand tourist experience (ODT, 22.4.20).

I am even more appalled to learn that the staff had to find out their futures by media.

The fact that noone with any real understanding of the railway, its history, its issues and its opportunities was consulted is also of deep concern. How can an informed decision be made when only one side of the story has been told?

The loss of 80% of the customer base (overseas tourists) has obviously changed things and one would expect some rejigging of the operation to match the reduced customer base, but total closure?

Surely, a reduced number of services could have been run, investigations into freight opportunities undertaken, a Port Chalmers to Mosgiel suburban train tried, and so on. To the best of my knowledge, none of this was even considered.

As for the track which requires significant investment, why hasn’t an application to the Provincial Growth Fund been put forward for money to do this, as it’s the ideal time?

This would have ensured some skilled jobs would have been retained until prospects for Dunedin Railways improved and would also help outside suppliers, such as ballast providers, through these difficult times.

Mothballing is not the answer. Look what happened when KiwiRail mothballed the Wairoa to Gisborne line after storm damage in 2012. Despite numerous attempts, including two reports proving the line’s viability for reinstatement, the line sits mostly unused, rusting away.

And that’s the future here, if this decision is allowed to stand.

It’s time to stand up and overturn this decision or face the reality that this iconic rail operation is unfortunately gone for good.

J. Dow NSW, Australia