Ed Sheeran could spur part return of Southerner rail
Ed Sheeran might yet be the Southerner’s saviour.
A move to reinstate the regular passenger rail service between Christchurch and Dunedin looks destined to fail, but a case is building to run the train for special events like the British popstar’s concerts in Dunedin over Easter.
In June, the Canterbury Mayoral Forum was pledged $50,000 by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to look into reviving the Southerner, which stopped operating in 2002 after 42 years. The funding came after Timaru Mayor Damon Odey pitched for its return in 2016.
A business case was provided to the MBIE in September, as required for its funding to be cleared. But as feasibility work has progressed, the cause has faltered.
Odey said the return of the Southerner was ‘‘highly unlikely’’ based on discussions with KiwiRail and officials from Government transport agencies.
There was not enough demand for a regular service and buses between Christchurch and Dunedin were faster and cheaper.
‘‘The Canterbury Mayoral Forum is currently exploring options for an extension of KiwiRail’s tourism passenger services for example, passenger services to major events.’’
Odey said the forum was ‘‘keen to work with event promoters’’ to make sure they were aware of the services KiwiRail could provide.
Sheeran’s Easter gigs made the strongest case for such a bespoke service. About 21,000 extra cars were on the road between Dunedin and Christchurch over the long weekend, causing major delays. Rail could ease the burden on roads for similar major events, Odey said, offering a fun trip and improving road safety.
‘‘You can create a pretty cool visitor experience as part of your weekend away, travelling by train.’’
KiwiRail had given the impression they were open to someone to ‘‘take the ball and run with it’’, but did not want to own the service, Odey said.
KiwiRail runs two regular tourist services that leave from Christchurch – the Coastal Pacific to Picton and the TranzAlpine to Greymouth. However, the Coastal Pacific has been out of action since the November 2016 earthquake.
A spokeswoman said KiwiRail was ‘‘always open to working with organisations who would like to charter a train’’.
Experts have previously said the service would be difficult to run at a profit and would likely target the high-end tourist market if it went ahead.
A MBIE spokeswoman said the ministry had not provided any funding for the project outside of the $50,000 grant.