‘Attack’ on Te Huia

It was very disappointing to see Don Good, CEO of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce, once again airing negative views in your paper about the Te Huia train service. between Hamilton and Auckland. Particularly as from what I have read recently, at least two thirds of his members support the service.

Some of the statements he is reported to have made are just not credible. Such as he had heard that there were only 14 passengers on the train at one time. Has he actually been on Te Huia?

I am a regular traveller and there have never been less than 50 passengers. In fact on the 3pm service from Auckland on Saturday there were over 100. Putting that aside, if he had made some positive suggestions in his recent attack on the service he might have been taken more seriously. But to propose that a bus service might replace Te Huia was quite ludicrous. When has he last travelled to Auckland by bus? I do so quite often when train times don't suit and it can be possible to be stuck in traffic on the Southern motorway for up to an hour or more. Besides, the whole purpose of the Te Huia train service is to get people away from using roads.

I expect he has had a lot of criticism since his ill-considered remarks about Te Huia. What is certain is that no good will come of his most unfortunate campaign against this important service for Hamilton.

I also believe that he is doing his organisation a disservice by what seems to be a blatantly political stance on this issue. His time and efforts would be much better spent making comments that support the city and encourage all moves to provide better transport options for the future of this dynamic city. Otherwise he will just be regarded as a dinosaur or perhaps even a white elephant.

Russell O Armitage, Hamilton