The Campaign For Better Transport

Former North Shore Mayor and bus ways campaigner George Wood writes for the North Shore Times today.

Manukau Courier reports the new Wiri inland port is to start operating in January 2010. The port’s new rail exchange (pictured above) is progressing with two of the three rail siding tracks that will connect the inland port to the Ports of Auckland container facility on the Waitemata harbour. Ports of Auckland managing director Jens Madsen says the first train is expected to arrive early in the New Year:

“This is about bringing the seaport right to the doorstep of businesses in south Auckland.

“Exporters and importers will be able to drop off and pick up containers without having to negotiate the Auckland motorways.”

Once fully operational, the inland port will save as many as 100,000 central city truck trips each year.

Frustrated at the lack of progress to even get a trial Hamilton service up and running, the Campaign for Better Transport has started a petition.  Download it here:

Waikato Rail Petition

More details soon.

The New Zealand Herald reports ARTA’s trail run of services north of Waitakere station on the western line has been canceled.

Today’s New Zealand Herald has an interesting op-ed by Fergus Gammie on integrated ticketing:

This system, designed and developed by the French Thales Group, is the preferred choice of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) for Auckland.

The path to be followed is similar to that in Denmark, which implemented the system in Copenhagen during 1995, and five years later expanded the project to cover the country.

Buses will have contactless card validators at entry and exit.

Stations will be equipped with similar validators and automatic gates, and have agent-operated point-of-sale terminals, self-service ticket vending and reloading machines.

Press Release from the Campaign For Better Transport

Transport lobby group the Campaign for Better Transport today announced concern over KiwiRail’s decision last week to mothball the rail line between Taranaki and the Waikato.

“We fear that this could be the thin edge of the wedge, with more line closures to come,” said Jon Reeves, a spokesperson for the Campaign for Better Transport.

As a consequence of the closure, milk product sourced from Fonterra farms in Taranaki and bound for Tauranga will now travel hundreds of kilometres further, via Marton rather than directly from Stratford.

“As a country we are supposed to be focussed on improving the efficiency of freight and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.  It doesn’t make sense to delay the decision on reopening the line until next year.”

KiwiRail CEO Jim Quinn announced last week that repairing the line in the wake of a recent derailment, at a cost of $400,000 cannot be immediately justified, “given that only one return train uses the line a day at present.”

But Mr Reeves points out that the reason the line has little use at present is that the track is in such poor condition.  “It has been so run down over the last decade that trains are barely capable of using it. If the line was fixed to a suitable standard then freight and passengers could take advantage a direct link between Taranaki and the Waikato.”

There have been at least seven reported derailments in the last year on the rail link, which runs from Stratford to Okahukura, just north of Taumaranui.

“We agree with the need to close the line temporarily so that the necessary repairs can be carried out safely,” said Mr. Reeves, “but we would like to see a commitment from KiwiRail and the Government to reopening the line as soon as  possible.”

Mr. Reeves acknowledged that the final bill for bringing the line up to standard could well be over a million dollars, but said that this amount was “peanuts in comparison to the billions being spent on roading infrastructure in this year alone.”

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The New Zealand Herald reports the NZTA’s announcement yesterday of funding approval for the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) to conclude negotiations with a preferred tenderer for a seamless integrated ticket for passengers to ride on buses, trains and ferries under simpler fare structures.

The NZTA will take responsibility for the system, which could then be rolled out nationally. NZTA are interested in taking over integrated ticketing because a nationally integrated system could also be applied to toll roads, parking meters and car parking buildings, vastly simplifying the systems used for charging motorists as well.

Tim Davin of the Institution of Professional Engineers NZ writes in today’s New Zealand Herald on the future of rail freight transport:

the decisions about the future of rail are about much more than whether lines are economic or not – it’s about how New Zealand wants to deliver its freight in the future.