More submissions needed for passenger trains to be taken seriously: Tukituki MP

The New Zealand Herald
26 August, 2022  (New Zealand)

A Hawke's Bay MP says more people need to call for passenger trains to be reinstated if there is any chance of the regional council taking the idea seriously.

Hawke's Bay has been without passenger trains since the Bay Express service between Napier and Wellington was scrapped in October 2001.

Tukituki Labour MP Anna Lorck would like to see a passenger service reinstated.

She has been encouraging people to submit on the draft 10-year public transport plan for the region, which is currently open for submissions.

About 24 submissions have been made on that plan to date regarding passenger trains.

Lorck said more people will need to make a submission as "it's going to take a big Hawke's Bay-wide effort to convince the council to take passenger rail seriously".

"Encouraging the regional council to at least add a passenger commuter train service as a future option to its public transport plan is a good start."

Hawke's Bay Regional Council transport manager Katie Nimon said they had received good feedback on the draft plan.

"We have received 123 submissions to date, and of those 24 submissions mention passenger rail," she said.

Source
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/more-submissions-needed-for-passenger-trains-to-be-taken-seriously-tukituki-mp/KOLLGQYCQROSAEU7H6GGYE4CYU/