Waimate Railway

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 12

Waimate Railway

Perhaps the people of Waimate should not be blamed for trying to use the Waitaki by-election as a political lever for the retention of their railway line to Studholme Junction, just five miles away No doubt some residents derive an advantage from the line, and many more are emotionally attached to the railway as a kind of urban status symbol. But polit’cians of any party will be justly blamed if they truckle to local sentiment so blatantly. The sad experience of the Nelson branch line should be a waning to everyone. The decision to close the line on June 30 next (which was announced by the Minister Mr McAlpine, last June) was not taken lightly. The annual loss on this line, one of nine mentioned in Mr McAlpine’s statement was £BOOO last year, and its business has shown a downward trend. Even £BOOO would be a heavy price to pay for a handful of votes. Nor is £BOOO small in relation to the department’s revenue at Wa>mate. for that was only £ 13 800 last year, a decline of £l2OO on the previous year

The sound business reasons why uneconomic branch lines should be closed were plainly stated by the general manager of the department (Mr A. T. Gandell) in the following passage of his last report to Parliament: !♦ is clearly uneconomic to continue to maintain and operate these redundant lines and to carry the little remaining traffic at a cost per ton-mile substantially in excess of the cost on adjacent roads. Rather should departmental effort be directed towards giving better service on the South Island main lines. Diversion of staff and equipment from uneconomic lines, the attraction of road feeder services to main-line stations, and incentives to industry by way of special transport charges for long-term business contracts would do much to rehabilitate the South Island system, particularly in view of the early introduction of the Cook Strait ferry. When the by-election candidates and their Parliamentary supporters are asked if they would keep the line open they could not do better than quote M r Gandell. In the end Waimate residents have as much interest as anyone in the efficient and economic operation of the national transport system.