M.P. calls for rail support

Press, 12 June 1978, Page 6

M.P. calls for rail support

A plea for community leaders to baek a call for retaining the West Coast rail services and work towards* improving the quality and quantity of the service, was made yesterday by the mem-; ber Of Parliament for Christchurch Central (Mr B G. Barclay). In a letter sent to the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H G. Hay), the chief execu-1 five of the South Island Promotion Association (Mi M_ F. Foate), the secretary of the Canterbury Trades Couna! (Mr L- G. More!) and the iscre’ary of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr » r,. B'jsh’i. Mr Barclay has sought support for a strong rand on the rail service asue. In seeking support from

.■•the community leaders. Mri Barlclay is carrying out a I request from the Mayor of'i r Grey-mouth (Mr O. H.’ JackI son). This was the outcome i‘ ; of a recent public meeting! • attended by 300 persons ini’ ■ Greymouth who opposed the! . proposed cut in rail services! to the West Coast. i > The intention of the Gov-! ernment to cut 16 of the 20 ■ipassengei rail services between Christchurch and . Greymouth and to withdraw!; r all railcars would further 11 ■ isolate the West Coast and • downgrade the South ls-11 t land’s transport and com-il municatior services. i “Road conditions during.; > 'he winter often make rail I ’rsnspcrt rhe West Coast’s’ onlv means of eommuni icat’ion.” Mr Barclay said. ,

“Equally disruptive is the proposed cutting of the 1.50 a . m • Christchurch-Grey-mouth service which takes I‘The Press’ to the coast every day. If a road service ; were' used there would be some days when the newspapers simply would not reach the Coast. “If the present Government attitude continues to prevail we will eventually see the total elimination of all passenger-rail services on ’the West Coast.” If services were more ! frequent and the units refur-i bished and improved, pat-’ ronage would increase. Mr Barclay said. The Government should be; made more aware of the ob-i

i vious savings of imported. 1 fuel if a high standard of; ( rail service was provided. “The increased use of cars! s and buses will eat into valus able imported fuel quicker • than that used bv rail ser-i : vices.” Mr Barclay said the con-i ■ tinned decline in the rail-! > ways would cause an alarm- i ' ing disruption to employ-; f ement. More than 800 per-* i sons were employed by the Railways on the West Coast.! *! Mr Hay said last night! •I that although he had not yeti; I received the letter from Mr! Barclay, he “showed the ,iconcern of the people on the West Coast and the effects that the rail situation would! “have on Canterbury and the, •i West Coast generally.” i;