Rail services

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 18

Rail services

Sir, —The irresponsibility shown by the Railways executive and the Government has never ceased to amaze us. The deputy mayor of Hokitika is reported as saying that his town is getting a new railway station, although he wonders what for as Hokitika has no passenger service. A 40 per cent reduction in passenger services as proposed for the West Coast flies in the face of a recent report on urban development which asserts that public transport be run as a service, not an economic success; such proposals to reduce the dependence on private cars. Invercargill has a new, expensive station to service a one-

a-day passenger train—the Southerner. And Mr Kirk challenges the Government to deny its intention to cut this last remaining service—now in its ninth year of an eightyear operation period. We strongly support Rail Action and its aims, and Mr G. Finlayson (president of the National Union of Railwaymen) and his • members.—Yours, M. A. COLLINS. J. E. DIXON. H. BUWALDA. May 24, 1978. [The Minister of Railways (Mr McLachlan) replies: "A final decision on the t’.netable for passenger services on the Christchurch-West Coast route has not yet been made. The comments of local residents and other interested parties are being considered and the intention is to provide a service which reasonably meets the needs of the majority of users. While I agree that the railways are a public service it would be most irresponsible for Government not to have some regard to the financial aspects. Concerning the Southerner, the Government has no intention of discontinuing this express train service. The vehicles on these trains will continue to be maintained and upgraded as required. While the Southerner may be the only passenger train using Invercargill railway station many goods services operate in the area. Passenger trains are only one of a wide range of services provided by the Railways Department and the provision of new buildings is necessary to adequately accommodate administrative and operating staff.”]