Coast rail service cuts planned

Press, 11 December 1982, Page 3

Coast rail service cuts planned

Parliamentary reporter Railway passenger services to the West Coast will be reduced by nearly half from January 23 next year, the Minister of Railways. Mr Gair. announced yesterday. Evening passenger services each way between Christchurch and Greymouth from Monday to Thursday and on Saturday will be withdrawn.

The services were only lightly patronised, said the General Manager of Railways. Mr T. M. Hayward. They did not attract enough passengers to justify their retention.

There would still be a morning train each way between Christchurch and

Greymouth from Monday to Saturday. Evening services would be retained on Fridays and Saturdays. Railways Road Services coaches would still run between Christchurch and Greymouth through the Lewis Pass from Mondays to Fridays and through Arthur's Pass from Mondays to Saturdays.

The decision by the Railways Corporation to reduce the number to trains running between the West Coast and Canterbury could be in breach of the spirit of the West Coast United Council's approved regional scheme, says the Greymouth reporter of'"The Press."

The last meeting of the United Council decided to tell the corporation that it

was opposed to cuts in its passenger service and that, unless it advised that it was. withdrawing proposals the United Council would include the proposals for cuts in its regional scheme. This wotild be done by way of formal change requiring the corporation's proposals to be examined under the Town and Country Planning Act procedures. That would enable all the parties to make submissions on the proposals.

A United Council member said yesterday that if the corporation was able arbitrar to introduce its proposals before they had been subjected to formal procedures, the whole reason for the work of the United Council was called in to question.