Cuts in train stops not definite

Press, 26 February 1987, Page 1

Cuts in train stops not definite

By

GRANT BRADLEY

Fears of extensive cuts in the number of South Island passenger train stops could be unfounded, according to a Railways Corporation spokesman, Mr Bill Hopper. “Some of them may happen, and some of them may not,” he said. A discussion paper that had been prepared by the corporation and leaked to the news media said 21 stops could be cut from South Island lines to make ,passenger services more profitable.

“No decisions have been made to chop anything yet,” said Mr Hopper. The paper was prepared by the corporation to stimulate discussion with railway unions, and a date had not even been set for talks on what it contained, he said. “The unions could come up with things that could be included.” .

The West Coast line (to Greymouth) is targeted for most cuts with 14 stops to be scrapped and trains would stop at seven others only when requested. The Springfield and Otira refreshment rooms would close and be replaced by food served on trains. The paper says that trains must compete with coach services and with the cuts on the line one to hours would be cut off the journey. Seven stops would be cut on the Main North line (to Picton) which would save up to s>/ 2 hours. The paper says that the guard would have to clean toilets during the journey and cleaning by the hostess or steward would also save time when the train reached terminals.

Long-distance services throughout New Zealand lost the corporation $37

million last year and the paper says that $lO million could be saved by the cuts. The secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen, Mr Don Goodfellow, said that th? cuts being discussed would render long-distance services useless for passen-

gers. "With that type of service we would probably go out of existence because it is such a poor

one,” he said. In spite of the corporation’s assurances that changes were still at the discussion stage, the paper had been “sold” to the unions in an effort to soften them up.

The Minister of Transport, Mr Prebble, had an obligation to honour an election promise and ensure that long-distance services were not affected by any cuts, Mr Goodfellow said.