Trains To Huapai Public Meeting
Northwestern residents in urban Huapai-Kumeu and surrounds, arguably have the most stressful commute in the country, and inadequate public transport.
The two-lane State Highway 16 has 16,000 more vehicles than the Waikato Expressway, 10,000 more than Transmission Gully and 12,000 more than the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway.
Auckland Transport's 'solution' only offers a rapid busway in 10-20 years which will require the demolition of the Kumeu/Huapai central business area.But the people need public transport now and rail is the best and easiest option which could be delivered in short order.
Trains to Huapai services could use existing infrastructure. A crossing loop is available at Waitakere to run an hourly shuttle to Swanson and half hourly in the rush hour. The Waitakere tunnel is fit for electrification, hybrid-electric, or fully diesel trains. Three privately owned train sets are available for use. A four carriage train set could be provided for $150k within six months - so a rail service could be in place when the City Rail Link opens. A private investor is prepared to pay for the service for five years. KiwiRail initially said the cost for such a service was $145m. They now say it is now $20m. PTUA analysis says it could be done for $8.2m to $9.2m. So it's affordable, doable and timely to deliver comfortable, efficient and fast Train services to Huapai now.
Campaigners have had the Trains to Huapai proposal blocked by Auckland Transport and more recently, by KiwiRail with a very 'can't do' attitude which they say 'is now bordering on ridiculous.'
PTUA chair Niall Robertson says 'We believe that both AT and KiwiRail are reneging on their responsibilities to provide appropriate and needed transport services to the Northwestern community, especially as funding will be provided for five years from a private source with no need for ratepayer or taxpayer input.'
CBT convener Jodi Johnston says, 'This is an innovative, novel solution to this problem at no cost to ratepayers or taxpayers which is being deliberately blocked by officials, despite support for the idea from both local and national politicians'.
The PTUA and CBT urge Auckland Transport (AT) and KiwiRail to acknowledge the need for the service and for the politicians to deal with AT and KiwiRail and get things moving now!
Guests invited to talk at the public meeting are: Greg Sayers, councillor for Rodney, Guy Wishart, local Rodney board member, Kerrin Leoni whau councillor and mayoral candidate, Niall Robertson, chair of the Public Transport Users Association, Jodi Johnston, convener of the Campaign for Better Transport. The MC will be Christine Rose, Local resident, past chair of the PTUA and past Auckland Regional Councillor. We have apologies from, The Honourable Chris Bishop, Minister of Transport, The Honourable Winston Peters, Minister of Rail, the Mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown, the Honourable Chris Penk, Rodney-Mahurangi MP.
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