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Rail Advocacy Hastings
September 30, 2023 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
A rail advocacy group is organising public meetings in Napier and Hastings on Saturday 30 September to discuss the potential of bringing back passenger rail to the region.
Scheduled passenger trains served Hawke’s Bay for more than 120 years until 2001. The Future Is Rail/ Save Our Trains spokesperson, Paul Callister, says the region could again be served by passenger trains.
Parliament’s Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee recently held an enquiry into the future of inter-regional passenger rail in NZ. Its report recommended scoping of potential new services to Hawke’s Bay.
Mr Callister says, “The world is a different place to when the trains were stopped. Hawke’s Bay has grown significantly and we know that we need to reduce transport emissions rapidly and substantially. Trains provide a good way to do this.”
“Modern trains feature easy access for prams, wheelchairs, mobility scooters and bikes. They have on-board toilets, cafes and wifi. Business travellers can work on the train. Modern trains are fast and comfortable. So why, unlike the rest of the world, do we not have a love affair with trains?” says Mr Callister.
Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing areas. In 2018, 172,000 people lived in the region, by 2048 this will be over 202,000. But the population is also aging. In 2001, when the Bay Express ceased operation, just 13% of the Hawkes Bay region’s population were 65 or older. But by 2033, it could be 24% and by 2048 it is likely to be just under one third.
Mr Callister says “While not everyone is able to drive or wants to drive, this is particularly true for older people, many with mobility challenges. Trains provide travel options to help people connect with each other, while supporting economic growth and carbon emissions reduction.”
Mr Callister encouraged locals to come along to discuss the potential return of passenger rail to the district at public meetings in Napier and Hastings.
- NAPIER: 1pm, Saturday 30 September, Surf Lifesaving Club, 26 Marine Parade.
- HASTINGS: 4pm, Saturday 30 September, St Andrews, 300 Market Street South.
