EDITORIAL: Barriers to Christchurch commuter rail service

Sunday, 25 June 2017

Labour has pledged a commuter-rail service between Rolleston to Addington, should it win September's election.

EDITORIAL: Just one month ago, another proposal for a commuter rail service into Christchurch was turned down by the committee which plans the region's public transport. Now, a Labour Party election pledge has resurrected the idea, proposing a commuter train from Rolleston to the central city.

The idea of running passenger trains into Christchurch has been raised and rejected repeatedly. Proponents argue that the tracks are in place, rolling stock is available, and trains could soon be running in and out of the city for a few million dollars.

Labour Party leader Andrew Little believes congestion and a lack of good public transport is holding Christchurch back.

The Labour Party's proposal would see an extra $100 million pumped into greater Christchurch's public transport system, including a permanent passenger train between Rolleston and Christchurch Railway Station at Addington, with connecting buses to the central city.

In discussing Labour's plan, party leader Andrew Little spoke specifically about a southern rail service even though congestion is often worse on the northern routes out of the city. Little said there would be room to expand a rail service in future.

Labour's Canterbury spokeswoman Megan Woods said that Labour's package was 'non-prescriptive', with details on how to spend it to be worked out with the councils. Not all of it would be spent on rail.

Commuter rail is one of those ideas that seems like an obvious solution to someone stuck in a car on a congested motorway, looking at the empty rail lines which run alongside the road. The economics of starting up a new commuter service are more complicated than that, however.

Last month, the Greater Christchurch Public Transport Joint Committee turned down a commuter rail proposal from Christchurch man Tane Apanui. A report to that committee acknowledged rail might have a place in future passenger transport options, but not in the short term, not least because of infrastructure and access limitations.

Rail is more expensive than people think. In car-clogged Auckland, the rail service requires Crown and council loans and subsidies to stay viable even with patronage at 14 million passenger trips a year.

In Christchurch, proposals don't always acknowledge that the network isn't built to sustain passenger operations. Parts of it are single-tracked, stations are often inadequate, and passenger services would need to dovetail with the freight trains currently on the tracks.

A major disadvantage is that the tracks do not run into the Christchurch central business district, but to the main station at Addington, 4km away, meaning a connecting bus service would be essential.

Enthusiasts for rail also overlook that there is a similar problem at the Rolleston end. The rapidly-growing township has expanded to such a size that parts of it are now as far from the tiny Rolleston station as Addington is from Cathedral Square.

Commuting from Rolleston to Christchurch by car currently takes half an hour and, although the route is becoming more congested, the Southern Motorway extension will shorten the journey time.

And here lies the real problem facing commuter rail in greater Christchurch – people have not had passenger trains for more than 40 years, and traffic congestion is not at a level that would convince them to start commuting by rail if trains were to return.

Coaxing people out of their cars and onto the tracks would be changing the habits of a lifetime.