Northland rail: Link to Marsden Point 'next step'

Tuesday, 10 September 2019

Northland leaders are cautiously optimistic an investment in the rail line to Auckland is the first step to getting rail on track in the region.

Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced a $94.8 million investment on Friday to maintain and keep the North Auckland Line open between Whangārei and Swanson.

The funding still falls well short of the $1.3 billion needed to make Northland's rail fully functional for freight, including a connection to Northport, Whangārei's growing port at Marsden Point.

Whangārei leaders believe funding to keep the North Auckland line open is the first step to getting Northland's rail on track.

But Whangārei leaders said the investment was good news and was the first step in the overall plan to upgrade Northland's rail.

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Mainfreight chairman Bruce Plested, KiwiRail chief executive Greg Miller (obscured), KiwiRail construction and delivery manager Rafael Ballen and Economic Development Minister Shane Jones cheer the $95m funding.

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Whangārei deputy mayor Sharon Morgan, who attended Friday's announcement, said the investment was crucial to keep the line operating and was better than it being mothballed.

'If they didn't do this upgrade, it would be so run down and into the ground, it would be defunct,' she said.

Albie Barr, right, has been advocating for improvements to Northland rail since before this 2016 photo was taken.

'I think Shane Jones and Winston Peters have always stated they would like for some part of Ports of Auckland to come to Northland, and rail is part of that.

'But they're never going to get that if they don't keep this line afloat.'

The Marsden Point rail link was the next step, Morgan said.

Grow Northland Rail campaign director Albie Barr said the investment was cause for celebration.

The funding would stimulate the local economy with a commitment to give as much work as possible to local firms, Barr said.

He too believed funding for the Marsden Point branch would come very soon, with the maintenance being the first step.

State Highway 1 south of Whangārei has a restricted speed limit while work is being done - but many Northlanders say it should be replaced with a four-lane highway.

Shane Jones said a second decision about the branch to Marsden Point would be made once a final report by the Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy was worked through by ministers.

The strategy, led by former Far North mayor Wayne Brown, was asked to look at transport priorities across road, rail and coastal shipping.

It was also looking at potential future locations for Port of Auckland with 'serious consideration' given to Northport.

Its final report was due out within a month.

ROAD VITAL TOO

The $95m investment in rail was derided by the National Party's Northland MP Matt King, who said Northlanders instead wanted and needed safer and more modern roads.

'Rail is not commercially viable and to throw money at it when 99 per cent of freight movement in the north is by road shows a complete disregard for common sense,' he said.

King said National would invest in a four-lane highway from Warkworth to Whangārei, a project which was shelved by the Labour-led Government in favour of safety improvements.

Shane Jones admitted there was a lot of disappointment in Northland when the four-lane project was canned.

He said New Zealand First supported drastic improvements to the highway, beginning with the road from Whangārei to Marsden Point.

But he said both rail and road were needed in Northland.

'Our party put its colours to the political mast that we would invest in rail – not necessarily to undermine roading but we want both options in the north.'