Green MP and Christchurch Central candidate Kahu Carter
says the Greens’ plan to restore passenger rail between
Christchurch and Dunedin would give Cantabrians a
long-overdue alternative to driving or flying between two of
the South Island’s major centres.
The Green Party
has announced plans to bring back the Southerner passenger
train between Christchurch and Dunedin as part of its wider
proposal to rebuild intercity passenger rail across
Aotearoa.
“Christchurch is New Zealand’s
second-largest city. We should have the kind of modern,
connected transport options that people in major cities
around the world take for granted,” Kahurangi Carter
says.
“Right now, if you want to travel between
Christchurch and Dunedin, your choices are incredibly
limited. Bringing back passenger rail would give people
another practical way to visit whānau, travel for work or
study, and move around the South Island.
“The rail
line between Christchurch and Dunedin already exists.
KiwiRail is carrying out significant work on the route, and
our plan would make better use of that infrastructure by
investing in the stations and upgrades needed to carry
passengers again.
“Christchurch has gone through an
extraordinary period of rebuilding and growth, but our
transport options have not kept pace. A city of our size
should not be falling behind the rest of the world when it
comes to giving people real choices about how they get
around.
“This is about connecting Christchurch
better with the rest of the South Island and building the
kind of transport network a growing, modern city
deserves”.
The Christchurch-Dunedin service forms
part of the Greens’ wider intercity rail proposal,
alongside an overnight Auckland–Wellington passenger
service and extending Te Huia to Tauranga.
The
Greens’ wider Connecting Aotearoa transport plan also
proposes improvements along Christchurch’s planned mass
rapid transit routes, followed by light rail or bus rapid
transit.
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