Improving Access and Mobility - National Rail Strategy

Strategic Directions to 2015 Cont.

Objective: To maintain and develop access to rail passenger services

For a variety of reasons, including geography, population, and social factors, land-based passenger transport use is low in New Zealand. The widespread use of private cars and constraints on roading capacity have resulted in congestion in some cities, particularly during peak periods. This has environmental, social, health, and economic impacts.

Urban rail passenger transport

Urban passenger rail services operate in the Auckland and Wellington regions. Land Transport New Zealand, in partnership with the Wellington and Auckland Regional Councils, provides operating subsidies for these. There is interest in the development of urban rail networks in other regions (for example, Hamilton and Christchurch). Land Transport New Zealand could consider such services for funding where they are supported by a sound case and local commitment.

Long-distance passenger rail

Toll NZ operates some long-distance passenger services, primarily on scenic routes for the tourist and leisure markets. Some smaller operators run scheduled services and/or excursion trips on the national network. Long-distance rail passenger services are not subsidised.

Regional councils could contract and subsidise non-viable new or additional long-distance passenger services where such services are seen as essential to improving access in a regional area.

Heritage and tourist/leisure operators

Heritage operators contribute to goals that are wider than NZTS by restoring and maintaining locomotives and carriages from New Zealand's past in operating condition.

Priority: Encourage more use of urban rail passenger services as part of the public transport network

Greater use of passenger transport, including urban rail services (at present Auckland and Wellington only) can enhance access and mobility and help to reduce road congestion on busy corridors. A particular aim is to attract peak-hour car drivers onto rail. Removing a proportion of cars from congested traffic can have a disproportionately beneficial effect on congestion because of the non-linear nature of traffic flow.

Overall, public transport use is low in New Zealand: only 2.2% of trips are made by bus and around 0.25% made by rail.

In Wellington a third of commuter trips to the CBD are made by passenger transport: 17% bus and 16% rail. The average length of a rail journey is 25 km, compared with 7 km by bus, and annual passenger kilometres are 250 million, compared with 147 million by bus.

International experience has indicated that increasing rail patronage will require:

• adequate infrastructure and high quality rolling stock
• affordable, reliable, and frequent services
• user-friendly, safe and secure stations, and good access to stations (including 'park and ride' facilities)
• addressing any issues of community severance (where the railway separates the community through a lack of suitable crossing points)
• better integration of rail services with bus and taxi services and walking and cycling networks.

The Government influences development of urban rail passenger services by providing funding assistance through Land Transport New Zealand to regional councils, which have the primary responsibility for contracting and developing urban passenger services.

The relative cost of alternatives (for example, private cars or buses) is also important. Pricing policies, such as user fees and charges, including parking charges, can influence this. Travel demand management measures directed at car drivers are likely to be required. It is important to avoid simply shifting bus users or those who walk or cycle onto rail services, and to target rail patronage growth at private car users.

Any negative impacts that may arise from increasing the number and/or frequency of train services will also need to be identified and managed. This could include increased noise levels, and road congestion at level crossings.

The Human Rights Commission's Inquiry into Accessible Public Land Transport identifies issues with access to passenger services for the transport-impaired - those who have difficulty using, or who are unable to use, public transport services because of a disability. Improving access to urban rail passenger services for the transport-impaired will require an incremental, co-ordinated approach.

Key initiatives in improving access and mobility

Funding assistance to develop urban passenger rail servies and infrastructure

The Government is providing funding assistance, directly and through Land Transport New Zealand, to develop urban passenger rail services in Wellington and Auckland, by providing: 

• 60% of the cost of operating subsidies to passenger transport services
• funding assistance for improvements to and replacement of rolling stock
• funding support for infrastructure upgrades to increase the capacity and reliability of their urban passenger networks.
• funding assistance for activities that focus on transferring car commuters to rail or bus services, such as integrated ticketing and 'park and ride' facilities.

Investigate options for better incorporating the social costs and benefits of transport modes into pricing of the transport system

• The findings of the STCC study provide information which will form a basis for the Ministry of Transport to provide advice on future land transport charges.

Other initiatives

• The Ministry of Transport will respond to the issues raised by the Human Rights Commission's Inquiry into Accessible Public Land Transport.

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