What could the future hold for inter-regional passenger rail in New Zealand?

Over the past year, the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee has been holding an inquiry into the future of inter-regional passenger rail. The purpose of the inquiry was to look at the economic, environmental and social factors affecting the viability of inter-regional passenger services in New Zealand.

Te Waihanga was asked by the committee to act as an advisor for the inquiry and provided independent advice.

Our advice was based on questions posed by the committee. It was informed by our work on Rautaki Hanganga o Aotearoa, the New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy, as well as wider international research on the topic.

Our advice to the committee boiled down to 10 key points:

1. Access to transport is critical for equity and wellbeing.
2. There is a knowledge gap on the potential for inter-regional passenger rail.
3. Make best use of the existing system before building new infrastructure.
4. Those who benefit from investments should pay for them.
5. Project selection should be guided by cost-benefit analysis.
6. Quality of the experience matters for rail uptake.
7. When journey times are long, night trains can be a popular option.
8. Rail is a low-carbon way to travel, especially compared to flying.
9. Whether people use inter-regional rail is largely based on how it compares to flying when it comes to travel time.
10. The logical next step is to scope the potential costs and benefits.