Britomart trains run late

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Trains are sitting in an Australian railway museum while politicians miss a crucial deadline for getting a decent train service out of Britomart when it opens next July.

The Auckland Regional Council has failed to meet its own deadline to obtain seven ex-Queensland Rail SX carriages and five diesel "railmotors" from the Great Zig Zag Railway, 130km west of Sydney at Lithgow.

The 40-year-old museum pieces are part of a temporary answer to cope with the expected growth in commuter numbers when the state-of-the-art Britomart railway station opens in July next year.

Two of the ageing Silver Fern railcars were brought into service on the Pukekohe to Auckland line this week to enable 10 existing diesel multiple units to be refurbished in time for Britomart's opening.

A report to the ARC's passenger transport committee last month warned that if a deal with the Australian suppliers was not completed by "mid-October at the very latest" there will be no time to get them to New Zealand and refurbish them before opening day.

The deal is on hold while Government ministers and local body politicians decide who will pay for and own the trains.

Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen and Transport Minister Paul Swain met ARC chairman Gwen Bull and chief executive Jo Brosnahan at the Beehive on Monday to find a solution.

Chris McKenzie, a senior adviser to Dr Cullen, said a paper on the options was being prepared for Dr Cullen to make a decision on next week. The ARC and Treasury are also preparing a paper on the issue to discuss with Auckland Regional Transport Ltd (ARTNL), the local body trading enterprise set up by six of the seven Auckland councils to manage fixed-rail infrastructure such as the rails and stations.

Following the meeting, Jo Brosnahan said who would own the rail stock had come down to a choice between the Crown and ARTNL. The ARC is currently forbidden by law from owning trains.

A decision next week would enable the Zig Zag deal to be completed by the end of this month, she said.

Meanwhile, consultants Sir Ron Carter and Bill Grieve, who are reviewing the entire rail project for the ARC, are due to report to council and other interested parties next Wednesday.