Brian Rudman: Britomart a show of dysfunctional local politics

All of Auckland's warring tribes were on their best behaviour at the opening of the Britomart train station on Friday afternoon.

Supping tea and eating special birthday cake together as though everything was rosy were the political and executive chiefs of the regional council, of Infrastructure Auckland, of Auckland Regional Transport Network, and of the various city councils. With them were various ministers of the Crown.

Meanwhile down below, an odd passenger or two waited around on the new platform hoping to get lucky in the lottery that is Auckland's sadly inadequate passenger train system.

It was all enough to want to herd the assembled high and mighty into the magnificent glass atrium that towers above the station, open the glass louvres to ensure the temperature remained suitably bracing, and not let them out until they'd agreed on a timetable for creating a commuter service worthy of the new station. Or one even worthy of the name "service".

In his opening speech, Transport Minister Paul Swain talked of the need for "a first class" system and declared himself "thrilled" by the occasion. Other speakers echoed the sentiments.

But the only thing first class and thrilly about Britomart is the restoration work on the old chief post office and creative excellence of the atrium and the station itself. And as the last few weeks have proved, what good to a traveller is a super new station, if the motors driving the intermittent trains are half a century old and keep conking out?

What's needed now are round- table talks between the various tribes and the Crown, where a timetable for progress is hammered out, binding on all parties.

If it has to be done under the threat of some sort of Government intervention, then so much the better. With sweet reason and tough love both tried and failed in the past, the threat of banging heads together must be worth a try.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen last waved the wooden stick in a letter to the various protagonists dated July 17, 2003, where he set out their separate roles and responsibilities.

In it he warned ARTNL, which has responsibility for station development and management, not to run up costs on such projects without getting the permission of the ARC, which has to provide the funds.

In addition, he put the leash on ARTNL as far as the Crown is concerned as well, warning that it needs Crown consent before it uses rail land for non-rail purposes.

To speed the decision-making process, Dr Cullen says track management and development proposals will be dealt with directly through his office.

One obvious priority is the double tracking of the western line so that trains can go back and forward to Waitakere without having to share the same line. It should have been done years ago and departing operator Tranz Rail, to its credit, has long pushed for it, seeking ratepayers' funds for such a project back in 1999.

No doubt these plans are still around. My fear is Auckland's regional bureaucrats won't be happy with buying Tranz Rail's designwork.

They will want to waste our time and money and hire consultants to reinvent this particular wheel.

Let's hope Dr Cullen, who is now overseeing such expenditure, brings them into line quickly, before money and time is squandered.

Just whose money we're talking about here is a moot point. As is the amount. I've heard everything from $25 million to $100 million plus. I guess it's a question of how far you go, and how much you compromise by inserting lay-bys along the way.

The Government seems to be saying Auckland money should be used because it's not part of the national network. That's surely a try-on to test how stupid we Aucklanders are. These are the Government's railway tracks, not ours, and it has made that clear several times, even buying them out from under us.

The tracks to be built are part of a national network which will provide better links for passengers and freight trains north. This line is as much a state highway as is the harbour bridge, even though both are used extensively by local commuters as well.

This double-tracking could begin as soon as additional new tracks are obtained. Let's get on with it.

I've already despaired about the ARC ever getting round to hiring a new operator and buying new trains. It's time this organisation was persuaded to take a more pragmatic approach and get on with it.

The recently tarted-up diesel units are a laughing stock. That all the money went on botox for a radical facelift of the carriages, but nothing was spent on the clapped-out motors, would be hilarious if it had happened anywhere else but here.

Now the risk is, if nothing is done until brand new trains arrive in umpteen years' time, there'll be no passengers left waiting around to use them.

To preserve what customer base there is, the existing motors have to be replaced or renovated pronto. And as back-up, the proposal to rebuild some down-country units, an idea rejected by the ARC in the past, needs revisiting.

Britomart was supposed to be the centrepiece of Auckland's new train service. The beacon to get people out of their cars. At present, all it stands for is the dysfunctional state of local politics.