Editorial: Vision needed to make most of Britomart

Few Auckland projects can have had so many twists and turns, and few offer so much hope to the region, as the Britomart transport terminal. When the first scheduled train enters the $204 million terminal today, its supporters will happily compare its likely effect to that of the harbour bridge or the international airport at Mangere. That impact remains to be seen; much sorting out still has to be done by the region's local authorities if a modernised passenger-rail network, with Britomart as its hub, is to revolutionise Auckland's transport system. Today, however, we can at least celebrate the arrival of railway at the bottom of Queen St, where the station should have been built in the first place.

Any railway system must drop people within reasonable walking distance of their workplaces if it is to attract patronage. That simple objective tended too often to be lost in the planning of Britomart. One mayor, Les Mills, was removed from office in 1998 because of his backing for the original scheme, the financing of which depended on a vast commercial property development underwritten by ratepayers. Shaking off that potential burden was the crowning moment for his successor, Christine Fletcher. Yet even with "Baby" Britomart, politicking and cost issues were never far from the surface. Given the ongoing saga, it seems extraordinary that the June 2003 completion date envisaged almost three years ago for the scaled-down project has, more or less, been met.

The Britomart terminal, inhabiting the 97-year-old former central post office, provides Auckland with a development that evokes the grandeur associated with railway stations when the train was king. Even those who question rail's place in the modern transport scheme of things cannot fail to be impressed. There is much to admire in the terminal's volcanic theme and a ceiling of woven steel mesh that evokes the weave patterns in a Maori meeting house. Additionally, there is every reason to think the terminal will efficiently funnel commuters to and from bus, rail and ferry services. Yet that will count for only so much if Britomart does not anchor a public transport system that will ease Auckland's chronic traffic congestion.

A start has been made on essential complementary activities. Trains have been refurbished, and imported from Queensland. A new timetable increasing the frequency of services and providing additional capacity was introduced last month. Now, for example, trains leave the city centre until 8pm - later, but not late enough - providing passengers with greater flexibility. It is the first of a series of timetable upgrades planned over the coming year - provided funding increases proposed in the Auckland Regional Council's annual plan are confirmed. These improvements must take place. Aucklanders will be attracted only by a comfortable, quick, convenient and frequent rail service.

It is hardly helpful that local-body bickering continues to stall other aspects of the system upgrade. To coincide with the opening of Britomart, stations at Glen Innes, Ranui and Papatoetoe were meant to have had a $6 million makeover. Work has yet to start. Indeed, modernisation of the network awaits local-authority agreement on a draft business plan which, heavy-handed measures like a fuel tax aside, maps out a plausible track. Whatever Britomart's grandeur and convenience, few will be attracted if their first station of call is little more than a grotty suburban shed.

There is a certain symmetry to this shortcoming. Politics, often of the most petty and territorial nature, have always been the chief impediment to Britomart, and an efficient public transport network. Nonetheless, Britomart has been built on time, and Aucklanders have plenty of which to be proud. Now, it is up to local-body politicians to ensure its potential is not derailed by their lack of vision.