Rudman's city: Road or rail, Aucklanders seem stuck with second-hand imports

By BRIAN RUDMAN

In June next year the great $211 million Britomart gateway to Auckland's rapid rail system will open for business. But anyone fronting up on the day expecting to find a super-duper train system to match the glamour of the new railway station is likely to be disappointed.

With just over a year to go, the politicians and their advisers are still wrestling with basic details, such as how much money they have to spend on trains.

The only certainty is that on opening day, the 19 diesel multiple units (DMUs) that make up the existing commuter rail system will be there. And that will be it.

The only gloss on show will be that, all going to plan, the 10 newer ADL models, built around the mid-1980s, will have been refurbished at a cost of about $8 million, enough to make them good for another 10 years.

The responsibility for developing and delivering the new rail system lies with the Auckland Regional Council and other local bodies.

This month, the council endorsed a budget of between $418.8 million and $447.8 million for setting up the new system. The difference depended on whether 25 or 30 new diesels were bought at about $5.8 million each. They were the biggest single item, totalling between $145 million and $174 million.

Questioning the big bill has been Grant Kirby, who is not only employed by Auckland City as project director for the Britomart project, but is also the Government-appointed transport "advocate" charged with getting a rapid rail system up and running.

Mr Kirby has come up with his own scheme costing around $200 million, or less than half the regional council's lowest estimate.

At the core of his plan are some discarded British inter-city carriages that will be rebuilt - only their chassis and roof remain - and turned into four carriage "push-pull" units. They will be powered by a standard diesel locomotive at one end and have a new driving unit installed at the other, hence the push-pull name.

Mr Kirkby presented his proposal to the regional council's passenger transport committee chairwoman, Catherine Harland, a week ago and will expand upon it before the committee on April 16.

He won't discuss it beforehand, but one of these push-pull units is said to cost about $5 million and to carry 250 passengers seated.

Their "crush" capacity, when strap-hangers are included, is more than 500, more than double the DMUs' capacity.

The units would be modelled on similar units built by Tranz Rail and operating on the Palmerston North to Wellington line.

Proponents argue that they are effectively a new car with air-cushioned bogeys and all the latest technologies. They say they have the same 30-year life as the diesel units, although opponents claim they are good for only 15 years.

Other pluses include the jobs from the rebuilding, and the short time required to get them on track.

The first would take a year to be delivered and after that, up to six a year could be produced.

Ten of these, plus 10 renovated ADL units, would be sufficient, proponents say, to provide a 15-minute peak hour service throughout the rail network.

The reception in Auckland local government circles for the plan has been, shall we say, underwhelming. After years of fighting central Government for a decent commuter rail system, there is suspicion that Auckland has been fobbed off with cast-offs.

There is also a worry that to get Aucklanders out of their cars and onto rail will require something really sexy. Second-hand British Rail carriages, however disguised, do not qualify.

In Mr Kirby's favour, of course, is the backing he has from central Government to find a quick and economical solution.

On these counts, he seems to be well out in front. From ordering a new units to taking delivery of the first one will take two to two and a half years.

The ARC timetable has a tender process beginning by the middle of this year and delivery starting by mid-2005. By then, all Mr Kirby's push-pull units would have been up and running.

No doubt new would be nicer. But lots of us, myself included, check our bank statements and decide to drive Japanese imports instead - and survive.

One suspects that's going to be the solution for Auckland rapid rail as well. Though in this case, the second-hand imports are British.

No doubt Mr Kirby's proposal is being dissected by the doubters, which is only right and proper. But if it stacks up on the engineering side, let's get on with it.