KEY POINTS:
A public transport campaigner says rail bosses tried to have him arrested for collecting petition signatures on a train platform.
Officials from Auckland train operator Veolia pounced when volunteer Jon Reeves, 35, of the Campaign for Better Transport, was canvassing at Glen Innes rail station.
Now, Auckland Regional
Council is demanding an explanation for Veolia's actions.
Mr Reeves said he was shocked when a woman's voice boomed over the station intercom and demanded that he stop "harassing" passengers - even though they were happily signing his petition.
When the surprised volunteer used the station's emergency phone to ask for an explanation, he was banned from the trains for not having a ticket even though he held up his rail ticket to the supervisor's CCTV camera.
Mr Reeves was then confronted by police as he waited on the platform for a train home even though he had already stopped asking passengers to sign his petition for the Get Airport Rail Campaign.
The embarrassed officers said Veolia had asked them to arrest Mr Reeves for trespass - something they refused to do, although they said he should leave the station. The officers even said they supported his campaign for an airport rail service, but warned him Veolia may throw him off other trains that day.
"I couldn't believe the irony that the rail operator Veolia banned me from their station and train for collecting signatures supporting rail services," said Mr Reeves.
"Veolia used ridiculous Gestapo-style tactics to have me removed and even tried to get the police to charge me with trespass - all for collecting signatures supporting a rail service.
"The police said Veolia wanted me trespassed for the day on the Auckland rail network - but were quite reasonable and said they couldn't give me a trespass notice as I hadn't done anything wrong.
"It has tarnished my impression of Veolia and their support for airport rail, especially as we have collected more than 6000 signatures for the petition so far. If the rail operator is not for airport rail extensions, what hope has Auckland got?"
Mr Reeves said the Campaign for Better Transport was also banned from going into the Britomart Station with petitions.
Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee said he would be demanding answers.
"I am appalled. There's no excuse for that sort of attitude. Veolia would be better off ensuring its rail services run on time than bullying passengers who are campaigning for better rail services. Someone will get a rocket for this."
Trains operated by Veolia have suffered months of delays. Staff yesterday tried to prevent angry passengers boarding delayed trains at New Lynn station, saying they were too full.
Fed-up passengers ignored the ticket collector and pushed past him to board the train.
"Passengers were already more than half an hour late for work. Then when a train arrived at 8.15am, a staff member tried to stop people getting on for health and safety reasons," said a commuter.
"They just pushed him out the way. It was chaos."
Veolia did not return Herald phone calls last night.
