Rail expansion project sets 'heroic' target

By BERNARD ORSMAN

An ambitious target of 25 million journeys a year on fast electric trains by 2015 is set out in a long-awaited business plan to modernise Auckland's rail network.

Implementing the plan will cost nearly $1.5 billion and involves electrification of the rail network, double-tracking of the western line to Swanson and a new link into Manukau city centre.

At present, 2.24 million Aucklanders travel by train a year using old diesel trains and stations such the Tamaki stop, where access is through a muddy container depot and the shelter is a few bits of steel, a narrow iron roof and two planks for seating.

This Third-World picture is set to change from July when the glistening new Britomart railway station opens with refurbished diesel trains and improved services.

But political bodies were unable to agree on the way forward once Britomart opened, leading to calls for a robust business plan before hundreds of millions of dollars were spent upgrading the rail corridors.

The draft business plan has been prepared by a steering group using the Boston Consulting Group. The group is headed by former Transfund chairman Michael Gross and includes representatives from the Auckland Regional Council, Infrastructure Auckland and Auckland Regional Transport Network Ltd. The plan will go to these public bodies and local authorities for comment and be subject to public consultation before being finalised.

Mr Gross said the target of 25 million rail journeys by 2015 was a "very heroic aim" and subject to risks. But with a lot of goodwill and cooperation, the risk was manageable.

Regional council chairwoman Gwen Bull had doubts about the target. Council projections put the number of people using rail a year at no more than 11 million by 2011 and 13 million by 2021.

But the business plan takes a much more optimistic view. It believes rail will become particularly attractive from 2009 when a fast, modern service is running and proposed measures such as a regional petrol tax, road tolls and higher parking fees entice people out of their cars.

The plan sets out two stages. The first involves double-tracking the western line, building the Manukau link, electrification, new trains, upgraded stations and improved signalling by 2008 at a cost of $770 million. About $600 million is expected to come from Infrastructure Auckland and the balance from the Government, Transfund subsidies and rates.

Stage two will include further station upgrades and more trains to meet the growing demand with the possibility of a new underground tunnel from Britomart to Mt Eden, an airport link and a line from Avondale to Southdown. The cost is $695 million and most of this money would come from sources such as a regional petrol tax and road tolls.

Light rail is ruled out as too expensive.

Auckland Regional Transport Network chairman Ross Keenan said Auckland's rail corridors were a wonderful asset and the plan was a worthwhile investment.

Setting the target at 25 million journeys by 2015 "gave it some guts".

The plan notes that Perth, a similar-sized city to Auckland, experienced a surge in rail trips from 7.5 million to 30 million in six years when it modernised rail services in the 1990s.