Rail plan includes Auckland

By FRAN O'SULLIVAN and FRAN MOLD

The Government has told the Auckland Regional Council that any nationalisation of the rail network would include the Auckland rail corridors.

The advice is outlined in a May letter to ARC chair Gwen Bull by Cabinet ministers Michael Cullen and Mark Gosche.

The Herald yesterday revealed that the Government and Tranz Rail were in talks which may lead to the purchase of the network.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Helen Clark stressed the need to retain a national rail system but would not say whether she would use taxpayers' money to buy the network.

The ministers' letter covered issues raised during a confidential meeting with former ARC chairman Phil Warren and the mayors of the seven Auckland territorial authorities on March 29 last year.

The meeting was to explain why the Government wanted to take over negotiations with Tranz Rail to purchase part of the network for an Auckland regional service.

"At that meeting, we also indicated that Treasury would, on behalf of the Crown, concurrently negotiate an agreement for access with the region that would enable you to run the services you required but that Auckland would have no more rights than those currently enjoyed by Tranz Rail," the Ministers said.

"We also indicated that should the network ever return to the Crown, the Auckland portion would be included in that transaction."

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald said he had been lobbying for 16 months to buy back the track.

"The rail network is crucial infrastructure, and like our roads it should be owned by the Government."

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