Rail protesters climb above Johnsonville motorway to submit petition to Parliament

Police have taken three people into custody after they climbed a gantry above State Highway 1 near Johnsonville, forcing the closure of the motorway in both directions.

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency closed both lanes of State Highway 1 so police could remove railway protesters disrupting traffic for the fifth time in three weeks.

The road has since reopened.

FINAL UPDATE 11:20AM

SH1 is now fully OPEN to both north and south bound traffic, motorists may experience some delays until all queued traffic has cleared. ^JP https://t.co/lOHbAr5VNx

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) October 26, 2022

People from the Restore Passenger Rail movement climbed a gantry above the motorway and planned to remain there to deliver their petition to Parliament's Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee.

Protesters above the Johnsonville motorway. Photo / Mark Mitchell

MPs have refused to hear climate protesters while they are acting illegally.

Wee message from @SimeonBrownMP to the passenger rail protestors at Parliament this am pic.twitter.com/HHNMeBUpg5

— Christopher Bishop (@cjsbishop) October 26, 2022

The protest was met with some anger from motorists, with one screaming at the protesters to "get a f***ing job!".

Police arriving at the scene. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

It's the fifth time the group has aimed to disrupt traffic in three weeks.

"We're speaking to the committee from a signage gantry rather than a comfortable meeting room, to wake the Government up to the urgent need for climate action," said Phoebe Wright, who is one of three protesters from the group in the gantry.

Protesters above Johnsonville. Photo / NZME

They have said previously they will not stop until Parliament meets their demands to restore passenger rail across Aotearoa, but Transport Minister Michael Woods has been firm in his criticism of the group calling their actions "dangerous, stupid and counter-productive".

Wood earlier told NZME the Government is working with plenty of railway advocates who he says push the Government to "do more and do it faster".

"We sit down with them, and we're making progress – this stuff does exactly the opposite.

"These people and others who have recently granted themselves the right to disrupt people in large numbers – people like Brian Tamaki marching across the Harbour Bridge – need to reflect a little bit on how their actions affect others."