Opinion: Proposed rail service perfect timing

The Greater Auckland regional rapid rail proposal map. Source/Greater Auckland

A high-speed rail service between Auckland and Rotorua? Yes please!

A blueprint for a high-speed rail connecting Rotorua to Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga - half of the country's population - has been proposed by a transport advocacy group Greater Auckland.

The trip would take two and a half hours and in that time you could travel in comfort, reading a book, watching a movie, or simply looking out the window as you sped past New Zealand's countryside.

Sounds like a dream.

With family still living in Auckland, I am regularly jumping in the car on a Friday night to spend the weekend there.

But I dread the drive - firstly, driving for three hours is the last thing I want to do after a week of work, but then I also have to deal with the crazies on the open road, roadworks, and traffic.

A rail service would be the perfect fix.

But in order for it to work locals would need to get behind it and use the service.

Many still remember the rail service that once ran between the two cities. The Geyserland Express was in service from 1991 to 2001, but was cancelled due to a lack of patronage and profitability.

Some on social media are saying history will just repeat itself, but I hope that with Rotorua's recent surge in growth, that wouldn't be the case.

If anything, I think with the way our city is growing, there is no time better to invest in infrastructure like this.

But dreams of hassle-free travel aside, the reality is this proposal, if adopted, is still a fair few years away.

Rail to Rotorua would be the third and final stage - and the most costly, at an estimated $1.45 billion.

And then there is the issue raised by acting mayor Dave Donaldson, that the Putaruru to Rotorua rail is locked up in a lease with Rotorua Railcruising.

I would love to see this proposal turn into reality, but in the meantime, spare a thought for me on my Friday night commutes.