The union representing working people at KiwiRail is urging the state-owned enterprise to reject “dirty diesel” and re-invest in its electric locomotive fleet on the North Island Main Trunk line.
“We’re expecting KiwiRail to announce the fate of its electric locomotives on September 19,” said Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) General Secretary Wayne Butson.
“We’re urging KiwiRail CEO Peter Reidy to listen to train drivers and the thousands of New Zealanders who are getting behind the campaign to re-invest in an electric fleet. KiwiRail shouldn’t be considering a downgrade to dirty diesel at the same time the rest of the world is transitioning to clean energy.”
“Using the existing electric fleet on parts of the North Island Main Trunk line means KiwiRail saves close to eight million litres of diesel each year. That’s good for our environment.”
“Our drivers are clear about two things: we need clean energy and decent work. That means re-investing in electric locomotives on the North Island Main Trunk line. Diesel-powered locomotives are the past, not the future,” said Butson.
Yeah, and while you’re at it you might invite them to re-electrify the Otira tunnel.
Us poor mugwumps down here on the Mainland have absolutely no electrification now; everything is diesel. You Aucklanders want clean air? Suck on it! This is yet another delightful effect of neo-liberalism at the helm.
Thanks to you Wayne Buston as we try and grope with climate change Government are closing down rail while encouraging use of electric vehicles so how stupid is it to scrap or retire or sell cheap to third world countries for scrap as they are doing with 100 log wagons’ as they close the Northland rail services down to truck the logs to ports.
Read the Government plan to spend big money to try and sell electric vehicles but no electric trucks with less carbon footprint so dumb again as who will pay over twice the price for electric trucks {where (“technically feasible” RUC exempted ) to be used as electric trucks are unsuitable for steep hilly roads and are we to allow the cost of electric truck exemptions also!!!! yet another subsidy for business while rail dies???????
Lastly; Human deaths and health damage from road vehicles vs rail.
Any road vehicle uses many oil based products to operate these are;
Fuel (diesel) or for light vehicles usually petrol
Then every road vehicle uses tyres.
it takes 20 gallons of oil to make one synthetic truck tyre and 7 gallons to make one car tyre.
Then to build the roads;
It consumes 3500 gallons of oil (bitumen) to build one metre of the singe lane road for a truck or car to run upon.
One truck wears the road surface out 9500 times faster than one car. (US studies confirm.)
Lastly; the environmental impact of tyres;
Tyres are made of PAH’s or Polycyclic aromatic halogens or VOC’s Volatile organic compounds, and very dangerous they are, especially 1,3, Butadiene, which at the lowest levels permissible (NOISH) state causes cancer, and nervous system damage.
Rail uses only non polluting steel wheels, that don’t poison us or animals nor our waterways’, but tyre dust severely causes pollution of our waterways lakes and rivers plus our drinking water so use rail Government and safe us and our planet before we all perish!!
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/31/3554997.htm
MESSAGE TO BOTH GOVERNMENT & KIWIRAIL;
14th September 2016.
Compendium Critique of Electric vehicle NZ Government press release
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/electric-vehicles-leadership-group-announced
And other added articles criticizing the Gov’t policy that may be used to advance using road and not rail.
Experts below at bottom say; Assoc Prof Ralph Chapman, Victoria University, and Dr Doug Clover, independent EV expert, comment:
(c) the risk of heavy electric vehicles such as trucks (where technically feasible), being RUC exempted (though there is a good case for exempting buses);
(d) the package just not delivering enough support to really make a big difference.
Our comments following the revue also.
No one with electric vehicles has yet to cost the health effects of using tyres still here that emit dangerous amounts of toxic dust & air pollution which is a very big public health risk and water pollutant.
Rail is still superior and release far less harmful emissions of air pollution, and use of electric
Rail is the very best gold standard to aim for if we want “sustainable” all electric land transport systems.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/electric-vehicles-leadership-group-announced
Electric Vehicles Leadership Group announced
Simon Bridges
24 August, 2016
Transport Minister Simon Bridges today announced the members of the Electric Vehicles (EVs) Leadership Group as part of the Government’s programme to accelerate the uptake of EVs in New Zealand.
In May the Government launched its Electric Vehicles Programme which aims to double the number of EVs on New Zealand roads each year to reach 64,000 by 2021.
http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2016/05/06/govt-to-kick-start-electric-vehicle-uptake-expert-reaction/
Govt to kick-start electric vehicle uptake- Expert reaction
Negatives are:
(a) the lack of financial support for local government in providing public charging stations;
(b) enabling electric cars to use bus lanes — buses are often more efficient than electric cars, so it makes no sense to have electric cars with one person in them holding up buses;
(c) the risk of heavy electric vehicles such as trucks (where technically feasible), being RUC exempted (though there is a good case for exempting buses);
(d) the package just not delivering enough support to really make a big difference.
“It’s also worth remembering that the carbon embodied in an EV means that over its life cycle it won’t, regrettably, save 80% of the emissions that an internal combustion vehicle emits. And there are environmental contaminants associated with battery manufacture to be considered. EVs are not as sustainable an option as walking, cycling or public transport (using electric buses).
Yes Sir Robert would turn in his grave if he knew today’s National party was de-electrifying the Main truck line now as he built it as leader of National Party .
He would be astonished it was being axed by his own National Party that has been hi – jacked by Global Corporatism (Trucking/oil companies backed by Goldman Sachs) similar to Greece copied here.
http://www.kiwirail.co.nz/about-us/history-of-kiwirail/150yearsofrail/stories/nimt-electrification.html
NIMT electrification – a project with a history and “attitude”
Electrification of the North Island Main Trunk line between Auckland and Wellington can be viewed as both an engineering triumph and a philosophical conundrum.
The 411 kilometre section between Palmerston North and Hamilton was electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz AC and opened in June 1988. It ranks as one of the most significant engineering projects in the history of New Zealand Railways.
The project was one of the so-called “Think Big” projects of the Muldoon era and a response to the oil price shocks of the 1970s and early 1980s.
Quote from Kiwirail; http://www.kiwirail.co.nz/about-us/history-of-kiwirail/150yearsofrail/stories/nimt-electrification.html
“Today it is a standard-bearer for those who believe passionately in the use of renewable energy and a bête noir for those who adopt a strictly cost-benefit approach.”
So why are Kiwirail considering next week to be axing it now????
Bloody Criminals, as this rail infrastructure belongs to us as tax payers and we should take them to court now over this, as they probably had been financially forced by Government to shut it down now??????????
Bloody criminals not only destroying hard won infrastructure but closing down healthier options and imposing greater expense across many sectors of central and local Govt activity, all at the rate / tax payers expense.
Electric vehicles are just a short term change in direction but long term a ceiling will be reached where these are not viable.
We live in an pseudo-economic driven dreamland that we can require so much transport to just live.
Redesigning of communities as living spaces requiring low or no consumption of natural resources is avoided and not a part of the conversation in business nor Govt.
Already the rate of industrialisation has slowed and will soon peak followed by a sharp decline.
Yet no viable alternative is available long term. The longer we waste and consume the less there is left of our rapidly shrinking Non Renewable Natural Resources.
The consumption of NNRs is a major and confining factor to be taken into account when looking at man’s “progress” to date as we move on a path toward a sharp downturn in industrialisation, food supply, life expectancy and population size. also our consumption of NNRs is driving climate change and toxic pollution..
All ignored by current economists and business planners,
Kiwi Rail it appear will be liable to make a “small” decision damaging to our future, a decision which may be forced by the NACT govt determination to support the temporary road transport industry and of course the investor state.
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