Government commitment to future of rail will save lives and combat climate change
Plans announced for the future of New Zealand’s railways will save lives and strengthen the economy, and the Rail & Maritime Transport Union says the announcements highlight the importance of voting to keep National out in 2020.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford has released a draft New Zealand Rail Plan that sets out a path to incorporate rail planning and funding alongside road and public transport under the Land Transport Management Act.
“It may seem dry to some at first glance, but these are not just legalistic changes or branding exercises. This is a much needed revolution in transport policy,” says RMTU National Secretary Wayne Butson.
“Rail was nearly destroyed in this country by the privatising National government of the 1990s, and under John Key was allowed to fall into unnecessary managed decline. This Labour-led government finally treats rail with the seriousness it deserves, and these policy announcements represent the first concrete plans we’ve seen in over a decade to put our country’s transport system back on solid ground.”
The freight tonnage transported by rail is expected to increase by 55 percent by 2042, and ageing stock and inventory around the country is in need of replacement.
The government is committing to shift an increasing proportion of freight away from heavy trucks and onto New Zealand’s rail network, in order to reduce congestion, reduce carbon emissions, improve safety outcomes and reduce road maintenance.
