John MacDonald: The stadium train is an excellent idea - let's make the most of it

TOPIC 1 EDITORIAL: STADIUM TRAIN

I love this plan for an express passenger train to get people into Christchurch for events at the new One New Zealand Stadium, which is due to open in April next year.

But I’ll love it even more if the councils around here chip-in to pay for a new railway station at the corner of Moorhouse Avenue and Colombo Street, which the rail company behind the plan is describing as a “key ingredient”.

Because, otherwise, there’s a 4.3 kilometre journey by road from the current station at Tower Junction - which could take about 22 minutes by car.

Private outfit Mainland Rail has come up with the idea to get nearly 6,000 people into Christchurch from Rolleston and Rangiora (and even possibly Ashburton). It’s saying an express service from Rolleston would get people into the centre of town in 20 minutes. It would be about 25 minutes from Rangiora.

It’s worked out how it can work-in with the KiwiRail freight train schedules and it’s already bought second-hand carriages to run the service.

But it’s the new railway station on the corner of Moorhouse and Colombo that needs sorting out.

And, with the likes of Selwyn and Waimakariri councils not putting any money at all into the stadium itself, this is the opportunity - at last - for them to have some skin in the game.

Especially, considering that this service is all about getting people from their areas into town for the big matches and concerts.

Maybe even Ashburton council could get involved. ECAN, as well - considering it’s been pushing the idea of commuter rail services in the Greater Christchurch area.

I know there will probably be no shortage of people who think that, if a private company wants to set-up this service, then it should cover all of the costs. Including the costs of a new train station.

But I don’t see it that way, at all. Because some sort of drop-off point for train passengers at that spot on the Colombo/Moorhouse corner would be brilliant - and not just for people using the stadium trains.

There’ll be others too who think it should be KiwiRail paying for it. But you can forget about Kiwirail coming up with the money anytime soon. If at all.

So, if this thing is going to fly, then it’s time for our local councils to step up.

Who wouldn’t want to see tourists getting on and off the Tranz Alpine service to the West Coast in the centre of town? Instead of that toy town train station at the back of Tower Junction.

And if we are really serious about getting people in Rangiora and Rolleston to even entertain the idea of taking a train to work instead of driving, then we need to offer them something better than a train to Addington.

This idea has the potential to be the start of something bigger and I think it's brilliant

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
And I have to say, I've got to say I
love this plan for an express passenger train to get
people into christ Church for events at the new one
New Zealand Stadium. Love it a stadium due to open
in April next year. But I will love it even
more if the council's around here chip in to pay

(00:34):
for a new railway station at the corner of Moorhouse
Avenue and Columbo Street, which the company behind the plan
is describing as a key ingredient, and it is because
otherwise there is a four point three kilometer journey by
road from the current station at Town Junction, you know
the toy Town one, which could take about twenty two

(00:57):
minutes by car, let alone bus. So private train operator
Mainland Rails, the outfit has come up with the idea
to get nearly six thousand people into Christchurch from Roliston
and rungy Order and even even possibly ash Burton when
there are big events happening at the stadium. It's saying

(01:18):
that the express service from Rolliston would get people into
the center of town in twenty minutes twenty minutes and
about twenty five minutes from Rungy Order. It's worked out
how it can work in with the key we Rail
Frenk train schedules, and I'll tell you what's pretty confident.
It's already bought secondhand carriages to run the service. But

(01:40):
it's the new railway station on the corner of moor
House in Colombo that needs sorting out. And with the
likes of Salwyn and Weymac Aerdi not putting any money
into the stadium itself at all, this is the opportunity
at last for them to have some skin in the game,

(02:00):
especially when you consider that the service it's all about
getting people from their areas into town for the big
matches concerts. Maybe even Ashburton Council could get involved with
a bit of money he can as well, considering it's
been pushing the idea of commuter rail services in the
Greater Christich area. And I know that there will be

(02:21):
no shortage of people who think that if a private
company wants to set up the service, then it should
cover all of the costs, including the costs of a
new train station itself. I don't see it that way
at all, because some sort of drop off point for
train passengers at that spot on the Columbo Moorhouse corner
would be brilliant and not just for people using the

(02:42):
stadium trains. And just like some people will think the
private company should pay for it, there'll be others who
think key we Rail should pay for it. But you
can forget about key We Rail coming up with the
money anytime soon, if at all. So if this thing
is going to fly, it's time for our local councils
to step up to the plate and put their money
where their mouth is, or put your money where your

(03:04):
mouth is. I don't know where your mouth is, though.
I'm not going to assume that you love this idea
as much as I do, and I'm not going to
assume that you agree with me that ratepayer money should
be poured into a new train station facility. You tell
me a facility that if we were to limit our thinking,

(03:26):
we'd only be needed for a sporadic train service run
by a private company which could either go under or
could discover that people don't actually want to travel by
train to sports matches and concerts. You know, if that
was the case, then Mainland Rail could probably flog off
the carriages they've bought tricky to flog off a train
station though, but we don't look at it that way,

(03:46):
look at it as part of a bigger picture. We
need to see this idea as having potential to be
the start of something way bigger. Put this to you,
who wouldn't want to see tourists getting on off the
Transalpine service to the West Coast in the center of
town instead of the toy Town train station as to
say that the acre Town junction. And if we are

(04:09):
really serious about getting people in ruggy order in Rodiston
to even entertain the idea of taking the train to
work instead of driving, then when you need to offer
them something better than a train to Eddington, say what
I mean? There is an argument right there for ratepayers
footing the bill for a new train station. In fact,
there's more than an argument. There are many arguments in

(04:31):
favor of it.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news Talks It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.