Depressingly National's fiscal plan includes the following sentence: "National intends to spend less on other areas such as coastal shipping, inter-regional public transport and walking and cycling."
Two other unconnected things:
- are business plans necessary or an overly complex and costly exercise in delaying what should be happening
- my first memories of inter-regional rail travel was steam engine-pulled Limited and Express, second class, Auckland to Levin and return, rent a pillow, around dawn going through the middle of Palmerston North. I wonder if I will see such a service again (i.e. multiple overnight Auckland-Wellington) in my lifetime?
Further on National's intention to spend less on inter-regional travel. This works against the efficient provision of climate-friendly infrastructure to support the greenfields development that National is supporting.
"Interestingly, Waikato Regional Cou7ncil is undertaking a Detailed Business Case into a hybrid longer-term rolling stock solution for Te Huia, piggy-backing on the Lower North Island’s rolling stock order"
Would greatly enhance the case for making ALL these units dual-voltage.hybrid (Spain has this already). At the moment only anticipated as being 1500vdc, which rules out Feilding and Marton as within commute range to Palmerston Nth.
Presumably would bring also bring the entire NIMT plus some non- electrified periphorals (Helensville etc.) within range of these units should the need ever arise.
Depressingly National's fiscal plan includes the following sentence: "National intends to spend less on other areas such as coastal shipping, inter-regional public transport and walking and cycling."
Two other unconnected things:
- are business plans necessary or an overly complex and costly exercise in delaying what should be happening
- my first memories of inter-regional rail travel was steam engine-pulled Limited and Express, second class, Auckland to Levin and return, rent a pillow, around dawn going through the middle of Palmerston North. I wonder if I will see such a service again (i.e. multiple overnight Auckland-Wellington) in my lifetime?
Further on National's intention to spend less on inter-regional travel. This works against the efficient provision of climate-friendly infrastructure to support the greenfields development that National is supporting.
"Interestingly, Waikato Regional Cou7ncil is undertaking a Detailed Business Case into a hybrid longer-term rolling stock solution for Te Huia, piggy-backing on the Lower North Island’s rolling stock order"
Would greatly enhance the case for making ALL these units dual-voltage.hybrid (Spain has this already). At the moment only anticipated as being 1500vdc, which rules out Feilding and Marton as within commute range to Palmerston Nth.
Presumably would bring also bring the entire NIMT plus some non- electrified periphorals (Helensville etc.) within range of these units should the need ever arise.