Save the Overlander

[MotherBear]

If you did the chuffing, WG could hang out the window puffing on a fag so we could have some smoke and Rachael could sit in the back going so we'd have a whistle as well. I'd just look out the window and admire the scenery.

[Welshgirl]

Nope, cos I will have given up the ciggies by the next time you see me Bear, so you'll have to find your smoke effects from somewhere else ;D

[MotherBear]

Oh that's wonderful news, WG.  I'm very happy for you (so long as it doesn't turn you into a snarler when the withdrawal symptoms kick in when we're down there ).

If the weather's as cold when we're there as it was when we were in the UK (midsumnmer ), you'll be able to stick your head out of the window and exhale.  Your frosty breath will provide the smoke effect.  

[MotherBear]

Just heard on the news, the Overlander will not be being saved - the government says it would be too costly  :(

Government won't bankroll Overlander
Tuesday September 26, 2006
By Mathew Dearnaley

The Government yesterday brushed off pleas to save the Overlander, but promised to maintain the main trunk railway line to standards high enough for a future tourism operation.

Rail operator Toll will also wait until today to make a final decision whether to axe the service. The last two trains are to run between Auckland and Wellington on Saturday. Although observers doubt the company will keep the service going without a Government subsidy, Toll spokeswoman Sue Foley said last night that it wanted to make a last-minute assessment of its options, bearing in mind an offer by regional councils along the route to help to market the service.

Acting Finance Minister Trevor Mallard said after Cabinet's weekly Monday meeting that he and his colleagues saw "no prospect of the current Overlander service becoming commercially viable". Neither was it a fuel-efficient operation at an average patronage of 50 passengers a day each way.

"The fares already overlap with airlines and the reality is that the service is just not well used - it cannot compete with low-priced air travel and coaches," Mr Mallard said. "Cabinet considered the regional implications of ceasing the Overlander service and accepted that the current bus services run by the InterCity Group met the needs of those communities."

Green Party MP Sue Kedgley condemned the decision as "utterly short-sighted and incredibly stupid". "At a time when the rest of the world is investing in upgrading their rail network, we are dismantling ours - hasn't the Government heard of climate change?" she said. "The Government had no difficulty finding $1.5 billion for new roads but can't find $1.75 million a year to allow the service to continue for six months to two years while we search for an alternative way of making it viable."

Rail and Maritime Transport Union general secretary Wayne Butson said the Government's "big fat no" would help to drive rail in this country into the ground at a time when Toll was also warning it may end freight services along the Napier to Gisborne line.

But businessman Thomas Manning, who is leading a consortium hoping to begin an upmarket (= expensive) tourist rail service between Auckland and Wellington in 2009, expressed relief that the Government had promised to maintain the track to passenger standards in the meantime.

Toll could be expected to seek a reduction in its rail access fee if it only needed the tracks to be maintained for freight trains running at a maximum of 80km/h instead of a passenger standard of up to 100km/h. Mr Manning said Toll could retain exclusive use of the track only for one year after it stopped running passenger trains at least three times a week.

Although it would be a challenge to his consortium to build a passenger base once it was lost, he was confident that it could be done, and Toll's exit would at least remove one level of complexity for his venture. His consortium proposes buying three diesel-electric trains carrying up to 140 passengers compared with the Overlander's 200 seats each way, but with much higher fuel efficiency.

[Glenda]

According the the tv news reports this evening, they are still yo-yo-ing about whether to save it or not.

Reminds me of the UK when Beecham(?) closed a good proportion of the railways in the 1960's. Before we left the UK, there were comments about how they wished it had not happened and were trying to re-open some lines. They'll probably eventually regret it here too.
:(

[MotherBear]

Overlander to continue running
UPDATED 5.22pm Thursday September 28, 2006

The Overlander will stay in service on a reduced timetable, Toll NZ has announced.The service between Auckland and Wellington had been due to run for the last time on Saturday after Toll said it was losing too much money.It said annual patronage had dropped in the past two years from 90,000 to 50,000 passengers.

But today the rail operator said it was taking on board public support for the train service and would keep it running - initially for three days a week.

The Government on Monday declined to save the service with a subsidy. Toll had wanted $1.75 million a year from the Government to keep the train on the rails. Regional councils asked Toll to give a six-month grace period to find a new operator for the service.

Toll said today it had taken on board all the support it had received and had itself been working exhaustively to find a workable solution to keep the Overlander operating. It said that from next week the Overlander would run for three days a week -- on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on its existing timetable.

For the busy summer season from mid-December through to Autumn, and subject to patronage, the service would run daily. After Easter the service would revert back to three days a week through the winter off-season. "This will meet the needs of the majority of customers," Toll chief executive David Jackson said. Continuing the service allowed Toll to look at other funding options, he said.

The Greens, which presented the Government with a 16,000 signature petition calling for the train's rescue, said today a reduced service was better than nothing. Green MP Sue Kedgley told NZPA the Overlander had been given a "stay of execution". "I'm pleased that the service isn't stopping on Saturday and certainly some sort of service is better than nothing," she said. "But basically what we need is an upgraded, well-marketed daily service that tourists and New Zealanders can enjoy."

She was pleased Toll was planning to upgrade carriages but said the service needed to be marketed to ensure patronage. "If the Government comes to the party and upgrades the rail (track) particularly north of Taumaranui, so that the train can be sped up, then I think it's certainly a good stop-gap solution and far better than finishing on Saturday," she said.

Mr Jackson said Toll was exploring options, and over the next few weeks would be speaking to key people aiming to put in place "a clear plan for the positive development of the Overlander". Running to a seasonable timetable gives the company more time to look into the options.

"We have had tremendous support from the regional councils and will consider an upgraded service option and offering alternate packages aimed at both domestic users and the tourist market," Mr Jackson said. "We especially appreciate the support of the regions to assist with marketing."

A spokeswoman for Toll said the Overlander had been running at a $2 million loss. She would not say how much the reduced service would cost to run.

Mr Jackson said it had been clear the service could not continue in its current format "so change will be fundamental for its survival". "Reducing the services will allow us to perform refurbishments on the existing carriages and it expected that this work will be completed by the start of the summer season.

Mr Jackson said he wanted to personally thank all New Zealanders who had supported the service until now.

The Overlander's demise would have ended 98 years of train travel between Wellington and Auckland,

- NZPA

[MotherBear]

Overlander reprieve brings joy - and a warning
2.00pm Friday September 29, 2006
By Sue Eden

News of operator Toll's last-minute decision to save the service, although with a reduced schedule, has brought smiles all round. But the Government has been told it will need to keep the rail track up to scratch to boost patronage on the Overlander train.

Ruapehu mayor Sue Morris said she was "over the moon" the Overlander was not being axed. Wanganui mayor Michael Laws welcomed the announcement, saying "Toll are sports". Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) general secretary Wayne Butson also said he was happy.

The vast majority of staff were keeping their jobs, New Zealanders who petitioned to save it were seeing their wish come true, and the North Island was keeping its one remaining long-distance train, he said.

Mr Butson said a reduced service was better than no service. "It means the train continues to operate, it means that we can buy time, as Toll say, to upgrade the rolling stock, and when you're down to this sort of skeleton service, there's only one way it can go and that's to improve."

But, he said, the key to the train's survival would hinge on the Government and its agency Ontrack "actually getting the track back up to scratch".

One of the problems was that the train took 12 hours to travel between Wellington and Auckland. In the past, the "old Silver Fern, the old Silver Star" had travelled at 110kph and had done the trip in 10 hours, Mr Butson said.

Speed restrictions

Currently, between Hamilton and Auckland there were 54 minutes of speed restrictions, making a journey that should take an hour last an hour and 54 minutes.

He said another issue slowing down the train was the frequent changes of locomotive engineers or train drivers required. He believed Toll would want to talk to the union about that.

Green MP Sue Kedgley, who campaigned hard to keep the service, told NZPA the Overlander had been given a "stay of execution". She was pleased Toll was planning to upgrade carriages but said the service needed to be marketed to ensure patronage.

"If the Government comes to the party and upgrades the rail (track) particularly north of Taumaranui, so that the train can be sped up, then I think it's certainly a good stop-gap solution and far better than finishing on Saturday," she said. "But basically what we need is an upgraded, well-marketed daily service that tourists and New Zealanders can enjoy."

Toll said yesterday the Overlander would stay in service but it would run just three days a week outside the peak season. The train had been due to run for the last time on Saturday, which would have ended 98 years of passenger train travel between Wellington and Auckland, after Toll said the service was losing too much money.

Toll spokeswoman Sue Foley said the company had been willing to give the service "a lifeline". "So the big plea of course from us now is the public has got to support this. If they want services like this to stay, they've got to support it," she said.

- NZPA

[MotherBear]

Just like old times - the Overlander's late
30 September 2006
By MIKE WATSON AND ADAM RAY

As the two Overlander trains rolled into National Park station to a hero's reception it was almost as if time had been rolled back too. Hundreds of passengers poured on to the station platform yesterday for cups of tea scones and barbecued sausages with the strains of Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line lifting the rafters.

True to form, the two passenger services, from Wellington and Auckland, both ran late.

Rail operator Toll has given a reprieve for the Wellington to Auckland daily service, less than two days before it was due to cease. A reduced timetable will see it continue to run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from next week, and return to a daily service for the busy Christmas period.

The three-carriage service from Auckland arrived first – 25 minutes late – almost full. Forty-five minutes later than scheduled the five-carriage service from Wellington ground to a halt as passengers were welcomed by station dog, Max the fox terrier.

All up, nearly 250 passengers were on the two services. More than 400 are expected to make the trip today in what was to have been the final journey.

Station cafe part-owner Karleen Furner said it had been a hectic six weeks since news the Overlander was to be axed. "It's been good for business but we are looking forward to having Sunday off. I have mixed feelings it has stayed but it will keep my eight employees in work."

Among the passengers yesterday was Christchurch balladeer Christopher Cape, son of Peter Cape, the voice behind the classic Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line. Mr Cape sang his father's tunes to passengers and revived memories of pioneer train travel.

"My father would have supported Toll's change of mind," he said. "He never wanted New Zealand to lose its indigenous character which train travel helped portray."

Regular train traveller Royce Edwards hopped on at Hamilton to take the trip to National Park and back. Mr Edwards, who has lost 90 per cent of his sight, makes the trip every six weeks "because I have nothing else to do and I enjoy it".
Meanwhile, Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard said he was surprised and slightly cynical about Toll agreeing to run three services a week. The company must operate three Overlander services a week or lose its monopoly. "If they do not do this, then after 12 months another business can access the railroad," Mr Mallard said.

Toll rejected Mr Mallard's claim and said the reduced service, for which demand was already strong, would meet passenger demand and allow carriages to be refurbished.

- The Dominion Post

[MotherBear]

Overlander bounces back from near closure
1:00PM Wednesday April 04, 2007

After an 11th-hour reprieve in September last year, the Overlander Auckland-Wellington rail service has had a busy summer, says Tranz Scenic.

Marketing manager Graeme Mowday said after the Easter school holidays the service would return to its winter timetable, running only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Auckland-to-Wellington service was threatened with closure last year over falling passenger numbers.

Rail operator Toll had said the 100-year-old service was no longer economically viable, and threatened to can it entirely, after being turned down for a government subsidy.

When all looked lost, Toll changed its mind and announced it would continue the service for three days a week, and daily over summer.

Soon after, Toll refurbished the trains, painting and rebranding the outside and refitting the interior with new seat fabric, carpets, headrests and curtains.

Mr Mowday said high levels of support from the public meant the Overlander had had a successful summer season.

From here .