Re: Road and Rail Funding

[David McLoughlin <davemcl@REMOVEiprolink.co.nz>]

Patrick Dunford wrote:

> Trains have to go on railway lines. The construction costs of these lines are
> massive. Therefore I am definitely challenging the implication that it is
> cheaper to run a train. When was the last time a new railway line was built
> in NZ? Tranz Rail will not do it unless they can be sure of getting enough
> traffic. Just being able to compete over a route is not necessarily enough.
>
> Most of the network that exists today was built by the State (as public
> works, etc) and was not compelled to operate profitably. OK so the roads at
> present are not compelled to operate profitably either but at least it is
> possible to show that the running costs of a railway are not trivial.

Ahem I was talking about public transport -- trams and trains -- in
cities. The cost of building a tram line or an electric train line as
urban public transport in a city is much less per kilometre than
building a freeway, but nobody moans about the cost of freeways, all the
criticism is on the much lower cost of a tram or train line.

David McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand