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