So I don’t know if anyone needs THIS many pictures of a train trip, but if you happen to be in the mood for living vicariously through my fairly average ‘action shots’ of a train ride on the Northern Explorer, or you just want to glimpse at a few, then take a look below.
This train ride was taken on the Northern Explorer after I filled out a survey (supposed to gauge what kind of tourist experience I would like) clearly emphasizing that it was a every day commuter experience that I needed, NOT some tourist gimmick! I have never taken this train before because it is too expensive and/or doesn’t run very often, but I take this trip frequently on either bus or plane (and only plane since Covid19 risk). Anyway, my name was pulled out of a prize draw for a $100 voucher for my troubles.
They gave me the following response to my point of view:
“Kia ora Victoria,
Thank you so much for completing our recent ‘Holiday’ survey.
I can see from your feedback that you are very keen to have a standard long-distance passenger service from New Zealand, which we totally understand. The process behind receiving public money to purchase and operate passenger trains is not complicated, but it does require a solid business case. The process is outlined by KiwiRail on their website: https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/what-we-do/regional-passenger-rail/….”
Funnily enough, while I was taking this train ride, regular Restore Passenger Rail protests were happening in the area. The tactics used by this activist group are controversial, but the group backs up their actions with evidence of its effectiveness. You can follow their actions, including many statements from the organizers which didn’t make the media, here: https://www.facebook.com/restorepassengerrailnz/
There is also a similar group called Save Our Trains https://www.allrailways.co.nz/ …. This group released a statement about being separate from Restore Passenger Rail around this time.
They sent the following update in April 2022, after a previous announcement that the service would be shut down:
Kia ora friends,
We hope you heard the good news! Earlier this week, KiwiRail announced it will reinstate the Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific from September 2022. The trains will return to the same schedule as previously operated and tickets go on sale later this month. You can read our press statement here.
This is good news. The reinstatement of these services was the first goal of the #SaveOurTrains campaign. We still have some questions around fares and stops, but make no mistake, this is a win for the campaign and this result would not have been possible without the action you took. Thank you for your support.
But even with the return of these two passenger services, New Zealand operates a husk of a passenger rail network. We can do better.
There is still more to do.
Our campaign has two goals. The first was to reinstate services lost in 2021. The second is to lobby for a comprehensive plan for the future of passenger rail considering accessibility, climate action, and regional development. Accessible services require affordable fares, frequent services, more stops, and access for differently-abled and elderly people.
We are a long way off achieving this second campaign goal, therefore, we are keeping the petition active and plan to present it to the Minister of Transport before the 2022 Budget.
Anyway, here are the photos I took while riding this train. I was especially charmed by the fact that everyone who the train passed would wave with big grins on their faces. I tried to capture these moments and the general wonder people experience around trains, as well as the historical stations where it used to stop. It was an incredibly peaceful experience!
The red words I added to some photos are notes I took while listening to the audio commentary onboard. There may be some mistakes in these but I plan on researching each place/ story further eventually.
undercoverlocal 