I’m pretty sure they have specific demands, asking for better inter-city passenger trains. It says in the article the protesters are from the “Restore Passenger Rail climate action group”.
I don’t know their strategy, but if their intention is to get publicity for the cause then the term “it doesn’t matter what they are saying about you, as long as they’re talking about you” comes to mind.
I have heard anecdotally that when these sorts of protests are going on, the “mainstream” environmental organisations get a lot more interest. So it could be that it is actually working, even though most people don’t like the tactics.
They actually are quite specific in what they want, they want a restoration of all our intercity rail services, to a level of service that existed back in the nineties. It’s not about commuter rail, as many commenters here seem to think.
In other words, they want the government to spend a few hundred mill on rolling stock, and still more on other subsidies, on a service that would take nearly twice as long to go between Auckland and Wellington as a bus. They’ve completely lost touch with reality.
This is also ignoring the fact that diesel rail isn’t that much better than road transport, and can even be worse.
This is also ignoring the fact that diesel rail isn’t that much better than road transport, and can even be worse.
Huh? I mean sure, we should electrify all our rail. But moving hundreds of people in one diesel train produces way less emissions than hundreds of cars.
Yes, indeed, diesel trains emit lower emissions when more than 1/3 full. See also #10 here
And, diesel is not the final solution, but it’s a first step. If the protesters would ask for 100% electrified rail it would be shut down as well by opponents that it’s too hard. So I think it’s a very good option to switch to diesel rail for now.
In other words, they want the government to spend a few hundred mill on rolling stock, and still more on other subsidies, on a service that would take nearly twice as long to go between Auckland and Wellington as a bus.
Driving time WLG <=> AKL is about 7.5 hours. Assuming a 15 minute break every 2 hours, that’s about 8.5 hours. It’s 650km, so that’s about 76km/hour on average. I’m sure a train can go as fast / faster than that; definitely not <40km/hour like you suggest.
Yep as right now it’s a scenic route, so no focus on speed. I agree, right now it’s not a very good alternative to driving. That’s the point, that should be improved; it should be faster than driving.
Isn’t the irony here that making cars sit idling instead of getting where they’re going causes more pollution?
Who are these protests convincing? Do they even say what their demands are other than a completely unspecific and unhelpful “combat climate change”?
I’m pretty sure they have specific demands, asking for better inter-city passenger trains. It says in the article the protesters are from the “Restore Passenger Rail climate action group”.
I don’t know their strategy, but if their intention is to get publicity for the cause then the term “it doesn’t matter what they are saying about you, as long as they’re talking about you” comes to mind.
It kinda does matter what they’re saying about you when you’re trying to get public support for a cause though.
I have heard anecdotally that when these sorts of protests are going on, the “mainstream” environmental organisations get a lot more interest. So it could be that it is actually working, even though most people don’t like the tactics.
It won’t, because their demands simply aren’t feasible or cost effective.
They actually are quite specific in what they want, they want a restoration of all our intercity rail services, to a level of service that existed back in the nineties. It’s not about commuter rail, as many commenters here seem to think.
In other words, they want the government to spend a few hundred mill on rolling stock, and still more on other subsidies, on a service that would take nearly twice as long to go between Auckland and Wellington as a bus. They’ve completely lost touch with reality.
This is also ignoring the fact that diesel rail isn’t that much better than road transport, and can even be worse.
Huh? I mean sure, we should electrify all our rail. But moving hundreds of people in one diesel train produces way less emissions than hundreds of cars.
Yes, indeed, diesel trains emit lower emissions when more than 1/3 full. See also #10 here
And, diesel is not the final solution, but it’s a first step. If the protesters would ask for 100% electrified rail it would be shut down as well by opponents that it’s too hard. So I think it’s a very good option to switch to diesel rail for now.
You’re comparing private to public transport though, while ignoring another public alternative that is already operating.
I don’t get why people are so snobby about buses.
Buses are less comfortable than cars, and are probably also slower than a car.
Trains are more comfortable and can be faster than driving.
They’re also far more affordable though. Rail is expensive.
I’m comparing other public transport options, namely road based PT.
Comparing a train to a car is kinda comparing apples to nectarines.
Bus is always going to be limited to whatever the road network can support, and face problems like traffic.
Rail can be improved way above what it is in NZ currently. It could be much faster than taking a car, as it is in many parts of the world. e.g. see: https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/regional-rapid-rail/
Driving time WLG <=> AKL is about 7.5 hours. Assuming a 15 minute break every 2 hours, that’s about 8.5 hours. It’s 650km, so that’s about 76km/hour on average. I’m sure a train can go as fast / faster than that; definitely not <40km/hour like you suggest.
The northern explorer is 10h 15min Auckland to Wellington, and travels almost exactly the same distance.
I thought it was slower, but it’s still much slower than road transport.
Yep as right now it’s a scenic route, so no focus on speed. I agree, right now it’s not a very good alternative to driving. That’s the point, that should be improved; it should be faster than driving.
It’s actually faster than a bus somehow, although a bus ticket is forty bucks.