Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Helensville Passenger Rail Trial
Have you ridden on the new passenger rail service to Auckland yet?
Are you going to?
For the first time in 28 years, Helensville residents can take the train to work (or play) - but the skeptic in me wonders just how many actually will.
Rail is probably the most relaxing way to travel on land, but spending more than three hours of your day getting to and from work (96 minutes each way, not counting the time to get to and from the station) may be more than most people can handle.
Sure, petrol prices are awful, and bound to get worse (though fuel costs will likely push up rail fares in future, too) - but for many people it's going to be a choice between two evils - wasting money on gas, or wasting the additional time over a car trip (say 45 minutes on a good day, 75 with bad traffic).
Proponents of the new rail service point out that commuters can use the rail travel time to work, and I'm sure some will get out their laptops and make good use of their time. I suspect most, however, will read a book, leaf through the paper, snooze or just stare out the window, mesmerised by that lovely clickety-clack sound trains make. That's what I'd do!
The rail service is a trial at this stage, and it will be up to locals (and those at the other new stops, Huapai and Waukauku) to get behind it if they want it to continue.
I'm not sure starting the trial in the middle of winter was a good idea. People are going to less inclined to use a train if they have to walk to the station in the cold and dark - maybe they should have been eased into it with a summer start?
Perhaps I'm being fussy - after all, I spent several years in London trudging through snow and ice to catch the 'Tube'. Then again, I didn't have a car...
So, will the rail trial be a success? I believe there will be a hard core of people who will use it to the max, but a lot of other people will try it for a while, then slide back into their comfort zone of pedalling their car to work.
Personally, I hope the trial succeeds. Better public transport has got to be good for everyone, and anything that clears some vehicles off the road to make way for my car has got to be good! ;-)
Are you going to?
For the first time in 28 years, Helensville residents can take the train to work (or play) - but the skeptic in me wonders just how many actually will.
Rail is probably the most relaxing way to travel on land, but spending more than three hours of your day getting to and from work (96 minutes each way, not counting the time to get to and from the station) may be more than most people can handle.
Sure, petrol prices are awful, and bound to get worse (though fuel costs will likely push up rail fares in future, too) - but for many people it's going to be a choice between two evils - wasting money on gas, or wasting the additional time over a car trip (say 45 minutes on a good day, 75 with bad traffic).
Proponents of the new rail service point out that commuters can use the rail travel time to work, and I'm sure some will get out their laptops and make good use of their time. I suspect most, however, will read a book, leaf through the paper, snooze or just stare out the window, mesmerised by that lovely clickety-clack sound trains make. That's what I'd do!
The rail service is a trial at this stage, and it will be up to locals (and those at the other new stops, Huapai and Waukauku) to get behind it if they want it to continue.
I'm not sure starting the trial in the middle of winter was a good idea. People are going to less inclined to use a train if they have to walk to the station in the cold and dark - maybe they should have been eased into it with a summer start?
Perhaps I'm being fussy - after all, I spent several years in London trudging through snow and ice to catch the 'Tube'. Then again, I didn't have a car...
So, will the rail trial be a success? I believe there will be a hard core of people who will use it to the max, but a lot of other people will try it for a while, then slide back into their comfort zone of pedalling their car to work.
Personally, I hope the trial succeeds. Better public transport has got to be good for everyone, and anything that clears some vehicles off the road to make way for my car has got to be good! ;-)
