Does no-one in NZ have a brain? Does no-one remember the trouble the country went through to electrify the North Island main trunk line. The only trouble with it, is the system is not connected up, there are gaps, these missing sections need to be completed. But to go backwards like this is poor thinking indeed.
Here's a map of the main trunk rail line in the North Island showing the gaps:
The Union are opposed, good on them, they're right: http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=95658
“Our models show that reinvesting in an electric fleet is better for KiwiRail’s wallet in the long term and it’s better for the planet. The current electric fleet saves 8 million litres in fuel each year and the price of upkeep is only $1.13 per km, but the Chinese-made diesel locomotives will guzzle the gas the electric fleet saves and the likely cost of upkeep will be $2.27 per km.”
I'd add, consider the extra tonnage the electric trains can pull, this was a compelling argument back when the decision was made to upgrade. The revenue tonnage per mile is much better with electric, meaning you can transport bigger loads at less cost, with longer trains.
What this decision does is show the weakness of the current State Owned Enterprise (SOE) model. Key infrastructure decisions are left to wing-nuts. Decisions like this have to be made after lengthy consideration and I'm talking Prime Minister. Oh wait, New Zealand has a pretend Southland farmer as its PM now, well we're all jiggered.
I noticed the Greens being suitably outraged, well Greens, stop sitting on the sidelines all the time, enter government and take ownership if you think you're good enough. Your sitting in Wellington and being a permanent naysayer does not get anything done, you need to actually do shit. Stop being a spectator.
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