All articles by Michael Van Drogenbroek

The Future Is Rail Conference’s aim was to provide an opportunity to develop a shared vision of the contribution that a rebuilding of inter-regional and long-distance passenger rail services would make to creating a more sustainable future through reducing carbon emissions and increasing mobility choices for New Zealanders, especially those living regionally. Its high-level purpose was to be a day of big ideas on passenger rail and how New Zealand could turn them into reality.

New Zealand is at a junction when it comes to inter-regional public transport and passenger rail. Will it continue almost entirely focusing investment on urban passenger rail in the Auckland and Wellington regions? Or is there room to include passenger rail reconnecting regions to main urban areas and extending into a national network?