Merit in discussing who should own Auckland trains
Merit in discussing who should own Auckland trains
There may be some merit in a proposal to transfer ownership of Auckland's new electric trains to Auckland Transport, the Rail and Maritime Transport Union said today.
KiwiRail is in the final stage of a tender process for the $500 million job to build 38 three-car electric multiple units and 13 locomotives for the Auckland rail network.
Auckland
Transport, a council-controlled organisation (CCO) of
Auckland Council, was today reported as wanting to take
ownership of the new
trains RMTU General Secretary Wayne
Butson said that this should be seriously considered. "Our
experience of past National governments is that their
commitment to public ownership of rail assets is not good,"
Wayne Butson said. "Transferring the ownership of
Auckland's new electric trains to Auckland Transport may
protect taxpayer assets in the event of KiwiRail being
targeted for privatisation in the future." "If this is a
way of protecting this significant new investment in
electric trains, then it may be worthy of
consideration." "Either way, we do not want to see a
situation where KiwiRail is privatised under a National
government, and these assets are lost for good." The RMTU
would also be watching very closely to see whether KiwiRail
honoured the local involvement pledge it made during the
tender process for the new Auckland trains, Wayne Butson
said.
"We have always wanted these trains to be built in
Dunedin and Lower Hutt but local involvement provisions from
the lead supplier was the next best option. It is essential
that this option is rigorously pursued by KiwiRail," he
said. Background: Last month KiwiRail
announced KiwiRail's May 2010 tender
document encouraged firms to ally themselves with New
Zealand subcontractors or suppliers and "include as much New
Zealand content and resources in the design, construction,
delivery, testing, maintenance and support of the EMUs as is
appropriate."