Restore Passenger Rail supporters will meet with Transport Minister Michael Wood this afternoon, Tuesday 6 December at 4pm, to discuss the climate emergency and Restore Passenger Rail’s request - the restoration of an affordable nationwide passenger rail service.

“We have agreed in good faith to withhold disruption of business as usual in the Wellington region for now,” said Rosemary Penwarden, spokesperson for the campaign. “We’re going to be honest with the Minister; we are terrified for the future of our children. What’s needed now is transformational change to begin to reduce CO2 emissions. There is no time for delay. Restoring affordable nationwide passenger rail will go some way towards reducing transport emissions, our fastest growing sector for emissions, and it will create jobs and help reduce inequality. It’s a no-brainer.”

The Restore Passenger Rail campaign was officially launched on Tuesday 27 September when campaigners delivered an ultimatum, a demand to restore passenger rail to year 2000 levels, to a number of MP’s outside the Parliamentary Library. They received no response from the government so began disrupting business as usual in the capital on 10 October through to 27 October, when they received an email from Minister Wood.

“At the opening of COP27 last month, the United Nations Secretary-General said, “we are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.” We need to get off that highway and on to affordable nationwide rail.”

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