Dunne: Johnsonville Line upgrade secures future for 30 to 40 years
9 February 2009

Ohariu MP and UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne today welcomed the reopening over the weekend of the upgraded Johnsonville rail line, saying the area’s commuters would reap the rewards of a better rail service for at least 30 to 40 years.

The $11 million upgrade, which Mr Dunne inspected last month, was an impressive job and a substantial investment in the line for the local community

“The reality is this is that this upgraded lines secures the future for generations to come – and that’s just fantastic.

“The inconvenience of the last couple of months has been worth it – and I’m sure the community will agree. This upgrade really was about locking in a quality rail service for many years to come. It’s a key service and piece of infrastructure for this area,” Mr Dunne said.

“Full marks to Ontrack for taking on this challenge and really delivering. It was a quite inspiring piece of work when you look at the technical difficulty of some of the things they had to achieve to complete it on schedule for Waitangi Day.”

The project has included making seven tunnels larger, lowering the floors by up to 80cm, and excavating more than 630 cubic metres of soil. It was the first substantial upgrade of the line in 40 years.

Mr Dunne said the temporary use of an increased fleet of buses for the duration of the works from late December was “a timely reminder” of just what the rail service means to the quality of life of the community.

“We really wouldn’t want to ever be in a position where we are reliant on buses to meet this community’s commuting needs – and this upgrade means we won’t,” he said.

Mr Dunne has promoted and championed the Johnsonville rail line for many years.

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Contact: Mark Stewart, Press Secretary, 021 243 6985