19th October 2022
Restore Passenger Rail supporters this morning stopped traffic on Transmission Gully motorway north of Wellington, repeating their call for the government to act immediately on the climate emergency. Traffic is stopped on the southbound side, just after the Morgans Rainbow Bridge.
“The Government’s failure to respond to the climate crisis is an act of complete neglect for future generations. Restoring an affordable network of passenger trains in Aotearoa is a basic first step.”
Twelve people, aged between 22 and 81, from great-grandparents to students, including a father and son, are sitting on the motorway.
The 27 km long Transmission Gully was built for more than $1.25 billion dollars.
“This motorway is an example of how expensive and resource-intensive roading projects have been prioritised over affordable public transport. For 1.5 billion we could electrify most of the North Island rail tracks and buy the electric trains to run on them.” Said spokesperson Rosemary Penwarden.
“Transmission Gully encourages more and faster cars and discourages public transport. Affordable passenger rail will bring emissions down, bring us together, get us out of cars and planes and make life easier and more affordable for all.”
“Our action is extreme but so is the total breakdown of the earth’s climate system” said James Cockle who is sitting on the motorway.
“The Government’s inaction on climate change risks all the people and places that we love. We need them to do the right thing.”
This is the second week of Wellington traffic disruption by Restore Passenger Rail supporters. Yesterday traffic was stopped at both ends of the Mt Victoria tunnel for over an hour.
The Restore Passenger Rail campaign was officially launched on Tuesday 27 September when campaigners delivered the ultimatum to a number of MPs outside the Parliamentary Library.