The Transport Agency is working in partnership with KiwiRail on strategic and tactical projects to maximise the efficiency and safety of New Zealand’s land transport infrastructure.
A steering group with representatives from the two organisations has been meeting regularly and has been developing a shared work programme around what integration looks like and how it will be achieved.
“So far we’ve made solid progress to lay the foundations for this priority and we’re looking forward to seeing our work take shape as the year unfolds,” says Harry Wilson, Freight Portfolio Director at the Transport Agency.
The priority work programme has been divided into strategic and tactical workstreams.
The strategic work involves seeking to establish the public value of rail to the land transport system. We are looking to develop a methodology which to identify and better understand the role played by rail to move people and freight, especially around constrained parts of the network.
Alongside this we are seeking to develop a policy case for ongoing public investment in rail infrastructure which reflects its contribution to a more efficient and effective freight system. Establishing this framework will provide certainty for KiwiRail and its freight customers and allow them to make better informed investment decisions.
The last part of the strategic work is developing a network plan which will provide a 20 to 30 year strategic view of the overall freight network. This will note key freight routes and hubs, identify growth areas and potential constraints where investment should be directed. The goal is to provide local and central government and industry the best information with which to make investment decisions around infrastructure and supply chains.
On the tactical side we will are taking a fresh look at level crossings from a safety and freight efficiency perspective. We will develop a business case which will identify and prioritise steps to reduce deaths and serious injuries and improve network efficiency.
The other tactical project will be developing an approach to build high performance road/rail hubs which involve collaboration between public and private sectors. The initial approach will involve links to the Ports at Lyttleton and Napier but could be applied to other locations where hubs would improve freight efficiency.