Get Involved

Open consultations, conferences and campaigns ¶

• Lets Connect Communities Workshop - Public Transport Forum New Zealand is hosting an informal half day meeting on Thursday 29 June 2023, following on from The Future is Rail Conference on Wednesday 28 June 2023, to discuss the concepts of an integrated 'subsidised' national public transport network connecting Aotearoa New Zealand 6 large cities and lots of provincial centers across the country.
  
  We have trains, buses, ferries and more, yet it's not easy to get around by public transport. How can we make it work better for people?
  
  Come along, find out and help define the future of public and passenger transport in Aotearoa New Zealand.
  
  For further information concerning the Lets Connect Communities Workshop
• The Future is Rail Conference - The Future Is Rail Conference provides an opportunity to develop a shared vision of the contribution that a rebuilding of inter-regional and long-distance passenger rail services can make to creating a more sustainable future through reducing carbon emissions and increasing mobility choices for New Zealanders, especially those living in regional New Zealand. 
  
  This one-day conference brings together transport political decision makers and top policy advisers from central and local government, iwi, rail operators, business/industry leaders, and climate, community, enhanced mobility and rail advocates.​
  
  For further information concerning The Future is Rail Conference
• It is time to reform rail in New Zealand - The recent Government's parliamentary Transport and Infrastructure Committee inquiry into the future of inter-regional passenger rail in Aotearoa New Zealand, raises the question, why can't the national rail network be the 'new' open access, environmentally friendly, national 'steel' highway network allowing greater utilisation of the network with increase freight and passenger train services through efficient signalling and increased track speeds.
  
  For information, visit It is time to reform rail in New Zealand
• Lets Connect Communities is an initiative to create a sustainable environmentally friendly national passenger transport network connecting communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.
  
  For information, visit Lets Connect Communities
• Save our Trains is petitioning the government and Kiwirail to commit to maintaining existing intercity passenger rail services and asking for a comprehensive national strategy for future passenger rail services built around concerns for climate action, accessibility and economic development.
  
  For information, visit Save our Trains
  
  To sign the petition
• Vote Climate is a campaign asking local government candidates to support and promote more affordable, frequent urban public transport and investing into regional and inter-regional passenger train and bus services to make travel between cities, towns and regions easier and safer and easier active travel modes.
  
  For further information, visit Vote Climate
• Trains for Climate - Every decision we make today must set us on track to creating a stable climate. fast, frequent, low-carbon transport is crucial to providing our communities with choices for climate-friendly alternatives to using the car. Add your name to our open letter urging the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson to save our passenger trains between Wellington, the Wairarapa and the Manawatū.
  
  Add your name to the open letter
• Aotearoa Collective for Public Transport Equity is currently petitioning the government for free public transport for under 25s, community service card holders, and tertiary students.
  
  To sign the petition

Get involved ¶

• Use public transport

• Make submissions requesting better, environmentally friendly, public transport

• Talk to your local councillors and member of parliament about the importance of great public transport

  Ask them for improvements that you care about whether it is different timetables, warm dry bus shelters, single ticketing, journey planning apps or accessible buses.

• Vote for local councillor/s and members of parliament who support and advocate for environmentally friendly sustainable public transport

• Petition political parties for environmentally friendly sustainable public transport

Why advocate for public transport ¶

Public transport whether it is by bus, scenic coach, passenger train and/or ferry is a sustainable environment friendly way of getting around Aotearoa New Zealand. It could be so much better and help Aotearoa New Zealand meet or exceed its climate targets. Imagine travelling hassle free on a frequent public transport services using one easy to use payment/ticketing system, easy to use travel information website and smart phone travel app.

Unfortunately, for too long politicians in councils and government have spent most transport dollars on trying to make driving easier. By putting cars first and denying us affordable and frequent transport choices, they have forced more and more people to drive allowing for carbon and other toxic emissions to escape into the atmosphere warming our planet.

It's time for politicians in councils and government to start to think about our environment and starting work towards Aotearoa New Zealand net zero emissions goals.

Background reading and useful links ¶

A collection of links useful information about public transport in New Zealand, including government documents.

• The Sustainable Public Transport Framework (SPTF) and its predecessor the Public Transport Operating Model.
• The New Zealand Rail Plan
• New Zealand's new National Public Transport Network
• New Zealand's new Regional Passenger Rail Network
• Re-establishing long distance passenger rail services
• It is time to reform New Zealand's national rail network
• Future of rail. A lot of government documents on rail get proactively released here.
• Heriot Edivale (a public transport and rail consultancy) hosts a long list of independent reports, publicly released government documents and articles on rail.
• Making Rail Work: A community’s proposal for the re-introduction of an intercity passenger rail link to Tauranga.
• All submissions to the parliamentary inquiry.

KiwiRail

• The letter of Expectation for the KiwiRail Board 2021-2022. This outlines what the Shareholding Ministers expect KiwiRail to do. Earlier letters: 2019/20, 2015/16.
• KiwiRail Holdings disclosure documents
• The Terms of Reference for the Entity Form Review of KiwiRail.
• KiwiRail’s explanation of why it doesn’t run interregional passenger transport.

Public Transport Forum New Zealand Articles

• Read our media, guest articles and opinions
• Links to our supporting organisations