The loss making Te Huia

The Taxpayers Union points out:

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Government to end the rort that sees millions of dollars funnelled away from motorists into the inefficient and expensive Te Huia Train Service.

A recent review of the train service between Auckland and Hamilton reveals that it has budgeted a $5.45 million contribution from the NZTA for the current financial year. Roughly 90% of NZTA’s Land Transport Fund comes from fuel, registration and road-user charges.

The Minister of Transport recently said that subsides equate to approximately $90 per passenger for each leg of the journey, or $180 per return trip.

The fares from passengers only cover 3% of the operating expenditure, so it is 97% subsidised.

The number of daily passengers is around 250, so around 1% of those who travel on the expressway.

There are nine daily bus services between Hamilton and Auckland.