Cycleway could again be railway

The strip of land earmarked for the new $6 million cycleway between Dunedin and Port Chalmers could, one day, be taken back for use by rail.

Government-owned KiwiRail told the Otago Daily Times "we reserve the right to cancel leases for cycleways . . ."

While there is little prospect of KiwiRail needing the land soon, senior communications adviser Ruth Larsen said the company's approach was "to protect land near operating railways to accommodate any future changes or expansions".

The most likely reason for KiwiRail to want the land back would be if a second rail line was needed.

The rail corridor between St Leonards and Mosgiel had a double line until the 1980s when it was reduced to a single line after commuter trains stopped running.

Ms Larsen said in a statement that although rail freight tonnages were increasing, particularly as a result of growth in the dairy sector, "the existing single track is considered to have plenty of capacity available before we need to start thinking about track duplication".

The cycleway is being built by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Regional director Bruce Richards said yesterday "agreement in principle" had been reached with KiwiRail over use of the rail corridor and a "memorandum of understanding" was expected to be finalised by the end of this year or early next year.

"We are sufficiently confident from our discussions with KiwiRail over continued use of the corridor for the cycleway to move ahead with this project."

Mr Richards said he was "comfortable" with the KiwiRail view that there was enough capacity in the current line "for the foreseeable future" without the need for "double tracking".

Port Otago chief executive Geoff Plunket agreed, saying a double line would be "overkill".

"We would be denying ourselves a good quality cycleway for something that's never going to happen."

However, Taieri Gorge Railway chief executive Murray Bond is less convinced that a double line will not be required in future.

"Between Dunedin and Port Chalmers it's got to be seriously looked at, but it really depends on the Government's policy for moving freight.

"At the moment, rail doesn't seem to be overly favoured in some areas, but you start talking to Fonterra and it certainly is favoured."