The Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust had raised about $500,000, bought property and built part of a track at the entrance to Chain Hills tunnel, with the aim of constructing a cycleway between Abbotsford and Wingatui.
But earlier this year, KiwiRail changed the clearance required between cycleways and the middle of the railway track from a distance of 3m to 5m.
This seemed to scupper plans for the trail between Abbotsford and the Chain Hills tunnel entrance on the Dunedin side.
The trust had raised money and bought property on the understanding the clearance required would be 3m.
Trust chairman Gerard Hyland said earlier this year the 5m clearance requirement meant he no longer knew whether the trail could go ahead, which was a ''real slap in the face from KiwiRail, given we've worked with them for two years''.
But a letter sent on Monday from KiwiRail to Dunedin city councillor Kate Wilson and Mr Hyland suggested KiwiRail was willing to compromise on the 5m, on the proviso safety measures would be in place at locations where the cycleway was closer than 5m to the track.
While this would add to the cost of the trail, it would remain significantly cheaper than if the trail had to be rerouted to land below the rail embankment, Mr Hyland said.
At four ''pinch points'' where the trail would need to run closer than 5m to the rails, KiwiRail said this would be allowed as long as a strong 1.8m fence was built to protect cycleway users, while the setback of the trail would need to be as close to 5m as possible.
The letter concluded if these requirements were met, KiwiRail had ''no objection in principle to the rail corridor between Abbotsford and Wingatui being used for a cycleway''.
Mr Hyland said he was overjoyed at KiwiRail's decision.
He thanked staff at KiwiRail who worked behind the scenes, and was thankful for ''a lot of community pressure''.
''It just shows the amount of community support we had.''
The project would be more costly than first envisaged because of the need for taller, stronger fences at the pinch points, but it would still be going ahead, with the aim of linking Abbotsford to Wingatui through the Chain Hills tunnel, he said.
The next step was securing more funding which would be sought from the community as well as the Dunedin City Council, Otago Regional Council and government agencies.
Longtime cycleway supporter Cr Wilson said she was ''absolutely delighted'' the Trust and KiwiRail had found a middle ground.
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Comments
This is fantastic news for the Trust, well done Mr Hyland. Taking one of the two major climbs out of the cycling commute from Mosgiel to town is a great contribution to decreasing traffic congestion where it is needed.
In the narrow context of cycle lanes next to rail corridors then yes, a five metre space between rail and lane seems like a great safety addition. However, when you think in the broader context of transport safety, this five metre space requirement will continue to hinder projects such as the Chain Hills tunnel, and many other proposed routes around the country that would otherwise provide a much safer solution than cyclists sharing roads with traffic.
KiwiRail is government owned and as such rail corridors should be available to accommodate cycle or walkway solutions if feasible. At the very least, issues of safety should be considered in the context of all possible options, including, in most cases, the current scenario of cyclists sharing the road with other traffic.
Well done, Mr Hyland. Can't wait for the Tunnels Trail to become a reality.