Upkeep of the Taieri Gorge line past Pukerangi is not a priority at the moment, Dunedin city councillors have been told.
Passenger services are operated between Dunedin and Pukerangi and there are aspirations to extend them to Middlemarch.
However, work to open the far end of the line is no certainty, it appeared from discussion at yesterday’s Dunedin City Council finance and performance committee meeting.
Cr Lee Vandervis asked Dunedin City Holdings chairman Tim Loan about track maintenance intentions and new councillor Jo Galer asked about timeframes for this.
‘‘There is no money being spent on the track past Pukerangi at the moment,’’ Mr Loan said.
An investigation was intended about whether it could be opened up, he said.
‘‘At this point of time, we don’t have a timeframe for any potential opening of the track through to Middlemarch.’’
Train trips to Middlemarch ended in 2019.
Limited services have been run since the Covid-19 pandemic, as far as Pukerangi.
Mr Loan said the priority for the Dunedin Railway Station, formerly Dunedin Railways, was getting the business back into a sustainable position.
Any potential opening of the track through to Middlemarch was ‘‘a little bit challenging’’.
The Dunedin-Pukerangi return trip took five hours, and extending it would have implications for passengers from cruise ships, Mr Loan said.
Mr Loan said there was also a desire to work with the Otago Central Rail Trail Trust regarding connecting with the trail.
As things stand, the rail trail ends at Middlemarch and trains stop at Pukerangi, which means they do not link up.
Mr Loan said options were being investigated.
