Making Rail Work

Overview

How bringing back trains and investing in rail infrastructure could help revitalise our rural and regional town centres.

Transport and infrastructure has immense power to catalyse the regeneration of local neighbourhoods (being environments and communities). The challenge is to make sure that this regeneration is inclusive, economically and environmentally sustainable, and innovative. Many of Aotearoa New Zealand’s town centres could better serve the people who live and use them everyday – passenger rail could be the impetus for the local regeneration of these neighbourhoods. People and places should be at the centre of all urban policy – we looked at the opportunity for people to have passenger rail networks available and accessible and the impacts on their wellbeing. This article outlines an indicative process for prioritising and planning rail regeneration projects. An integrated process of prioritisation, identification, visioning, investment, and ongoing support is essential for successful regeneration projects.

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