No more Overlander

After September the daily train between Auckland and Wellington will be gone.
(See: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10393040)

I must say this is very, very sad. It's a service that has been running for nearly 100 years. I took the trip myself (from Otorohanga to Palmerston North) just last October and I really enjoyed it. I got many spectacular shots with my digital camera - the Raurimu spiral, the Central Plateau, the Rangitikei River, etc.

They say that not enough people are using the service so it is not viable to keep it running - perhaps if they lowered the price of the tickets then more people will use it! Granted it is a long and slow journey, but it is a much better way to travel than by bus! I find buses so uncomfortable. I thought with the price of petrol as it is more people would take advantage of the train. Cars and buses run on petrol/diesel - the trains run on electricity! Doesn't make sense to me!

I think the cancellation of this service will affect some of the small towns along the main trunk line, for example the town I live in - Otorohanga. The small railway station in Otorohanga has just had a big facelift and a new cafe has opened up inside it - I bet he'll be kicking himself now! I really hope this line will be used for some sort of train service in the future - this country needs it!