The Taxpayers’ Union is calling out the Green Party’s claim that fares would cover the bulk of the operating costs of their proposed Auckland–Wellington overnight train, with the New Zealand Transport Agency reporting that the private share of public transport operating costs, including fares, was just 20.5 percent in 2023/24.
Taxpayers’ Union Head of Policy James Ross said:
“The Greens are asking taxpayers to stump up $1,980 per household for rail, but their claims fail the most basic sense check.”
“They’ve claimed fares would cover the bulk of operating costs, but NZTA says passengers and other private revenue covered barely a fifth of public transport running costs in 2024, and are expected to cover only 27 percent by 2027.”
“The Greens either need to explain how their wonder-train is going to be so much more financially successful than the rest of the country’s rail, or cut the election-season spin and admit this is going to be just another money-pit.”
