Capital Connection - Commuter rail service appears likely to survive

-  Tranzwatching tofro Palmerston North - Wellington, Te Ika a Maui, New Zealand

The Capital Connection commuter service each weekday morning from Palmerston North to Wellington appears likely to survive. Previously there were fears the extension of Wellington's commuter rail service to Waikanae would remove sufficient patronage from the Capital Connection as to undermine its viabilty. However patronage numbers have remained at a solid benchmark.

In a report in the Manawatu Standard KiwiRail spokesman Tom Evers-Swindell said the state-owned company would "explore all avenues for support" should passenger numbers drop.  "KiwiRail is continuing to focus on the long-term viability of the Capital Connection service, as it provides a critical commuter service for the Manawatu region," he said. "We are still confident, given current passenger volumes, that KiwiRail will be able to provide this service in the future."

Surprisingly the service is not subsidised but KiwiRail won't reveal its cost or number of passengers needed for cost recovery .