Last year they took KiwiBank out of our suburbs. They got a fight, but they won. They tried to take our rugby team. They got a fight and we won. This year they want to take what remains of our rail service. We will mount a fight and we will win!

Axing the Capital Connection would not only hurt Palmerston North, it just doesn’t make sense. As Manawatu and the Horowhenua grow, more and more people will need a regular link to the capital. It simply is not possible to build enough roads to handle the traffic that would bring. What KiwiRail and Transport Minister Steven Joyce should be looking at is expanding the current service, not cutting it.

In fact, that is exactly what I had wanted to talk to KiwiRail about when I first met with them last year. Sadly, it quickly became apparent that before we could look at expansion, we would need to put up a strong argument for retention once electrification and double tracking occurs from Waikanae south to Wellington.  

The Capital Connection is brilliant, even if it’s not as regular as we would like. Try it – you’ll love it and you’ll want to fight for it as much as the over 750 people who have joined ‘Save the Capital Connection’ on Facebook.  

If we make enough noise; if we prepare a sound argument; if we are tenacious and unwavering we will win. 

We can even convince them we need more of a good thing. We just need you on board!

First published in the Guardian - February 2010