The ARA has met with officials from the New Zealand Ministry of Transport to discuss the ARA’s recently released research report, The Benefit of Rail to New Zealand, as part of our continued focus on strengthening engagement with New Zealand stakeholders and lifting the profile of rail. 

Chris Money, Partner, EY, provided expert technical input to the discussions on the report, which was developed in partnership with EY. Chris provided an in-depth explanation around the methodology and findings of the report, with an emphasis on the report’s purpose of establishing a new baseline understanding of the economic and social benefit that rail provides New Zealand. 

It was noted that there may be opportunities for further collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and other stakeholders to develop expanded updates to the report or complementary research on more targeted issues. 

The ARA has offered to collaborate with the Ministry of Transport to provide any underpinning modelling and analysis from the report that may be useful for informing separate discussions around potential investment in the rail network across New Zealand.  

For further information, please contact Simon Bourke, General Manager – Advocacy & New Zealand at [email protected].