Time to kill the light rail fantasy

Sam Stubbs writes:

But let’s look at the numbers, especially in the light of the recent floods and cyclone, which highlight that we are going to face vast bills to fix, never mind future-proof, vital infrastructure across the North Island. …

Once again, let’s look at the maths. The line is estimated at 24km, 12 underground and 12 overground.

So assuming the current cost of the central rail link of $1b per km, that’s at least $12 billion spent on the underground section, before we get to the other 12km overground.

If we repeat the Central Rail Link experience, and double the original estimate, the proposed line could cost over $28 billion.

Think of the opportunity cost for that almost $30 billion. It could pay for a four lane motorway between Auckland and Wellington. Or say put $10 billion into local highways, $10 billion into water infrastructure and save $10 billion!