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Requested information: 

“Information requested under the LGOIMA
I have travelled on the Wairarapa trains for 20 years between Featherston and Wellington. Pre-COVID, this was 4x a week and post-Covid, it is 2X a week.

Prior to 2024, passengers were able to access the carriages prior to the locomotive being connected. With almost no warning, it was suddenly decided that passengers had to wait on the platform until the locomotive has been connected.

This is adding delays to the travel - especially on days when other issues arise around the system. Wednesday this week (3rd December 2025) was a case in point. The locomotive didn't arrive for the 4.25pm until 4.12pm and passengers were not able to load until 4.21pm. (I checked on my watch as I was standing on the platform.) As such, the train did not depart anywhere near 4.25pm.

We have been "told" that this change was made for "health and safety reasons" so passengers are not injured when the locomotive is connecting up. This would appear to be reacting to a "potential" issue rather than an actual issue. As above, I have been travelling on this service for 20 years and have not heard of people actually being injured at this connection - and I was on the train that derailed at Te Marua.

1) Please confirm the rationale for this change?
2) Please provide the statistics and completed risk assessment that support this rationale?
3) How many times (in absolute #) have the carriages been available for passengers prior to 4.10pm - which allows an efficient loading of passengers.”