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Nelson–Blenheim notional railway

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to designated stations on the notional railway, or to Nelson, were calculated as if there were continuous railway mileage between the two points, even though in reality passengers or freight travelling on the notional railway were transported by road carriers. As rail rates for both passengers and freight were significantly cheaper than road carrier rates, this was to the user's advantage.
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This ended all hopes of Nelson being connected to the rest of the railway network by a line of rail. Despite this, the Nelson–Blenheim notional railway persisted for another 19 years until the subsidy was finally abolished on 1 October 1979, by which time it was costing around $ 10 million a year to
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between Blenheim and Nelson would be deemed by law to be a 'notional railway', connecting with the rest of the South Island network at Blenheim. Various points on the highway were designated as stations. This meant that passenger fares and freight rates from any railway station in the South Island
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While the line was profitable in its early years, falling revenues and increasing costs of maintenance resulted in closure in 1955, despite protest meetings, sit-ins to stop demolition trains, and a 12,000 strong petition calling for the re-opening of the line and an investigation of an alternative
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The first year of operation cost the Railways Department £105,000. Unlike a real railway that can benefit from attracting more custom, and hence more revenue, the more patronage the notional railway attracted the greater the subsidy paid by the Railways Department or (later) by the Department of
94:. A decision on a rail link would be made after the surveys and reports were completed. In the meantime, in recognition of transport problems caused by Nelson's lack of a rail connection, Prime Minister Holland announced the government would 71:'s South Island. Begun in 1876, it reached Glenhope, about 96 km south of Nelson, in 1912. Desultory work beyond Glenhope went on until 1931, but the Nelson section was never connected to the rest of the South Island rail network. 254:
Hoare, G., 1990, 'Nelson's Notional Railway: The Political Distortion of Geographical Space', Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, Volume 81, Issue 1, pages 48–57, February 1990, available at
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was begun to create space for a new station and rail yards. However the Labour government lasted only one three-year term, and on 14 December 1960 the new National Party Prime Minister
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the cost of transporting passengers and goods by road between Nelson and Blenheim so that the charges to the users would be the same as if a railway already existed.
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promised completion of a survey of possible northern routes from Nelson to Blenheim, and reports on other potential routes via the
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From the start the scheme inflicted significant costs on the government via the Railways Department, and later via the
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In response to the call for an alternative connection to the rest of the South Island network,
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the government paid $ 660,745 in subsidies to keep the notional railway in existence.
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announced that all work on the Nelson–Blenheim line was to stop immediately, and the
64: 63:) gauge, government-owned railway line running south from Nelson to Glenhope in the 159: 38: 131: 68: 257:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9663.1990.tb01746.x/abstract
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Rails that built a nation: an encyclopedia of New Zealand Railways
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Internal Affairs – and ultimately, by the taxpayer. In the 1972
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link-up with the rest of the network via a line to Blenheim.
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who took over administering the scheme in the early 1960s.
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The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey through History
101:So on 4 November 1957, with an eye to the imminent 242: 282: 227: 150:on a line from Nelson to Blenheim. In Nelson 8: 319:Churchman, Geoffrey B; Hurst, Tony (2001) . 146:, elected with a one-seat majority in 1957, 323:(Second ed.). Transpress New Zealand. 340:New Zealand Railways: The First 125 Years 215: 267: 383:Transport in the Marlborough District 373:Rail transport in Nelson, New Zealand 7: 184:List of railway lines in New Zealand 53:The Nelson Section was an isolated, 393:Closed railway lines in New Zealand 338:Stott, Bob; Leitch, David (1988). 14: 166:in the first session of the new 31:New Zealand Railways Department 388:Transport in the Nelson Region 304:. Grantham House New Zealand. 124:Department of Internal Affairs 1: 368:Railway lines in New Zealand 342:. Auckland: Heinemann Reed. 33:'s closure of the isolated 409: 283:Churchman & Hurst 2001 228:Churchman & Hurst 2001 109:government announced that 189:Nelson railway proposals 56:3 ft 6 in 243:Leitch & Stott 1988 300:Bromby, Robin (2003). 160:enabling legislation 142:On 1 March 1960 the 111:State Highway 6 199:Newmans Coach Lines 245:, p. 112-113. 79:Political response 311:978-1-86934-080-3 144:Labour government 400: 353: 334: 315: 286: 280: 271: 265: 259: 252: 246: 240: 231: 225: 152:reclamation work 103:general election 62: 57: 27:notional railway 408: 407: 403: 402: 401: 399: 398: 397: 358: 357: 356: 350: 337: 331: 318: 312: 299: 295: 290: 289: 281: 274: 266: 262: 253: 249: 241: 234: 226: 217: 212: 207: 180: 140: 120: 81: 65:Tasman district 60: 55: 51: 12: 11: 5: 406: 404: 396: 395: 390: 385: 380: 375: 370: 360: 359: 355: 354: 348: 335: 329: 316: 310: 296: 294: 291: 288: 287: 285:, p. 173. 272: 270:, p. 111. 260: 247: 232: 230:, p. 172. 214: 213: 211: 208: 206: 203: 202: 201: 196: 194:Nelson Section 191: 186: 179: 176: 156:Keith Holyoake 139: 136: 119: 116: 88:Sidney Holland 85:Prime Minister 80: 77: 50: 47: 35:Nelson Section 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 405: 394: 391: 389: 386: 384: 381: 379: 376: 374: 371: 369: 366: 365: 363: 351: 349:0-7900-0000-8 345: 341: 336: 332: 330:0-908876-20-3 326: 322: 317: 313: 307: 303: 298: 297: 292: 284: 279: 277: 273: 269: 264: 261: 258: 251: 248: 244: 239: 237: 233: 229: 224: 222: 220: 216: 209: 204: 200: 197: 195: 192: 190: 187: 185: 182: 181: 177: 175: 171: 169: 165: 161: 157: 153: 149: 145: 137: 135: 133: 127: 125: 117: 115: 112: 108: 104: 99: 97: 93: 89: 86: 78: 76: 72: 70: 66: 61:1,067 mm 58: 48: 46: 44: 40: 36: 32: 28: 26: 22: 16: 339: 320: 301: 293:Bibliography 263: 250: 172: 148:broke ground 141: 128: 121: 100: 82: 73: 52: 39:South Island 19: 17: 15: 268:Bromby 2003 132:fiscal year 69:New Zealand 362:Categories 205:References 168:parliament 92:West Coast 49:Background 378:Subsidies 210:Citations 162:would be 96:subsidise 178:See also 164:repealed 107:National 41:railway 25:Blenheim 43:network 346:  327:  308:  138:Demise 105:, the 21:Nelson 174:run. 118:Costs 344:ISBN 325:ISBN 306:ISBN 18:The 67:of 364:: 275:^ 235:^ 218:^ 170:. 45:. 352:. 333:. 314:. 59:( 23:–

Index

Nelson
Blenheim
New Zealand Railways Department
Nelson Section
South Island
network
3 ft 6 in
Tasman district
New Zealand
Prime Minister
Sidney Holland
West Coast
subsidise
general election
National
State Highway 6
Department of Internal Affairs
fiscal year
Labour government
broke ground
reclamation work
Keith Holyoake
enabling legislation
repealed
parliament
List of railway lines in New Zealand
Nelson railway proposals
Nelson Section
Newmans Coach Lines

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