Meet the All Aboard Action Alliance Members: The Future is Rail
At All Aboard, we know that transforming transport in Aotearoa takes all of us – communities, campaigners, researchers, and advocates working together. That’s why we’re proud to be joined by passionate partners like The Future Is Rail, a citizen-led campaign reimagining how rail can connect and strengthen communities across the motu.
Who is The Future Is Rail?
The Future Is Rail began as a grassroots campaign to restore long-distance passenger services like the Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific. Their early wins sparked something bigger: a nationwide movement to reconnect Aotearoa through regional rail.
Today, they’re a coordinated collective spanning local groups in Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Whanganui, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago – all working together to put rail back on the map.
Their mission is threefold:
Preserve what we have, by standing up when services are threatened
Produce insight, with in-depth research and analysis
Envision a better future, where rail is a backbone of a fair, sustainable transport network
Why Rail Matters
Rail isn’t just about tracks and timetables – it’s about access, connection, and climate action. As The Future Is Rail points out, when we invest in regional rail, we’re investing in a more equitable and sustainable future:
Where people in small towns and regional centres have real transport options
Where emissions fall, not rise, as our population grows
Where public transport links us to each other, to opportunity, and to the places we love
Rail can reduce car dependency, lower emissions, and offer a safe, resilient alternative in the face of climate disruptions – but only if we protect and invest in it now.
How New Zealand Stacks Up
The truth is, New Zealand is decades behind when it comes to rail. While countries around the world are expanding, electrifying, and improving their passenger rail networks, ours have been quietly dismantled.
In Switzerland, small towns with populations of just a few thousand are linked by fast, frequent trains.
In Japan, regional rail is a seamless part of daily life, from rural communities to megacities.
Even in Australia, long-distance trains like the XPT and The Overland continue to connect cities and regions – with ongoing public investment.
Meanwhile, in Aotearoa, many towns that once had passenger services are now completely cut off. In some regions, the only option for intercity travel is private vehicles – often unaffordable, unsafe, or unavailable to many.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We already have much of the infrastructure. What we need is the political will and public support to restore and reimagine it for the future.
Making Change Happen
From fighting to save threatened services, to imagining what a 21st-century rail network could look like, their work is deeply grounded in people and place. And it’s all done through a community-first approach – bringing together volunteers, researchers, and everyday advocates who care deeply about the future.
A Shared Vision
At All Aboard, we believe that public transport – including regional rail – is essential to a just, climate-friendly transport system. The Future Is Rail brings bold ideas, deep knowledge, and grassroots energy to this shared vision, and we’re honoured to have them as part of the All Aboard Action Alliance.
Together, we’re building a future where getting around Aotearoa is low-carbon, inclusive, and connected – from small towns to big cities, and everything in between.
You can learn more about The Future Is Ril, and how you can get involved here.
Want to Come On Board?
The All Aboard Action Alliance welcomes organisations who share our mission to decarbonise transport in Aotearoa. Together, we share knowledge, collaborate on campaigns, and advocate for safer, fairer, and climate-aligned transport solutions.
Learn more here: https://allaboard.nz/all-aboard-action-alliance
