As a former locomotive engineer, assigned to work on the Silver Fern railcars, replaced on the Auckland – Wellington main line by a passenger train, and these railcars moved to run a Auckland – Hamilton, Tauranga and Rotorua service, I am amused by some of your readers who want a return of such a service, after many years.
These railcars are old and poorly maintained, like most of our rail network, and when it ran to Tauranga – and return, often these 99 seat railcars had only 10 to 20 passengers aboard. Few used them. Now I wonder who would use this? Remember we were told 'use it or lose it”. Few did, that's why this service was withdrawn with the loss of our six stewards, based at Mt Maunganui.
Personally I would not take the risk of travelling by train today, with the track, bridges and Kaimai tunnel in poor condition through lack of maintenance.

CL Payne, Tauranga.