KiwiRail says a public meeting about the mothballing of the Napier to Gisborne railway line will not change its mind about the future viability of the operation.
Chief executive Jim Quinn spoke to about 100 people who attended the meeting at the Gisborne District Council chambers on Monday.
KiwiRail has rejected an independent report released last week which found the line is economically viable.
Mr Quinn told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programme a wider societal cost-benefit analysis might help in giving a broader perspective but will not change the commercial reality.
He says the line will be maintained so that if anything changes it can be reopened.
Gisborne district councillor Manu Caddie says most of those at the meeting expressed a lack of confidence in local MP Anne Tolley and there was a lot of disappointment in the National Party.
He says businesses are screaming out for the line to re-open, especially one forest owner who wants to move 18 million tonnes of trees in the next 10 years.
