The purchase of the rail operations division of Toll NZ by the New Zealand Government has revived hope of the return of a commuter rail service to Christchurch, linking the city to satellite towns such as Lyttelton, Rangiora and Rolleston. While heavy rail is still considered to be the best long-term option, cost and population remain significant obstacles to the implementation of this option. Rolleston's predicted growth to 50,000 residents is expected to be a population level at which rail could be considered viable, but it has been noted that in both the Wellington and Auckland regions where commuter rail networks are in operation that these services are often not viable without a government subsidy. Upon review of the ECan commissioned report, the New Zealand Transport Agency rejected the proposal citing cost and the availability of the necessary infrastructure as major concerns.