Weekly Review No.53
This week, the Harewood Road level crossing is rebuilt, new Metlink bus driver facilities are unveiled, and the North Auckland Line reopens.
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Weekly Review! We've reached a significant milestone—over a year’s worth of Weekly Reviews, and we couldn't have done it without your support, you can read every post ever here.
To celebrate hitting 1,000 followers, we’re excited to announce the launch of our 1000-follower giveaway! We’re giving away a HOP, Snapper, Metro, Bee card or other regional card (loaded with $100 credit) for your local or preferred region. To enter, simply fill out this form, and we’ll randomly select one lucky winner by October 10!
The Bluebridge ferry Connemara needed to be towed back to Wellington on Friday after it lost power and started drifting in the Cook Strait overnight.
A rail advocacy group is holding meetings in Marlborough this weekend, over concerns the new Cook Strait ferries will not be designed to carry railway vehicles.
Thomas Nash has shared a map showing boardings at the busiest stops on Metlink’s core routes.
City Rail Link has shared a photo of the urban realm works taking place outside of Maungawhau Station.
The power loss of the Bluebridge ferry Connemara in the Cook Strait last night highlights the importance of a resilient publicly-owned interisland ferry service, says the Maritime Union of New Zealand.
More than half of promised new toilet facilities for Metlink bus drivers will be up and running by mid-October, with the rest not far from completion Metlink has announced.
KiwiRail has shared a progress update on the reconstruction of the Harewood Road level crossing in Christchurch, a 16-metre long 39-tonne prefabricated section of embedded track called an Edilon slab was installed during a 63-hour rail closure.
New documents show nearly a fifth of all of Wellington's train services were replaced by buses in the month of July.
A Bluebridge ferry losing power and drifting in the Cook Strait is just the latest in a series of disruptions, delays and issues with ferries, RNZ has put together a timeline of the breakdowns of the Cook Strait ferries.
A newly elected councillor has questioned why a controversial road closure in Mt Maunganui that has seen motorists fined $5 million continued despite huge community opposition.
An Auckland ferry company will continue negotiations with workers on Friday to avoid strike action next week.
Wellingtonian commuters, fresh from the bus crisis and "lasagne of failures", are now amid a "perfect storm" for trains, a Greater Wellington Regional councillor has warned.
There are fears lives could be lost if the government does not step in to bring the country's ailing Cook Strait ferry services up to scratch.
Auckland Transport has been rolling out te reo Māori on its public transport network for the past seven years, and now has 100 per cent of buses completed.
In this special feature from our sister publication Every Auckland Station, we're taking a short detour to explore Wellington Railway Station, the largest train station in the capital city.
An 11-hour meeting between Wellington train operator Transdev and rail workers has been a success, but capital commuters face another day of disruption.
KiwiRail is currently embarking on a programme to disconnect rail from sidings and yards throughout the country, and then sell off the land according to The Rail Advocacy Collective.
Work on KiwiRail’s Western Powerfeed near Glen Eden is progressing well with a number of transformers and electrical processing equipment installed on-site, work is underway constructing a 5th concrete base for more equipment.
New transport officers are not deployed where they need to be to prevent attacks, an Auckland bus driver says.
Frankie Hindson is on a mission to make a difference in her community, the Tai Tapu School pupil presented a speech about the lack of public transport in Selwyn to councillors and received a positive response from those listening.
Taumarunui Rail Action Centre is making progress on restoring the tracks in their yard, they’ve replaced rotten and damaged sleepers, straightened out track kinks, and, for the first time in years, a work truck has successfully used the tracks.
KiwiRail has shared before-and-after images of the Kaitaki’s transformation during its time in dry dock in Singapore, after over 50,000 hours of maintenance, the crew is now setting off on their two-week journey back home.
Glenbrook Vintage Railway has shared photos from its winter maintenance period, restoration work on DC4818 is progressing well with the hoods re-fitted and new steel added, wires and other components reconnected before being painted.
Volunteer crews took to the tracks to replace sleepers and refit screw spikes, at the Pukeoware workshop, teams also renewed the driveway, carpark and drainage which had been suffering from drainage issues.
Glenbrook Vintage Railway has also supplied the Diesel Traction Group in Waipara with a fire suppression system which GVR developed in-house, the fire suppression system has been installed on DI1102.
Six climate protesters who blocked a coal train in 2021 may face reparations of $60,000, a court has heard.
The Feilding and District Steam Rail Society are taking the new Capital Connection carriages on their first excursion, the Capital Connection carriages will be departing Palmerston North and travelling north to Taumarunui on the 23rd of November.
Marlborough businesses are warning the region and the entire South Island are starting to miss out on tourism dollars due to the unreliability of the Cook Strait ferries.
Late on Monday evening, it was announced that industrial action would cease on Wellington rail at 11:59 pm that evening, with normal service resuming for most Metlink passenger rail services on Tuesday morning.
Interislander: Winston Peters wants rail on ferries, National isn’t so sure.
The coalition government has been considering advice on replacement options for the Interislander ferries for several months and it could be the end of the year before a decision is made.
KiwiRail is running the ruler over its business, with job losses expected on the interislander ferries and the Napier rail line as the company seeks to become more efficient and competitive.
When the Kaitaki returns from dry dock in Singapore it will run up to 10% more efficiently due to mussels being removed from the hull along with around three tonnes of old paint.
Dunedin Railways is scheduling four passenger trains to Oamaru in the 2024-25 season beginning next weekend, demand for seats on next weekend’s The Victorian was high and "almost sold out".
City Rail Link has shared progress photos from inside Te Waihorotiu Station looking back over the past few years to the present day.
The Government is introducing a new aggravating factor for offences against public transport workers as part of its plan to restore law and order, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced.
Passenger numbers on the Gulf Harbour ferry picked up significantly in the days after Auckland Transport reinstated a full schedule of sailings.
KiwiRail is planning to cut all train driver roles at its Napier depot following the closure of a large forestry company, the Rail and Maritime Union says.
No discussions or proposals for replacement ferries have gone to Cabinet in the nine months since the coalition government cancelled the new fleet.
Congestion charging, a crackdown on public servants working from home, and an unreliable public transport system could create a perfect storm for Wairarapa commuters.
The union representing most KiwiRail staff is not impressed with the company's multi-year transformation plan, with the union worried about jobs and impact on KiwiRail's operations.
Environment Canterbury is taking submissions on a refreshed plan for the region’s public transport network.
KiwiRail's structures teams have been repairing the Ormondville Viaduct on the Palmerston North to Gisborne Line, over nine months teams have replaced the hardwood beams with steel truss spans and steel tower heads.
City Rail Link has shared a photo of the wayfinding signs going up inside Te Waihorotiu Station.
Great Journeys New Zealand has brought its premium dining experience to the Northern Explorer between Auckland and Wellington, local councillors, iwi, and tourism representatives were among the guests for the launch of the train’s premium food and beverage service.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has launched a new website for Bay Bus, the new website features real-time updates, interactive route maps, and an improved journey planner.
Rail advocates have launched a petition calling on the government to ensure the new Cook Strait ferries can carry trains.
The managing director of Mainfreight has warned that replacing the Interislander ferries with non-rail-enabled ships could mean longer, more expensive freight travel throughout New Zealand.
Environment Canterbury is seeking feedback on passengers being able to bring pets on public transport as part of the Regional Public Transport Plan, passengers would be able to bring one pet in an approved carrier during off-peak.
The North Auckland Line officially reopened on Wednesday following 20 months of extensive repairs due to severe weather damage from the January 2023 storms and Cyclone Gabrielle.
City Rail Link has released a series of progress photos showcasing the development of the Wellesley Street entrance to Te Waihorotiu Station, taken over the past three years.
KiwiRail has released the August/September 2024 Northland Rail Programme Newsletter.
KiwiRail crews have completed repairs to 28 bridges between Kumeu and Kauri, & KiwiRail says there is a small amount of further remediation work to do at some northern track sites, the remediation work will be done as part of track maintenance.
The hardstand surface at the Whangārei container terminal has been reconstructed along with drainage improvements and the installation of upgraded lighting is due next month.
KiwiRail is also urging people to be cautious around level crossings north of Auckland, with the rail line to Northland now reopened, a rail safety campaign is running along the length of the North Auckland Line to help keep people safe.
KiwiRail teams have installed a turnout, connecting the Mercer passing loop to a new turnout, and installed a runaway sand pit at Mainline Steam Heritage Trust's Mercer yard, A siding to their site will be installed in due course.