Weekly Review No.111
Inside this edition: New electric double-decker buses arrive for Christchurch, Weka Pass Railway upgrades Herberts Crossing and DL locomotive tests get underway for Te Huia.
Welcome to the Weekly Review. There are only 2 more editions of the Weekly Review before we go on our summer hiatus. As usual, we will be out on the rails in Auckland while the summer rail upgrades take place to see what work Auckland Transport and KiwiRail are undertaking ahead of City Rail Link’s 2026 opening. You can check out what works they completed during the 2024/25 closure in our article from last year.
We will be on hiatus between December 24 and January 19. You can stay updated on Twitter/X, Bluesky or Instagram with the latest transit news as it happens.
Benches are being stolen from bus shelters across Auckland but the city’s transport agency has yet to file an official report to police despite knowing about the issue for three weeks.
Repairs will finally begin on the Tiwald Viaduct in Canterbury next week, almost four months after it was closed due to damage. KiwiRail said contractors will begin the repairs to the damaged wooden impact beams from December 1-19.
Auckland Transport is doubling the public transport discount for tertiary students from 20 per cent to 40 per cent from 14 December 2025. This change brings AT’s tertiary discount in line with the discount offered to children aged 5-12 and secondary students.
Small pets will be allowed on public transport at off-peak times in Christchurch, Waimakariri, and Selwyn from December 1. Pets must be in a carrier that fits a lap or under the seat. Small dogs can be on a lead with a muzzle.
City Rail Link will open to passengers in the second half of 2026. Transport Minister Chris Bishop, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown & Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown confirmed the project is on track to open in 2026, but that significant important work still needs to happen to ensure a safe, reliable service at opening.
After decades of abandoned business cases and much yearning, long-distance passenger rail is returning to the South Island in January – but it comes with a hefty price tag.
ECan’s head of public transport says the organisation is likely looking for a fully electric provider when a new contract period begins in 2029.
On Saturday November 29, routes WX1, 11T/W, 18, 105, 195 and 295 began operating along Albert Street, Mayoral Drive and Vincent Street following the completion of CRL works along Albert Street.
NZ Transit Buzz is able to confirm that two electric double-decker buses in Metro Canterbury teal have arrived in Auckland for pre-service preparation works. NZTB is unable to confirm the operator who purchased the units or when they will enter service.
From Sunday 21 December, Metlink are making changes to several bus routes due to the closure of Melling Station on 24 December 2025. Bus routes 145, 149 and 951 will have diversions away from Melling Station.
The Otago Heritage Bus Society, in collaboration with Tūhura Otago Museum, is offering Christmas light tours in a range of classic vehicles.
Canterbury is the fastest-growing region in the country. If congestion carnage is to be avoided, there’s got to be an option other than cars – but what?
Hip-hop duo Church & AP have dropped a new single called WX1. The lyrics are based on the experience of riding the WX1 from Westgate to the City.
Further to the electric double-decker bus arrivals on Monday, there are several single-decker units in AT orange and green, which NZTB understands will be used for the Outer & InnerLink following the completion of further depot electrification works at Kinetic Wynyard.
The ultimate owner and operator of the new Interislander ferries due to arrive in 2029 remains undecided, Rail Minister Winston Peters has confirmed.
Two youths vandalised a bus waiting room to the extent it has now been permanently closed, leaving passengers exposed to the elements for weeks.
The Weka Pass Railway track gang has fitted the crossing boards for local farm traffic at Herberts Crossing. The boards being installed mark the completion of the track rebuild in this area.
More details about the new generation of Interislander ferries have come to light in briefings to MPs - including that the final cost is not yet known.
The ferries will be diesel-hybrids
Able to travel faster through the Marlborough Sounds
Newstalk ZB can reveal supplier Pacific Doors warned the City Rail Link delivery team, Link Alliance, of potential asbestos in small access panel areas and some fire doors in the tunnels. Testing was carried out and no asbestos traces were found.
Metro Canterbury has surpassed 60,000 contactless tag-on payments since Motu Move went live last month.
Private rail operator Traxtion will invest R3.4 billion in 46 locomotives and 920 wagons from KiwiRail in New Zealand – which operates the same Cape Gauge environment used in South Africa. Traxtion will take delivery of the first six of the 46 Wabtec locomotives in May 2026. All equipment will be fully operational by 2028.
Public transport improvements for Greater Christchurch are a step closer after being included on a list of nationally important infrastructure priorities.
A new engine has been fitted into Nelson Railway Society’s DSA by Heslops. Works still need to take place to fit the engine correctly into place.
Timing details of the Auckland 2025/26 summer rail network closure have been released.
Between December 27 and January 18, all rail lines will close.
From January 19-26, limited services return on the Southern, Eastern & Onehunga lines.
On January 27 & 28, all rail lines will close again for full network and timetable City Rail Link testing.
From January 29, all rail lines will reopen.
KiwiRail has begun undertaking testing with the ETCS-enabled DL locomotives towing the Te Huia carriages. The test runs have been conducted near Te Rapa.
The former Interislander ferry Aratere (now named Vega) has departed Wellington for the final time and begun its voyage to India to be recycled. Vega is currently at anchor outside of Nelson pending further paperwork to move the vessel offshore.
Metlink has shared an update on works at Masterton & Featherston Station waiting rooms. At Masterton, the waiting room area has been refreshed, and at Featherston, bookshelves were added to the platform & waiting room for passengers to take a book, read it, keep it, or return it.
A new bus network will begin across Napier and Hastings from 25 January 2026. Hastings will see the biggest change in public transport, with the MyWay service to end on 23 January 2026, two days ahead of the launch of Better Bus Routes.
Te Ara Hauāuru - Northwest Busway project has shared an extra angle of the proposed Harbourview Ōrangihina Park connection to Te Atatū station. The proposed new bridge across State Highway 16 from the Te Atatū station to the edge of Harbourview Ōrangihina Park will be located on the western edge of the reserve, adjacent to Te Atatū Road.
They also clarified how the Newton Connection will interact with the Waima-Haslett footbridge. The current design proposes that the future busway go over the footbridge and then underneath the Newton Road bridge, landing at Ian McKinnon Drive (road level) where buses will then move to street-running into the city centre.
Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) will offer pre-booked event shuttles to help eventgoers get to One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha. The shuttles will take eventgoers from six different pick-up areas within Christchurch to Latimer Square. Further details on the event shuttles will be announced in March 2026.
KiwiRail shared pictures from the dawn ceremony on Tuesday to bless the access road down to Ngākōroa Railway Station site. KiwiRail were joined by NZTA & Mana Whenua (who lead the blessing).
Spotted by @Zeleksaira on X/Twitter: In the main atrium of the Sylvia Park IKEA, a live bus and train departure board has been installed. The departure board shows Stop A & B at Sylvia Park, the nearby Arthur Brown Place stop and the Sylvia Park train station departures.
New fares:
MyWay adult: $3.00
MyWay child: $2.00
MyWay Community Services Card holder: $1.50
Temuka-Timaru service:
Standard: $4.50
Child: $3.00
Community Services Card holder: $2.20
Timaru school bus service:
Child: $1.50
Cash fares:
$1 above the equivalent standard and child fares for Timaru school services and the Temuka-Timaru service.
Free fares:
Children: aged 0-4 years old
SuperGold Card holders: during off-peak hours.
On Thursday afternoon, a section of Waitematā Plaza at the rear entrance to Waitematā Station was reopened to the public. Josh popped out and shared images of the plaza, which features planters, bench seating and a concrete disk in the centre.
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