Weekly Review No.121
Inside this edition: Kinetic wins new contract, Metro launches Event Direct shuttles and departure time changes for Hawke’s Bay bus routes.
Kia ora and welcome to the Weekly Review. We will be here for all the transport news, big or small, in 2026 and beyond, so stay tuned and give us a follow wherever you are online.
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Auckland Councillor Richard Hills has shared that AT have added an additional 933 and 94 service on weekday mornings. AT also swapped to a double-decker on the 97R instead of a single and AT have slightly changed the timing of the 014 following capacity complaints.
Ferry Holdings tracked above its annual budget by $1.9 million in its first six months, though the Crown company says this is because project issues have been resolved earlier than anticipated.
KiwiRail Director Scott O’Donnell has decided to depart the KiwiRail Board as a new venture will require him to spend more time in Australia, Chair Suzanne Tindal announced on Friday.
The Otago Regional Council has confirmed that it will not lead the development of an electric bus charging depot in Queenstown. This follows a review of the indicative business case work completed to date, which highlighted there are significant complexity, cost and commercial risks associated with the delivery of infrastructure.
As a result, Council has decided to step back from progressing a Council-led depot and will instead leave the provision of charging and depot facilities to the market. Council will continue to provide strong oversight through its public transport planning and procurement processes, ensuring that private sector delivery of depot infrastructure supports the transition to a low emission bus fleet and delivers good outcomes for the Queenstown community.
Josh shared an image of a recently installed Driver Safety Screen onboard Kinetic’s Auckland batch of NB5800 CRRC eT12 MAXs. This is a part of a wider regional rollout of driver safety screens to keep Auckland bus drivers safer while working.
Josh also shared progress images of the Wellesley Street Bus Improvements project. Recent works include: the installation of glass panes, Passenger Information Displays and artworks on the main structure.
Auckland Transport have confirmed there will be some cancellations on Routes 32, 36, 38, 309 and 311 due to bus compliance issues. NZ Transit Buzz understands the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team have targeted multiple operators, ordering unsafe buses off the road.
Auckland Transport has announced the awarding of a $755 million bus services contract to Kinetic. The contract will see Kinetic introducing a fully-electric fleet in mid-2027 to serve 23 different bus routes across the Auckland Isthmus, including the 24B/24R, 25B/25L, 65, 66, 67A/67B and 68. Services that will connect Auckland’s Eastern suburbs with the Eastern Busway and serve suburbs like Flatbush and East Tāmaki are also included in the contract announced.
Kinetic will begin operating the first of these units (covering East Auckland connector bus services and frequent route 35) on 6 December 2026. The services will be initially operated by diesel buses with a pathway towards electrification over the 8.6 year contract.
The three contract units covering the Auckland Isthmus commence on 11 July 2027, with a fully-electric fleet to be used from day one. These three units have a contract length of 11 years. The new double-decker buses, which will be used on some routes, will be built using aerospace-grade aluminium technology developed in partnership between Kinetic and manufacturer Geely specifically for New Zealand’s road network requirements.
Palmerston North’s fully electric bus network continues to show signs of success, with patronage growing 69.4% since it was launched. The first year of the new network saw patronage grow 41.3% annually with 1 million passenger trips, while the second year has seen 18.3% annual growth to 1.19 million trips.
NZ Transit Buzz has spotted several diesel Kinetic and Ritchies buses with Auckland Transport’s ‘Let the bus go first’ stickers applied to the back of the bus. It is not yet clear if these will be issued to all operators for all types of buses. NZTA is also currently consulting on making drivers give way to buses exiting bus stops.
Via Greater Auckland: Auckland Transport tested their planned City Rail Link timetable in January, and it wasn’t a success. We know they plan to make some changes before their next test run in April.
Auckland Transport has shared a timelapse video showing the post-CRL East-West line in operation between Manukau and Swanson during a recent test run.
Metro is gearing up to launch its Event Direct shuttle bus service. Event Direct is a pre-booked shuttle bus to help people travel to and from major events at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha from 11 different locations around Christchurch.
The booking system is expected to go live in early April, with details on pickup hubs, departure times, and the booking process to be published shortly. Fares will be Early bird $4.80pp and Standard $6.00pp per trip.
KiwiRail shared an update on three new train stations being built between Drury and Paerata. Test trains stopped at each platform for the first time to check the clearances between the trains and the new infrastructure.
By Darren Davis via Adventures in Transitland: Te Huia, the regional train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been given a one-year life extension. But it needs more bums on seats to ensure it becomes permanent.
Pete Moth, Head of Public Transport Services at AT, has shared that for the week ending 20 February 2026, Route 12 saw its highest patronised week with more than 20,000 boardings. AT hopes to see this figure surpass 25,000 heading into the busy March period.
GoBay Hawke’s Bay are adjusting departure times for two routes from March 16.
1A will now depart Dalton St at 7.30 am (previously 7.45 am) and arrive at all stops 15 mins earlier.
11 will now depart Dalton St at 7:35 am (previously 7.40 am) and arrive at all stops 5 mins earlier.
There are no changes to afternoon services at this time.
The trial reopening of the Hairini Street slip lane onto Turret Road to general traffic has been extended until construction of the Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay upgrade gets underway, which is currently scheduled for mid-2027.
The trial was initially proposed from 20 October 2025 to 20 January 2026 and was later extended to March 2026 to await further decision-making. The only exception to the slip lane opening time is 6.30 am-9.30 am, Monday to Friday when it is open to buses only for safety reasons. A $150 fine may be issued if the slip lane is used during this time.
Moddex was engaged KiwiRail to deliver a service pit safety upgrade at the Westfield Locomotive Depot. The scope involved the design and installation of access and fall protection systems along the full length of the service pits without restricting servicing activities. Moddex delivered two continuous 45m raised service platforms and multiple stairs.
Jack Pringle, City Rail Link’s Testing, Commissioning and Systems Integration Supervisor, has shared a video showcasing the nearly completed Maungawhau station light up at dusk as seen from the station’s ventilation shaft.
Supply chain disruptions are expected after a mechanical fault reduced KiwiRail’s Interislander fleet to a single ferry during its peak season.
The Chinese shipyard that won the contract to build two new Interislander ferries made a “comprehensive, competitive and compelling commercial offer”, new documents show.
Auckland Transport is proposing changes to Wellesley Street between Albert Street, Victoria Park, and Beaumont Street to improve bus connections, journey times and safety.
Proposed changes:
Introduce a bus lane in each direction along Wellesley Street between Albert Street and Victoria Park
Consolidate bus stops and install new bus shelters along Wellesley Street
Change the road layout at the bottom of Wellesley Street
Extend the bus layover on Beaumont Street and install a signalised pedestrian crossing to get to and from Victoria Park.
City Rail Link has shared images of the nearly completed Maungawhau Station. Access to the station will be from Ruru Street, with walking and cycling links from Mount Eden Road.
Auckland Transport has confirmed that all of the rail operator Auckland One Rail’s 283 drivers have been trained for City Rail Link operations.
 | A guest post by
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The announcement from ECAN for the event bus indicated the prices were for one-way, not return!