Weekly Review No.130
Inside this edition: AT prioritising electric bus fleet over diesel as fuel prices rise, BusLink to offer free travel to mark Youth Week and CRL undertakes large-scale emergency simulations.
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Cook Strait ferry company Bluebridge has followed a similar course to Interislander, significantly upping its fuel fees as the Iran War continues.
Smoke machines and volunteers acting as injured passengers will help to simulate fires and other emergencies as part of large-scale safety testing to ready City Rail Link for opening.
The tests simulate a range of emergency and real-life scenarios such as fires, incidents onboard trains, unruly passengers, or tunnel evacuations. Most testing will be focused around Te Waihorotiu, Karanga‑a‑Hape and Maungawhau, with some activity around Waitematā Station.
The Portage Road level crossing in New Lynn has been given a safety upgrade ahead of City Rail Link services starting. The traffic island will prevent most cars from driving around the barrier arms. The island has only been installed on the Olympic Park side of the crossing.
A man has suffered multiple broken bones and permanent injury after a hit-and-run by a bus – an ordeal made more “hurtful” by Auckland Transport’s “insulting” $20 Hop card compensation.
The state-owned company delivering the new Cook Strait ferry fleet has spent more than $14.4 million on external contractors and consultants in its first 13 months of operation.
Metro is urging concertgoers to plan ahead for their journey home from the Once in a Lifetime concert, headlined by Six60 + SYNTHONY, at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha on Saturday, 16 May 2026.
Metro’s regular bus routes are very limited at 11 pm, when the concert is set to finish, meaning concertgoers shouldn’t rely on these for their travel home. Metro’s Event Direct pre-booked shuttle service still has availability.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission has outlined six major system failures in a report on the loss of power aboard the Interislander ferry Kaitaki in 2023.
Hastings District Council has said KiwiRail’s safety improvements are on track to wrap up by the end of May, with the full project expected to be finished by the end of June.
Following works and assistance from Electra, the Wellington Tramway Museum is now able to run trams to the beach terminus again.
Work on Mosgiel’s park and ride will begin in the coming weeks despite initial expectations the project would be complete this month. Construction was expected to begin within the month, and project completion was planned for June next year.
The new facility, planned for an unused yard at Mosgiel railway station, will have space for 186 cars, and is intended to alleviate congestion and parking pressure in Dunedin’s CBD.
Auckland Transport has shared a video of the live emergency exercises underway in the City Rail Link stations and tunnels. Volunteer passengers from within CRL organisations are helping to test real-world scenarios, including fires and onboard incidents.
The Children’s Commissioner says it is unacceptable a young student was denied boarding buses to school after she mistakenly left her wallet at home.
To mark Youth Week 2026, BusLink will extend its usual free travel offer, with free bus services available to all young people aged 5-24 across the entire BusLink network for the week from 18 May to 23 May.
Free tickets will be available as digital downloads or paper tickets. One ticket is valid for the entire week and must be shown to the driver, either on a mobile phone or in paper form.
Tickets can be obtained from week beginning 11 May:
at Northland Regional Council offices
at the Rose Street bus terminus
from local BusLink operator offices
at participating schools in Whangārei
by scanning the QR code on posters
via the BusLink website at buslink.co.nz
Approximately 20 jobs may be lost at Auckland Transport and Auckland Council in a proposed restructure as the organisations merge part of their organisations.
An Auckland mother says changes to ministry-funded school transport for disabled students are putting vulnerable children at risk.
The Ministry of Education is overhauling the Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) scheme. For Auckland’s North Shore, specialist transport provider R&R Total Mobility has been replaced by Ritchies Transport.
Contractors will install bus lane cameras, signage and lane markings, along with safety improvements at the Cranford Street / Westminster Street intersection and the English Park signalised crossing. Works are expected to take approximately six weeks and will be completed by the end of June.
The peak-hour lane will operate on the southbound side during the morning peak (7am to 9am) and on the northbound side in the evening peak (4pm to 6pm), on weekdays.
KiwiRail is amalgamating KiwiRail Holdings Limited with its subsidiary company KiwiRail Limited, with KiwiRail Limited ceasing to exist as a separate entity. The move has no practical effect on the daily operations of KiwiRail or on its employees, but the simplification will improve governance and remove administrative burden and the complexity of having two separate companies.
Auckland Transport have confirmed that 2545 different pieces of technology involved with the City Rail Link project have been installed and tested. Gear included ticketing gates, hearing loops, lighting, CCTV, station clocks, train tracking, escalators, lifts, fire alarms, air conditioning and heating.
KiwiRail have shared a video to YouTube showcasing the recently opened hub in Waltham, Christchurch. The Maintenance Hub was built and opened as a part of wider South Island Investments.
Works are underway at Kinetic’s Wynyard Quarter depot to install overhead gantry chargers to support more electric buses operating out of this depot. Shortly, the OuterLink will be electrified with some new EV buses recently being transferred from the Swanson workshop.
From June to September 2026, Interislander will be operating a temporary one-ship timetable while Kaiārahi undergoes wet dock maintenance (22 June – 13 July), followed by Kaitaki entering dry dock (18 July – 26 September).
The number and frequency of buses on the roads of Canterbury could change should fuel costs remain high. Environment Canterbury is set to discuss the impact of diesel and petrol at a council meeting on May 13.
Geeves Scaffolding Auckland have moved into the former Kinetic Swanson Depot alongside NZS Group, FormShore NZ and Temporary Works Consulting. Geeves has taken over the site office and much of the old depot yard.
Kinetic has an ongoing lease for the workshop space, NZ Transit Buzz understands this is set to end shortly.
Ritchies Transport have, in the last few months, increased the refurbishing of diesel buses across its 8 diesel depots. RT4012 was one of the recent refurbishments and features new seats, lighting, flooring and bell locations.
Metlink public transport fares will increase by 3.1 percent on Friday 15 May, and the off‑peak Snapper fare discount will reduce from 30 to 20 percent.
The cost of a three‑zone trip will increase by 14 cents, bringing the peak adult Snapper fare to $4.67 for those travelling to the CBD from Miramar or Karori. For Wairarapa passengers travelling by train from Masterton to Wellington, the adult Snapper fare will rise by 56 cents to $18.50 at peak times.
Auckland Transport has relaunched the ‘Kids Go Free on weekends’ campaign with new adverts on buses, one seen on RT705. Children aged 5 to 15 are eligible for a child concession and get free travel on weekends and public holidays.
Free bike bookings are now required on sailings between 9 am 3.30 pm on weekdays, and all day on weekends
There will be priority boarding for those with bookings and extra bikes may still travel if space allows
If bookings are full, passengers can join the waitlist, and EBWF will notify you if a spot opens up
Canterbury Regional Council is inviting residents to give feedback on the Metro bus and ferry services across Christchurch & parts of Waimakariri and Selwyn. The review does not include trains, light rail, fares, or requests for service outside the current area.
Feedback will help shape the future of public transport, address gaps in the current network, and inform improvements over the next decade (2027-37).
Part of this review will also examine a proposal to improve Route 44 Shirley/Westmorland and to remove Route 135 New Brighton/The Palms.
The Auckland City Rail Link (CRL) is undertaking large-scale safety testing ahead of its opening later this year. Volunteers have been taking part in a range of real-life simulations to test evacuation procedures.
KiwiRail has shared photos of a newly painted mural near Mount Wellington.The murals were painted by Jasmine Kroeze, who spent a week in Auckland working on the murals.
These two murals celebrate Aotearoa’s flora and fauna, they feature references to pīwakawaka and tūī, as well as tawa, peretao, and huruhuru whenua ferns, and kōwhai flowers and leaves.
NZTA has shared a progress update on the SH22, Ngākōroa Station and Jesmond Road intersection upgrades. Crews have asphalted the new station access road as well as completed the new kerbing.
NZ Transit Buzz can confirm the new Henderson Station platform numbering will see the Swanson-bound platform be numbered Platform 3.
Upcoming new numbering:
P1 - City Bound
P2 - Onehunga-West (3-Car Bay Platform)
P3 - Swanson
There has been an increased security presence at a West Auckland train station, after anti-social behaviour involving teenagers at the Sturges Road train station car park on Tuesday afternoon.
A photographic exhibition showing travel-related moments from New Zealand history has opened at Te Puna, the National Library in Wellington. The exhibition features a curated selection of photographs from the Alexander Turnbull Library collections, with the signature image by Steffano Webb of Christchurch Railway Station in about 1906.
Broken River Train / Dreams of Travel is open at the library until 15 August, with free entry.
The costs of the Interislander replacement project are growing more quickly than initially anticipated, as Ferry Holdings becomes more involved in portside infrastructure now underway.
Bus services at the Main Street bus terminal will return to their normal platform locations from Friday, 15 May, following major wastewater and road rehabilitation work on Main Street.
Southern Steam have taken ownership of ballast wagon Yb239 and the Middlemarch Heritage Railway Trust is the new owner of ballast wagon Yb196. The wagons were donated by Alliance’s Lorneville plant and moved by Freight Haulage.
Due to the World Surf League in Raglan, the 23 Raglan service will run a modified service:
Before & After the Event will operate as normal
During the Event (14–25 May), all services will terminate at 72 Wainui Rd.
Heading to the event? Hop off at 5 Wallis St and walk over the Raglan Walk Bridge to connect with the Event Park & Ride shuttles at the Raglan Airfield.
Leaving the event? Hop on 23 Raglan service from 7 Bow Street (outside the library) to return to Hamilton.
Auckland Transport has announced they are making ‘behind-the-scenes operational adjustments’ to use fuel wisely while keeping public transport services running as normal.
Changes include:
Electric buses being used ahead of diesel buses
Working with bus operators to reduce non-essential bus movements
Services may operate with different vehicles
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