Weekly Review No.131
Inside this edition: works bridge the gap at the Glen Innes pedestrian bridge project, new sleepers arrive for Nelson railway and upgrades coming to Christchurch’s Lincoln Road.
Kia ora and welcome to the Weekly Review. We are where you are, follow us on X, BlueSky and Instagram @NZTransitBuzz.
KiwiRail has shared photos from Karanga-a-Hape Station from the City Rail Link emergency tests. Alongside Emergency Services, Auckland Transport, City Rail Link and Auckland One Rail, KiwiRail are practising coordinated emergency responses.
Canterbury Railway Society has shared an update on the seat rebuild for Ferrymead Station. The set, which was removed from the station site last week, has been disassembled ahead of repairs and repainting by the Team.
New Zealand’s first hybrid-electric fast ferry designed by Incat Crowther, is scheduled to start work shortly on Auckland Harbour for Fullers360 after sea trials that exceeded expectations.
Rothschild & Co and Cameron Partners are revving up bidders for StraitNZ, a ferry and logistics operator that runs daily services between New Zealand’s North and South Islands, which is expected to fetch up to $1 billion for owner Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners.
Ritchies have begun driver training and route familiarisation with their drivers for the 125 Helensville to Westgate route. Drivers were using RT7264 following the route with ‘TRAINING’ signs on the Hanover. Ritchies takes over the operation of this route and others in West Auckland on 14 June.
Auckland Transport has launched the ‘Bringing you closer’ ad campaign. The campaign is about how the City Rail Link will connect with existing parts of the transport network.
Some quirky colourful bus stop murals in Wellington’s equally colourful Aro Valley are being taken down or covered up, but the move has locals upset by the move toward the drab. In a joint statement, Metlink and the Wellington City Council said the work had been done as part of the bus stop maintenance programme.
Via Greater Auckland: After a recent meeting with Auckland Transport to discuss our observations, questions and concerns about the shape of the timetable once City Rail Link opens, AT reached out with an update.
Several of Kinetic’s former AirportLink buses have been spotted parked at the Terramotive dealership. NZ Transit Buzz understands the buses have had driver protection screens installed and were returned to the depot. There is currently no information on the buses’ next in service use.
Rail Minister Winston Peters’ prized rail spur at Marsden Pt is rolling on. A KiwiRail request for proposal process closed this week for the proposed 19km rail spur between the North Auckland rail line, Northport, and the Marsden Pt industrial hub. Firms that have bid to design and build the rail spur will now be shortlisted by KiwiRail, as it looks for value-for-money proposals “to help determine funding requirements and the next stages for the project”.
The TranzAlpine tourist train and all rail services out of the West Coast are shut down until Friday, May 22. KiwiRail is undertaking a rebuild of the Mawhera Quay level crossing adjoining the Greymouth Railway Station.
Auckland Transport has shared photos of the progress of the new Glen Innes Station pedestrian bridge. During the April rail closures, crews lifted large structures into place and prepared the station for the next phase of construction.
The central lift shaft is weatherproofed, so crews can work on building the lift. The team will also lay the final asphalt surface. On the Park & Ride side, crews will continue building the new staircase and start putting in windows and the roof for the lift shaft.
At Takaanini, crews have installed the concrete panels for the platform extension and backfilled them. The central lift shaft is now weatherproof, with glass and a roof installed, so the lift team can start their work. The base for the new stairs was also cast.
Works at Te Mahia have also seen the central lift shaft weatherproofed for the lift team can start their work. Crews put in underground pipes for power and cables to enable CCTV, lighting, and other station systems.
The foundations for the first set of stairs have been installed, which will connect the platform to the new bridges. More steel columns for the stairs and bridges were lifted into place, getting the site ready for the next stage during the King’s Birthday weekend rail closure.
Pleasant Point Museum & Railway have welcomed Diesel Shunting Locomotive, Tr 880 to their railway. Tr 880 will be used to move rolling stock, assist with track maintenance, and keep the site running smoothly behind the scenes.
More than $145 million of Wellington public transport projects – including a new bus spine along the harbour quays and redevelopment of the ageing Waterloo station – have not made it into the Government’s $32.9 billion national land transport plan.
A proposal to turn part of a disused North Canterbury railway corridor into an off-road cycle trail is gaining support, although its potential cost remains unknown.
McMullen and Wing has taken delivery of Fullers360’s Ika Kakahi. Ika Kakahi will be in dry dock until mid-July, where it will return to the water with new engines installed, along with other minor refit & maintenance work.
Auckland Transport has updated plans for four new bridges to replace level crossings in Takaanini, aiming to save money and minimise construction disruption and is now seeking community feedback on the designs.
The proposals include:
New bridges built alongside Walters Rd and Taka St to minimise disruption
Additional lanes on the new Manuia Rd bridge and Great South RD to improve traffic flow
Not building a walking and cycling bridge on Spartan Rd to reduce costs.
Main construction of the new Manuia Road and Walters Road bridges will start in 2027, with further bridges built in stages to manage traffic and other construction impacts.
The Nelson Railway Society have taken delivery of several bundles of new wooden railway sleepers. The sleepers will replace existing sleepers on the site as part of standard maintenance works.
Wellington City Council and Metlink are asking the community for feedback on two key projects aimed at supporting the increasing passenger demand and improving the efficiency of Wellington’s wider transport network.
The proposal details:
A second city centre bus route along Harbour Quays
The proposed route would include new bus stops
Peak-time bus lanes operating on sections of Customhouse and Jervois Quays, and Wakefield and Cable Streets between 6.30–9.30 am and 3.30–6.30 pm, Monday to Friday
Upgrades along the Eastern Bus Corridor between Miramar and the central city
Improvements to bus stops and intersections to improve safety, accessibility, and journey reliability
Upgrades would allow more than one standard bus, or a longer bus, to safely use bus stops at the same time
Mainline Steam Heritage Trust has shared photos of the restoration of Kb968’s tender. The bunker has been coated in its final gloss black finish. Works will now move onto the tender frame, which is next in line for preparation and painting.
Emergency testing on the completed City Rail Link is set to end in the first week of June, but the long-awaited underground line won’t open until beyond July as other tests continue and a notice period to staff takes a further six to eight weeks.
Go Media has won the contract to manage advertising across Metro’s public transport network in Christchurch and Timaru. Previously, this contract was held by MediaWorks/QMS. Go Media has begun working with Environment Canterbury as part of the transition into the new agreement, which commences on June 10.
Isaac Construction has been appointed as the contractor to complete a major upgrade to Lincoln Road in Christchurch. Work will start in June on Lincoln Road between Wrights Road and Annex Road.
Work includes:
Replacing wastewater mains and property connections between Wrights Road and Curletts Road and on a section of Sylvan Street and Domain Terrace
Replacing water submains and installing water meters on Lincoln Road’s southeast side (Lyttelton Street – Hoon Hay Road) and replacing watermains at intersections with Domain Terrace and Sylvan Street
Road replacement and widening
Installing peak-hour bus lanes in both directions between Annex Road and Wrights Road
Installing bus shelters and benches in new and current locations
Installing a central median with landscaping
Restricting right turns in and out of most side roads and properties on Lincoln Road (between Annex and Wrights Road)
Upgrading street lighting
New fibre connections
Undergrounding power services – this work will be carried out by Orion to properties between Torrens Road and Annex Road
Worries of Raglan grinding to a standstill amid the World Surf League have been put to bed. The traffic management plan for the international event has been deemed a success by the Waikato District Council, especially after 5350 spectators utilised 20 continuous buses for the event’s Sunday spectacle, according to mayor Aksel Bech.
Environment Canterbury has $20 million in reserves to cushion public transport against rising fuel costs, but officials are considering reduced operating hours and other measures if the fuel situation deteriorates.
3 new murals are coming to Cross Street. These large-scale, light-based murals are by Auckland artists from different cultural backgrounds. The street’s new look is designed to bridge cultures, support the Pride community, and characteristically challenge norms. Aucklanders will be able to see Cross Street’s urban glow-up from 28 May.
Patronage on the Whanganui bus network has doubled in the month since its revamped network was launched. In the month to May 17, there were 31,411 trips recorded, up 110% from 14,944 during the same time period in 2025.
The official line is still ‘it’s opening in the second half of the year’. But those closest to the project are making increasingly hopeful noises.
Canterbury is asking the government for $5 million to improve public transport. Metro Christchurch saw a 10 percent increase in people using public transport in April, compared to the same month last year, with 120,000 more passengers.
Environment Canterbury public transport general manager Stewart Gibbon told RNZ’s Checkpoint that some people had to miss out as a result.
Vintage Views has welcomed a second ex-London Route Master bus to its fleet. Daisy will be joining their existing bus, Dorothy in the coming months. Over winter, Daisy will undergo restoration works. More recently, Daisy was owned by Hassle-free Tours in Christchurch.
A group of Queenstown business leaders are backing Whoosh, a transport company billed as an “Uber in the sky”. Representatives from NZSki, Remarkables Park, Skyline, Queenstown Airport, Technology Queenstown and Queenstown Resort College are undertaking a feasibility study and “consenting pathway” for the staged network of autonomous electric vehicles, running on cables and rails above Queenstown.
Auckland Transport is proposing changes to the angled parking spaces on Purewa Road near Meadowbank Station.
The following time restrictions are proposed on existing angled parking spaces:
Outside 3 Purewa Road - Introduce P120 (2-hour) time restrictions on 9 parking spaces, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday. This will provide short-term parking to support leisure and recreational activities in the area.
Opposite 9 Purewa Road - Introduce P240 (4-hour) time restriction on 3 parking spaces, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday. This will provide medium‑term parking to better support commuters.
Outside these hours, the spaces will be unrestricted parking.
Due to a software issue with Snapper validators, contactless payment functionality on board Wellington buses will be temporarily unavailable from Thursday afternoon. Metlink and Snapper say a software update is expected to be deployed in the next few days. Train and ferry contactless payments are unaffected.
Road users travelling through Kohukohu are being advised to allow extra travel time as seawall construction and rehabilitation works start near the Hokianga ferry terminal.
 | A guest post by
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Pity McMullen and Wing can't be commissioned to sort out proper passenger boarding for the Fullers Ferry. Fullers dismal narrow hand wrangled gangplanks are terrible for all, worse than terrible for accessible access, cycles, and parents with strollers.