Weekly Review No.137
Inside this edition: A fresh look at Wellington’s new Tūhono trains, Link Alliance hands over the City Rail Link and a new ferry operator for Western Auckland ferries.
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Residents of the Hibiscus Coast recently received a flyer in the mail alerting them to changes at the Whangaparāoa Bus Station, boasting of “space for future facilities” and “improved mobility parking” alongside “increased space for the Kiss and Ride”. It was that final promise that raised eyebrows after an image of the flyer was posted on social media, with many residents unfamiliar with the term and some taking it for a typo.
The public toilets at a Whakatāne bus station may soon be demolished and replaced as part of a funding scheme to improve working conditions for bus drivers.
Auckland Transport’s City Rail Link-themed ad campaign, ‘Bringing you closer’ has expanded further, with advertising being printed and placed onto empty store facades at a number of malls across Auckland.
Environment Canterbury has confirmed that 11,738 people and organisations have given feedback on Metro bus and ferry services across Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri during the six-week consultation.
Around three-quarters of responses came from people and organisations based in Christchurch City and the remainder were from Selwyn District (over 1,300) and Waimakariri District (over 900).
The feedback, which is likely the most Environment Canterbury has ever received for a consultation, will now be analysed. A final report on feedback is expected to be publicly available by the end of September.
Construction of a new Pier 2 berthing structure at Devonport Wharf is expected to begin late this year. Works are expected to be completed by late 2027.
Works include:
Construction of a new concrete vestibule structure to connect the ferry terminal building to a gangway. The vestibule will have a roof and be enclosed with glazing.
Installation of a new prefabricated aluminium gangway to connect the vestibule to the boarding platform.
A new hydraulic boarding platform system which incorporates automated tidal adjustment. Plant and equipment associated with this system will be on the roof of the adjacent ferry terminal building and connected to a tower platform via a walkway.
Installation of 24 new piles to support the vestibule and boarding platform, provide fendering systems, and enable mooring.
Modifications to the existing ferry terminal building, including new automatic opening doors and glazing.
Integration of lighting, CCTV, and AT Hop facilities into the new structure.
From July 4, a fleet of electric buses will hit the streets of Feilding on the Orbiter and the Connector routes. There are two bus sizes: the Orbiter will use 9-meter buses, and the Connector will use a 12.8-meter bus. The buses have USB chargers and enough battery capacity to do a full day of service before needing a charge.
Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Tom James has shared a progress update on Wellington’s new Tūhono trains. More mockup test photos have been shared, including disability access testing and updated interior renders.
The main structure of the overhead charging gantry at Kinetics Wynyard Quarter depot has been assembled. Key parts have been craned atop the structure for installation by crews. The gantry is tall enough to allow double-decker buses to pass underneath.
A mooted name change for long-delayed national ticketing system Motu Move - has been canned after Transport Minister Chris Bishop discovered it could cost $27.3 million and push the project back a further 12 months.
A KiwiRail snafu that twice brought Wellington’s trains to a standstill stemmed from the same training oversight behind the Aratere running aground and delays restarting a powerless ferry drifting toward rocks with 864 people aboard.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says the $1.36 billion National Ticketing Solution is a “shocker” and promises a comprehensive review of the project to ensure “debacles like this never happen again”.
Dunedin City Council contractors working on replacing water pipes in Mornington’s Elgin Rd last week found some pieces of cable and the metal slot through which it was gripped by the cable car.
Dunedin City Council is proposing to make changes to Princes Street near The Oval in 2027, which will include bus stop improvements.
PROPOSED CHANGES:
Stops will be double-length
New crossing points
In-lane bus stops
3 Bus stops removed and some relocated
Shelters and seats at Princes Street stops
City Rail Link has shared photos of the completed Maungawhau Station. The photos showcase the main ticket hall, feature wall and stairs to the platform.
Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Tom James has also shared stills of the updated renderings of the Tūhono train on Facebook.
A $5.4 million proposal to make a Lower Hutt railway bridge safe for walkers has ballooned into a standalone bridge costing between $12 million and $21m to build, which it’s claimed could be made redundant in a decade.
The existing stop on Sel Peacock Drive in Henderson and the new stop being constructed opposite are getting upgrades to add a concrete pad for bus shelters. The new stop is currently missing its bus stop markings following road resurfacing.
Boosting bus numbers and investing in infrastructure is more important than capping fares, Canterbury’s regional council chair says.
Four Dunedin families are going be adding an extra 70km per week to their school run after their bus route was axed. Friday is the last day the Henley to Outram school bus route will run, leaving seven pupils and their families to drive to Momona to catch the bus.
The lights on the Henderson Station platform extension have been turned on. This comes as crews have added new signage to the shelters and installed a new wayfinding beacon on the platform. The extension is still blocked off from the active platform.
A fast-track application for the $4.9 billion Northwest Busway project has been halted by the transport agency as it clashes with the Auckland Council over consenting issues.
The people have spoken in narrow support for a Wellington harbour quays bus lane, but strongly for tinkering out east. Wellington’s city and regional councillors got a briefing on Tuesday morning about public submissions on two planned bus changes in the capital – a second bus route down the harbour quays through the city and the central city to Miramar route.
Nelson eBus has shared that there will be extra services for The Bayleys Te Ramaroa Festival starting Friday. The route is a hybrid of R1 & R2, to access as much of Nelson, Tahunanui, Stoke & Richmond as possible. Buses will depart Bus Hub at 8 PM, 8:30, 9 PM & 9:30. The eBus website also advises that during the festival, there will be a detour for Route 1 Buses which would normally travel along Selwyn Place.
Auckland Transport will be trialling smart signs showing live travel times by mode in five locations (Constellation Drive, Te Atatu Road, Pakuranga Road, Ti Rakau Drive and Apirana Avenue).
Before the end of the year, new rules will come into place where drivers will have to give way to buses leaving bus stops in areas where speed limits are 60km/h or less. These are part of wider ‘common-sense’ transport rule changes.
On July 12, the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway will be holding a Matariki Shunter Running Day to unveil its newly acquired TR 880 diesel shunting locomotive.
Kelsian have been awarded the Western Package Ferry Contracts by Auckland Transport following a joint bid with Belaire Ferries. Kelsian/Belaire will commence the contract on July 1 2027, for an initial term of 7 years. The deal also saw Kelsian take over Belaire.
The 4 existing Belaire ferries will be joined by 2 South-East Queensland ferries from Kelsian’s existing operations. Eventually, 5 new ferries will enter service, with the first expected in mid-2028 and the others between 2029 and 2032.
Busit Waikato have announced that the Free Family Adventure Pass is back for the July School Holidays. The pass is available from Saturday 4th until Sunday 19th July with up to 2 adults and 4 kids travelling FREE on the Blue Regional buses. To use the pass, download or screenshot the pass and show it to the driver when you hop on. Services on July 10 will be operating to a Public Holiday Timetable due to Matariki.
A new bus shelter has been fitted on King Street in Hikurangi. The shelter will see service from the Tuesday and Thursday Hikurangi Link.
The Tuatapere Railway Station building has reopened as a visitor and information hub and home to The Station café and Slinky’s Sourdough bakery following a refurbishment.
Auckland City Centre Residents Group have shared that artworks will be projected onto a blank wall outside of Te Waihorotiu Station. The activation will run from July 4 until September 25, and the projection will be on from 30 mins before sunset until midnight.
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