Weekly Review No.27
This week Baybus OnDemand gets underway in Tauranga, KiwiRail faces a ferry big problem and Auckland Airport unveils its new transport hub.
Happy Easter, I hope everyone enjoys a well-earned break, don’t forget you can keep yourself informed by following our Twitter/X for real-time transport news updates, if you happen to miss anything from the past week, don't worry, we've got you covered – catch up with the Weekly Review below.
Via The New Zealand Herald: Construction on the Symphony Centre is expected to start early next year once the exterior of the Te Waihorotiu Station is finished, the Symphony Centre completion date is late 2027/early 2028.
Auckland Transport has transformed its Halsey Street bus stop into a ‘Mission Electric’ timeline showcasing the Mission Electric work that has taken place since 2014 and what work is planned to take place up until 2040.
Via The New Zealand Herald: While the above-ground view remains quite underwhelming — underground it's another story, the City Rail Link is almost done fitting out the new stations.
Auckland Transport made changes to Rail Bus West & South services so they will once again stop at Parnell following a route change to align with the trains, due to the change, Rail Bus stops at Grafton are being moved new stops will be marked with pink signage.
By Oliver Lewis PayWalled via BusinessDesk: KiwiRail is holding an everything-must-go-type sale for miscellaneous construction goods and materials intended for its cancelled Interislander replacement project.
Spotted by @LukeChandler on Twitter/X: At the new PAK`nSAVE in Papanui QR codes have been added near the exit which links to Metro Canterbury timetables for nearby bus stops.
Via Otago Daily Times: The seldom-used Gore Railway Shelter was treated to a near 90-year-old visitor, a 1938-built standard railcar from the Pahiatua Railcar Society in Manawatū stopped in Gore.
Via The New Zealand Herald: Even though the Auckland Light Rail project has been cancelled by the new Government, AT's Dean Kimpton still sees opportunities for surface light rail for the northwest, North Shore and even the airport.
Confusion around the future of KiwiRail’s Cook Strait ferries has left New Zealand ‘steering blind’ with its main inter-island transport link, says the Maritime Union.
Via Stuff: A Picton overbridge being built to keep traffic flowing when larger ferries brought more vehicles into town has been parked and it’s unclear if it will ever be built.
KiwiRail has shared photos of its teams' work at the Merton Rail bridge in North Otago, KiwiRail is installing new piles, and replacing sections of the bridge in the small periods when trains are not running.
PayWalled via The New Zealand Herald: Media Insider understands AT and oOh!media - which has the existing contract for bus shelters - are discussing the valuation of those assets, as they come to the end of their long-running contract.
Via The New Zealand Herald: The costs of repairing Huntly’s arson-gutted heritage railway station have surpassed $500,000 after the Waikato District Council approved extra funding due to delays in “the insurance claiming process”.
After recent comments by the Auckland Transport CEO, Surface Light Rail for Auckland is rallying Aucklanders to participate in the submission process for Auckland Council's Draft Long Term Plan.
Auckland's new Rail Operations Centre in Ellerslie began operation on Saturday, the control centre sees teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working in one space.
Via Radio New Zealand: Auckland Transport is "confident" its public transport services will get people to three big events this weekend, after P!nk fans were left stranded earlier this month.
Nelson City Council’s crews have been busy doing the final installations of bus shelters across Nelson, including these two new shelters outside Nelson Hospital, the next step is to install lights into a handful of shelters over the next few days.
Lights to be installed at:
558 Waimea Road
665 Main Road Stoke
249 Nayland Road
191 Songer Street
426 Main Road Stoke
Via Q+A: A big job lies ahead to unravel the work already done on the Government's scuttled mega-ferries project, as KiwiRail and regions look ahead to what comes next.
Via Horowhenua Chronicle: A recent Save Our Trains meeting in Levin has inspired local man John Murphy to start a Facebook group to discuss what rail travel could look like in the future.
Baybus OnDemand began service on Monday, the trial is set to run for up to 18 months operating within Tauranga South including Gate Pā, Greerton, Parkvale, Pyes Pā, Tauriko and The Lakes.
NZ Transit Buzz made a journey to Taumarunui to capture the final moments of the SA/SD carriages, In our article, we looked to the future for the remaining carriages.
Via Radio New Zealand: Auckland's public transport network has been under the pump during 'March Madness' - but trains are lagging behind, there have been more than 300,000 weekly train trips taken since mid-February.
Radio New Zealand reporter Libby Kirkby-McLeod looked into how Te Huia's subsidy compares to roads.
Te Huia works out to be about 75 cents of subsidy per passenger kilometre.
Auckland passenger trains worked out to $1 of subsidy per passenger kilometre.
The Waikato Expressway cost on average, $23.5m to build - nearly as much per kilometre as Te Huia's whole five-year operational budget.
Te Huia has seen a 64.9% increase in rides for February (in comparison to the same time in 2023), during the first 4 weeks of the new timetables in service, Te Huia saw 1,731 rides counted on the extra trips (total rides for these four weeks was 7,554).
Via Radio New Zealand: A Picton street that has been closed for eight months due to a shelved ferry project will reopen after a level crossing is reinstated later this year, the level crossing will be reinstated in two stages beginning after Easter.
The first two 22-kilovolt transformers have now been livened along with the first two low-voltage main switchboards at Te Waihorotiu Station, at Maungawhau Station the team has now switched over the first 22-kilovolt switchgear which connects to Vector’s substation.
Work to upgrade the level crossings at Tuckers Road & Sturrocks Road is underway as part of the Northern Line Cycleway in Christchurch, works include installing veloSTRAIL crossing panels, track replacement & reshaping the ballast.
Via Otago Daily Times: The upcoming partial electrification of the Frankton marina in Queenstown could open the gate for Queenstown to use e-marine as a public transport option.
Via Wellington Scoop: He’s in charge of the buses. She’s in charge of the roads. And they’ve begun negotiations to get Wellington’s buses to run faster. Can they agree?
The National Railway Museum of New Zealand (NRMNZ) received a small saddle tank locomotive, Dubs of Glasgow built no.803 & an O Wagon Hopper class, these units will eventually go on display at the NRMNZ.
Road freight peak body Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand has emphasised the benefit of a competitive and resilient Cook Strait connection to businesses and consumers in a recent meeting with the Ministry of Transport.
Via Radio New Zealand: An Interislander passenger has won compensation over a ferry breakdown last year, with the Disputes Tribunal finding the service was "not fit for purpose."
Kinetic had a shuttle bus leaving on average every minute between 11 am-2 pm and from 4.30-6.30 pm moving passengers between Lyttelton Harbor & the Christchurch City Center for the SailGP, Kinetic utilised 65 buses with 65 drivers and 20 support staff.
Via Te Waha Nui: More than 70% of Aucklanders want mass rapid transit, like metro or heavy rail, to fix the city's poor public transport system.
280 KiwiRail staff and contractors will be out on rail lines across Wellington over Easter, most of the Wellington network will be closed on Friday 29 March, reopening on Tuesday, 2 April. Trains will continue running between Porirua and Waikanae.
Work being carried out in Wellington:
Replacing a turnout near Petone
Continuing work in the Remutaka Tunnel
Continuing work on the Fitzherbert St (SH2) level crossing in Featherston
Installing cables under the Matarawa Rd and Moffats Rd level crossings around Carterton
Laying new track at Tawa
Replacing ballast around the northern end of Waikanae
Continuing work around Wellington Railway Station to improve signals and track layout
Wellington won’t be alone, Auckland will have 550 KiwiRail staff and contractors out on the rail lines over Easter with the Auckland Metro Network completely closed from Friday, 29 March, reopening on Tuesday, 2 April.
Work being carried out in Auckland:
Major track and re-railing work between Middlemore and Papatoetoe
Continuing work between Papakura – Pukekohe
Replacing an end-of-life turnout north of Penrose Station
Rail Network Rebuild works on the Western Line, between Newmarket and New Lynn
General maintenance work between Fruitvale Rd and Swanson
Re-railing work on the Eastern Line near Waitematā and track improvement work near the entrance to Port of Auckland and towards Waitematā
City Rail Link work around Maungawhau Station and Waitematā
Free travel on Auckland Transport services for 5 to 12-year-olds and half-price travel for 13 to 24-year-olds will end on 30 April 2024, in line with the government’s decision to withdraw funding for these concessions.
Via Radio New Zealand: KiwiRail has requested international risk management company Det Norske Veritas to submit a proposal to carry out further work on a life extension of the Interislander's Kaitaki, the KiwiRail Board will review this for approval.
Fare changes are coming on 1 May for Metlink passengers aged 24 and under, following the government’s decision to withdraw funding for age-based concessions.
Children aged 5 to 16, or older if still at secondary school, will pay half the adult fare
People aged 17 to 24 will return to full-price fares unless they qualify for an alternative tertiary or Community Connect concession
Under 5s will continue to travel for free on all services
Metro Canterbury says fares will mostly stay the same for Metro and MyWay customers following the government’s changes to its Community Connect concessions scheme which comes into effect from 1 May, 5-12-year-olds will need to pay $1 bus and $2 ferry concessions.
Timaru customers can expect slightly different fare changes, free fares for 5–13-year-olds on Metro School & Temuka services, and the MyWay by Metro concession for 19–24-year-olds will end on 30 April.
Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) says their flat fare trial has helped highlight how cost-effective and convenient public transport is, Public Transport General Manager Stewart Gibbon said “We are extremely pleased with our flat fare trial which has now put our patronage back above pre-COVID levels and is on-track to record a post-earthquake patronage high."
Via The New Zealand Herald: Auckland Airport’s new transport hub will begin to open next week, buses will use the drop-off and pick-up lanes in the hub, and in the long term buses will return to the area in front of the expanded terminal building following redevelopment works.
Auckland Airport also released several photos of the new transport hub as well as a render showing the new combined international and domestic terminal and a render showing the future mass transit hub.
Via NewstalkZB: In a defiant response to SeaLink’s claims of structural peril at Tryphena Wharf, Auckland Transport insists the facility remains open and safe, sparking a contentious divide over Great Barrier Island’s main port.
Taranaki's Public Transport fleet is going green with an e-bus, the bus will be used on all city-wide routes from 3 April, the e-bus is made by China Rail and has a 321kW battery, capacity for 27 seated & 27 standing passengers.
The finalists of the ‘Sustainable Transport Kirikiriroa Hamilton’ tote dag design competition have been announced by BUSIT, the designs can be voted on through Facebook and the design with the most engagement wins.
Budding artists from nearby schools have adorned the walls of the Plimmerton Station underpass with a mural dubbed 'Science in the Swamp', this new mural joins several other existing murals painted in the underpass.
CRL CEO Dr Sean Sweeney confirmed changes to the signalling system at Waitematā Station that were brought forward caused an immediate impact on the number of trains that could safely arrive and leave from the station.
Dr Sweeney said, "The work was set up for the new configuration of Waitematā as a through station which caused some teething issues with Waitematā’s current configuration as terminating or dead-end station."
Dr Sweeney also confirmed that CRL has 31 different test plans to complete successfully before CRL is safe, plans cover the signal systems, track work, overhead power lines, lighting, station lifts and escalators, fire detection and suppression systems, ventilation, security cameras, communications, and station ticket machines and gates.
KiwiRail and Auckland Transport have opened public consultation on route protection to enable the future four-tracking of the rail corridor between Papakura to Pukekohe and a walking and cycling path, consultation is open until 21 April.
Updated renders of the new stations at Drury and Paerātā have been uploaded on the Papakura to Pukekohe route protection site.
MOTAT has announced the appointment of Craig Hickman-Goodall as their new Museum Director/Chief Executive, effective 1 July, outgoing Museum Director/Chief Executive, Michael Frawley, is stepping down from the role after 11 years of leading the Museum.
A new bus shelter has been installed on Great North Road in Whanganui, the stop is part of the Waka Kotahi-funded Transport Choices programme and features engraved panels by local artist Claire Bell.
Te-Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington now has 101 electric buses on their streets up from 11 electric buses in the 2018/19 financial year
Via NewstalkZB: One of New Zealand's most famously car-reliant cities is trialling a new approach to public transport, on-demand electric buses.
By Finn Blackwell via Radio New Zealand: Auckland Council is warning that funding reductions to transport could see entire suburbs without public transport services, after approving its submission for the government's proposed transport policy.
Tinwald’s new traffic signals at the SH1/Lagmhor Road/Agnes Street intersection south of Ashburton have been switched on this week, the changes will help avoid queuing near the railway line.
Selwyn residents are being urged to make their voice heard on proposed plans for the district’s future, as the Selwyn District Council adopted it's draft Long-Term Plan for public consultation.
Via 1News: With a recent surge in people using public transport, good bus and train manners have never been more essential. Regular commuter and 1News Digital Reporter Emma Hildesley has done you a favour and drawn up some basic rules.
Tranzit Group has unveiled a sneak peek of the Waipā buses' new livery, set to adorn the upcoming fleet of electric buses scheduled to hit the roads on April 15.
At the Maungawhau construction site, crews have started disassembling the tanks and silos that once supported the operations of the Tunnel Boring Machine, crews started emptying the silos & removing them with a crane and over time the water treatment plant will follow.
Port Marlborough is working closely with KiwiRail and other project partners on the wind-down of the iReX project, the wind-down agreement has now been agreed in terms of the final works of the project being closed.
The demolition of the old ferry terminal building will now be going ahead as planned over the coming months
The temporary terminal building located on Auckland Street remains a temporary building and will remain in its current location until 2029
Teams will now work on restoring the ferry terminal car park area to ensure its suitability for short & long-term parking & buses
PM will resume responsibility for the maintenance programme for Number One Wharf ensuring to provide reliable service until 2029.
The March Karanga-a-Hape Station Newsletter was been released by City Rail Link.
The installation of the second of three escalators is underway between the street and the concourse levels at the Beresford Square entrance.
Windows are being installed at the Beresford Square entrance, they have been covered to prevent damage, the windows are for the retail outlet space in the service block to the rear of the station entrance.
At the Mercury Lane entrance to Karanga-a-Hape Station, the architectural fit-out continues.
Behind the scaffolding, crews have completed work with painted steel beams and the weatherproof sealant on the precast panels.
All 130 precast panels have now been installed.
The installation of access stairs, ladders, and ventilation shaft handrails is underway as well as epoxy floor finishes.
The first ceiling battens along the platform roof were installed in March, the battens hide the cable containment system & dampen excess noise.
Installation of the glass-reinforced concrete panels is more than 95% complete & crews have started installing the signage band panels.
The March Maungawhau Station Newsletter was also released.
Crews will undertake works during the upcoming long weekend Blocks of Line on Thursday 28 March – Tuesday 2 April and Thursday 25 April – Saturday 27 April, work will focus on adjusting the catenary overhead lines, cable pulling, and wire running on both above-ground and underground tracks, cable pulling and overhead line work will continue over nights following the Blocks of Line until June, around the station and in the tunnels.
On the Western Line platform crews have started laying coping stones along the platform edge, crews will lay 426 coping stones on the Western Line platform, before installing the tactile indicators that sit between the coping stones and the platform.
On the CRL platform, lifting machines are being used to construct the ceiling underneath the Ruru Lane bridge.