Weekly Review No.86
This week, AT unveils its first electric ferry, more bus bike racks come online, and bus fares to increase in Northland.
Welcome to the Weekly Review, a quick apology from us due to a work trip, our coverage has been a little slower than usual, but we have still compiled news from the week that was.
The Government considered contracting with private Cook Strait ferry company Bluebridge in its search for new ferries to replace the current Interislander fleet, which are proposed to be rolled out in February and October 2029.
The new pedestrian overbridge at Drury Station is now visible after the three beams that form the bridge were installed over King’s Birthday Weekend. The 20-metre beams weigh 27 tonnes each, and it took 3 hours to manoeuvre all 3 into position.
Prices will increase across Northland’s public transport network from August 1st with authorities saying they have been left with little choice in the matter.
A petition has been launched in the South Island calling for the restoration of The Southerner regular passenger train, running from Christchurch to Invercargill, via Dunedin.
A decommissioned railway tunnel, likened as a gateway to ‘Narnia’, has been given the green light as a future cycle route. Work on the 462m-long Chain Hills Tunnel, which opened 150 years ago, and the surrounding area is set to be completed in October by contractor Fulton Hogan.
KiwiRail have confirmed line closures will affect rail freight services between Hamilton and Auckland during the Matariki weekend period commencing 20th June 2025 07:00 am to 23rd June 2025 4:00 pm.
Mayor Wayne Brown is calling for urgent changes to be made to Maungawhau Station ahead of its opening, Brown is concerned about lack of bus stops, pick-up/drop-off areas at Maungawhau Station.
Migrant bus drivers say they are “fearful” they could lose their working visas for defending themselves against assaults and are scared to report violence from passengers.
A sum of $250,000 will be allocated from the Otago Regional Council’s general rates to fund a business plan for Wānaka public transport at the end of the year.
Via Greater Auckland: Over the last three years the Mayor has come up with a few transport ideas that might sound good at first but just don’t make practical sense, he’s just added another to his list, diverting buses to Maungawhau station.
Change is coming to some Queenstown bus routes and timetables from Monday, 30 June. The changes will see services expanded, some frequencies increased and some better connections.
The Pupurangi (Kauri Snail) shell sculpture is being installed in the Mercury Lane entrance foyer to Karanga-a-Hape Station.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop has urged officials to get "back on track" as fresh delays hit the roll-out of NZTA's new national public transport ticketing system.
Changes in Dunedin will provide better connections for passengers from southeastern areas of the city into South Dunedin, together with timetable changes to other routes to improve reliability.
Music could be used to soothe savage behaviour at Dunedin’s city centre bus hub, a regional councillor has suggested.
Ritchies is opening another North Shore depot in Auckland which will be located on Hillside Road in Glenfield. The depot will be fully electric and will initially run a fleet of 23 zero-emission buses.
For years, a train manager has been brightening the lives of Auckland’s commuters with his intercom melodies. Hayden Donnell honours Neil, patron saint of the Western Line.
By Darren Davis via Adventures in Transitland: Like the Otago Gold Rush of the 19th Century, its 21st Century counterpart, the gondola rush, has come to town in Queenstown. What is it and will it work?
The floor of the platform level at Karanga-a-Hape Station has been cleared ahead of Terrazzo pavers being installed. Other work on site includes the construction of an emergency egress path to the north of the building and hearing loops on the platform level.
Hornby councillor Mark Peters says the Government urgently needed to invest in public transport projects if it was so set on seeing Christchurch grow.
Clifford Bay has been looked at as the South Island port for Cook Strait ferries several times since the early 20th century. Now, a pair of brothers and their wealthy business partner are revisiting the idea.
Wellingtonians appear to be taking to buses like ducks to water ‒ but it’s a whole different story when it comes to train travel with the transport minister concerned about plummeting passenger numbers.
A newly installed traffic island at a busy New Plymouth intersection has been removed after it proved too tight for buses.
Bike racks on buses are progressively returning to service this week in Taranaki starting on the Waitara and Bell Block services with the remainder of the fleet and services to be ready by the end of June.
Auckland Transport’s new EVM200 electric ferry has taken to the water on Wednesday morning. There is still testing and crew training to be completed before it enters service, operating between Half Moon Bay and Downtown.
More than five years after it was decided to install traffic lights at a dangerous intersection, the work has not been done, and now KiwiRail says it has no funding for necessary upgrades.
A short-term solution has been floated to make bus replacement rides free for Wairarapa train passengers in an effort to alleviate ongoing frustrations.
The official route of State Highway 1 through Picton could change to match the route cars now take to enter and exit Cook Strait ferries.
The head of Greater Wellington Regional Council is describing disruption on the Wairarapa train line as a "continual pain day in and day out".
KiwiRail and contractor Gailbraith have installed two new culverts under the Palmerston North to Gisborne Line.
From 16 June bus bike racks will be back in service on CityLink Whangārei buses.
