Weekly Review No.88
This week, Police hit the tracks in a new way, Ritchies and Kinetic electrify the Shore and Environment Canterbury pitches improvements to routes 85 & 86.
Welcome to the Weekly Review. You can stay updated on Twitter/X, Bluesky or Instagram with the latest transit news as it happens, but in the meantime here is the Weekly Review.
Official information documents have been released that show the full extent of an ambitious cable car, conference centre, ski field and subdivision above Queenstown's Fernhill area.
The chief technology officer who oversaw the successful roll-out of the open-loop payment system for public transport in Auckland has been hired to assist with the troubled national ticketing system.
Rail Minister Winston Peters is confident KiwiRail can be a successful commercial business, but says it depends on everyone at the SOE, including the unions, doing their bit.
Dating back to 1979, the steel-framed car bodies of the Wellington Cable Car are showing signs of rust, and rust repairs are scheduled for one car during its annual maintenance shutdown this year.
Taranaki Regional Council is seeking proposals from experienced and capable digital vendors to design and build a new public transport website.
Much of the work around Henderson Station during the Matariki long weekend network closure has been around upgrading drainage, constructing new overhead support bases, constructing piles on the platform and preparing the trackside for the new track.
Ritchies new Wairau Valley depot is moving closer to completion with EV chargers having been installed and the new CRRC buses having been delivered to the depot. There still appears to be construction underway for the street-side power supply to be installed.
City Rail Link shared photos of the planting and seating installed around Maungawhau Station.
From 7 July 2025, bus and ferry fares will increase for Metro services across Christchurch, Selwyn, and Waimakariri.
Metrocard fares for Metro buses in Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri will be:
Standard Metrocard fare: $3.00
Child Metrocard fare (5-18-years-old): $1.50
Community Services Card Holder: $1.50
Total Mobility Card Holder: $2.00
Youth fare (19-24-years-old): $2.50
Metrocard fares for the Metro Diamond Harbour Ferry will increase to:
Standard Metrocard fare: $5.00
Child Metrocard fare (5-18-years-old): $2.50
Community Services Card Holder: $2.50
Total Mobility Card Holder: $4.00
Youth fare (19-24-years-old): $4.50
Tranzurban welcomed their repowered bus 3501 into the Auckland shore blue livery for use on the WX1 route. 3501 began life as a diesel bus and was converted to electric by Tranzurban’s workshop team.
Minister for Rail Winston Peters has called out the Treasury for being too cautious with its suggestion KiwiRail would fall short of its financial targets.
The overhead charging gantry has been fitted into place at Kinetic’s Glenfield depot. There appears to be commissioning works underway, and two new electric buses are currently parked at the depot.
A Newtown resident unknowingly ticketed five times over a three-week period for driving in a bus lane believes the Wellington City Council is using it as a revenue tool by issuing multiple fines to people who are not given a fair chance to correct their mistake.
Port Otago has said the rail pad replacement project on the Port Chalmers Container Terminal is on track for an early August completion.
Island Direct returned to service at 3.15pm on 24 June, following an extended maintenance period to undertake essential repairs. As Island Direct returns to the water, the winter timetable has come into effect.
City Rail Link shared photos from the Te Waihorotiu Station concourse and ticket hall.
From next week, prices on public transport around the country are going up - as councils try to meet a directive from the Government to pay more of the cost of delivering the services.
Ngā Mahi Rail crews recently been performed drainage improvements in the Mount Maunganui yard turnouts.
Increases in bus fares and a fleet of other public transport changes are set to be approved by the Otago Regional Council as Councillors are due to adopt the council’s regional public transport plan 2025-35.
Route 95 Waikuku and Pegasus/City and Route 97 Rangiora/Pegasus Metro Buses are now picking up and dropping off customers from the new stop on Bob Robertson Drive, outside McDonalds.
Auckland One Rail signed a long-term Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement with CAF New Zealand. CAF will have a presence at Wiri and provide AOR spare parts required to maintain the fleet when they take on the maintenance in October later this year.
Plans for a long-awaited second Wellington city centre bus route running along the waterfront quays are beginning to take shape, and the Capital’s two councils will decide in August whether to progress them.
Less than a year after Hamilton City Council spent $170 to straighten the depot’s iconic but awkward sign, the tumbled bus is doing what it does best, leaning again.
Auckland Transport was in the early stages of investigating options with the council to allow buses to travel closer to Maungawhau Station.
A KiwiRail spokesman said it was replacing a light tower in Dunedin’s shunt yard. While the tower was in good condition, it was in an unsuitable to operate container hoists over the nearby rail crossing.
Treasury advised the government not to buy rail enabled Cook Strait ferries three weeks before it announced it would.
Several high-profile rail, prison and ferry terminal projects were unsuccessful in their bids to be included on a new infrastructure priority list.
Rangitīkei District Council are installing barrier arms on the bus lane behind Te Matapihi. This is to prevent vehicles that aren't buses from using the bus lane.
KiwiRail crews have been replacing Bridge 89 on the West Coast and Bridge 189 near Koromiko. Bridge 89 is on the Midland Line and was originally built in 1913, and Bridge 189 is on the Main North Line and was originally constructed in 1895.
Christchurch’s Mass Rapid Transit project has been named on a list of nationally important infrastructure work.
The Government has instructed the Auckland Council to allow apartment buildings of at least 15 storeys near key train stations as the City Rail Link nears completion.
Children’s fares will be reintroduced and adults will pay slightly more to use the buses in Otago from September. Adult fares will rise from $2 to $2.50 (with a Bee card) and 5- to 18-year-olds will pay a $1.50 fare in both Dunedin and Queenstown.
Support is mounting for the proposed aerial cable car connecting Queenstown’s CBD and Frankton, following a recent delegation visit that gave local government and business leaders a first-hand look at some of the world’s most successful ropeway networks.
Environment Canterbury announced that the proposed Darfield to Rolleston bus trial will not proceed. Instead, enhancements will be made to Route 85 (Rolleston to City) and Route 86 (Darfield to City), subject to fleet availability.
Operator data supplied via Auckland Transport’s API has been updated to show Ritchies as the operator of runs previously listed as Pavlovich. Ritchies purchased the Pavlovich in February 2025, with works underway to fold the fleet into Ritchies systems.
Canterbury regional councillors unanimously agreed on Wednesday to investigate a new public transport model for Christchurch - possibly similar to Auckland Transport - and merge the two councils’ public transport powers.
A KiwiRail spokesperson confirmed Interislander’s Kaiārahi ferry would come out of service from Friday to prepare to leave for dry dock in Singapore on Monday. When it returned in mid-August, the Aratere would be pulled from service to make way for port redevelopment needed ahead of two new rail-enabled ferries promised in 2029.
An all-around advertising wrap to encourage new Police officers to join the force has been applied to AM714. The train joins the 5 double-decker buses currently travelling around Auckland.
Aucklanders can expect rail closures and disruptions up until Christmas, KiwiRail admits, as final preparations are made for the City Rail Link.
Ritchies CRRCs for their South Auckland contract have arrived at the Port of Auckland. These buses will be in use from late 2025 on the Airport Link and routes including 31, 313, 325 and 326.
