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Commuter trains are set to be trialled from Helensville to Auckland from next year, 28 years after they were last run.
Auckland Regional Council chairman Michael Lee said it had approved capital funding to upgrade the station at Helensville, 50km northwest of Auckland near the Kaipara Harbour.
Temporary stations would also be developed at Waimauku, 18km southeast of Helensville, and Huapai, about 5km further southeast.
The western line railway service in Auckland currently goes as far as Waitakere, about 10km south of Huapai.
Mr Lee said talks were underway with Ontrack to improve the rail lines before trial commuter services can be run next year.
"There have been requests for this service for a number of years now, and we feel it is time we delivered. The aim is to get more people onto trains and off congested highways."
The trial will see one train run in each direction, morning and night, from Monday to Friday for a year.
The initiative is the second announced this year aimed at re-using old tracks. In March the council said that commuter train services from Onehunga, on the northern side of Manukau Harbour, would resume in 2009.
Mr Lee said rail patronage in May was 576,000, a new record.
He said the process of double-tracking the western line and refurbishing stations continues, with a further 7.5km of track commissioned at Queen's Birthday weekend.
The western line will carry four trains an hour at peak times from next week.
- NZPA
