Dean Evans: Hamilton to Auckland by Te Huia train? Why I’ll stick with my car

The Hamilton to Auckland Te Huia train was launched in April 2021. Photo / Supplied

OPINION

Hamilton to Auckland by train. I’d seen the news, heard the highs and lows about it, and had been intrigued, if not entirely overwhelmed by its appeal since launch in April 2021; and had always harboured a passive desire to try it out.

Te Huia, connecting Waikato and Auckland, sounds rather appealing and, for my 120km road trip from home in Hamilton to our NZME Auckland office not far from Sky City tower, the potential to kick-start the work day and not worry about road traffic for once does sound both calming and somewhat pleasing.

Or not.

As a devout, biased car disciple, and part-time misanthrope, I relish time in my own personal capsule, even if that time can stretch over two hours. As editor of the NZ Herald’s motoring section, DRIVEN Car Guide, I am privileged to get access to the latest cars, often a choice of three to four per week across our team. Accessing a new car that’s either fuelled or charged is nice, while modern technology helps ease the burden of gridlock traffic, such as radar cruise control or lane-keep assist, not to mention cars with Spotify, digital radio or the comfort of seat massaging, heating, cooling or any other latest automotive luxury depending which make and model we have on test that week.

But on Monday, I took up the opportunity to take the Te Huia train – seemingly translated as “treasure”, for those not au fait with te reo – though it’s officially named after the huia bird, which adorns the train’s exterior.

My alarm sounds at 5.40am, 15 minutes earlier than my car drive alarm. Then follows a nine-minute drive to the Rotokauri Transport Hub behind The Base shopping centre, the first stop after Frankton, for a 6.14am departure. The train is due to terminate at The Strand, in Auckland CBD, after 2 hours and 31 mins, at 8.45am. For comparison, by car this morning, my Waze app has predicted it’d take me two hours, thanks in part to a reported crash at Silvia Park… so just another typical day.

Parking is easy here, with 116 spots; just five were taken. As I exit and depart my car, a silver ute parks over the white line super close to my driver’s door. Typical. Though there is also a security guard with a K9 unit present, I’m hoping my car is still there undamaged upon my return, as logic suggests that anyone using this train service would be gone for around eight hours.

The temperature is 8C, so a dozen people are huddled in the modern station’s sheltered stairwell leading down to the platform, highlighting a clear lack of protection from the elements while on the station.

Seats with tables are the popular option for passengers on the Hamilton to Auckland Te Huia train. Photo / Dean Evans

Arriving on time, I look for a seat with a coveted table to kick-start my work day. And look... I walk the entire train’s length, eight carriages, and not one empty table: 90 per cent of the four-seat tables are inhabited by people either slumped back sleeping, on their phone, knitting or simply wanting the luxury of a table to lean on. I get that. But I’m trying to work, face forward, so the best I can find is either a normal seat, or a table with a pile of clothing and jacket, with someone, rear-facing, asleep under it all. He’ll be up for a small surprise when he wakes.

The train as a whole is probably less than a quarter-full, and most of the vacant seats are, well, just seats.

Free WiFi is on board, and affords 250mb for 160 minutes. It’s fine for emails and social media, but drop-outs are regular and it’s on the slow side.

North of Huntly’s first (for me) stop, we hit the top speed of 100km/h as we run alongside the new motorway section that allows 110km/h.

The train itself is clean and modern and well fitted out with armrest seats and eight tables per carriage, each with four power outlets, toilets, luggage racks, wheelchair access and bike racks, plus a cafe with toasties, coffee, snacks and even alcohol on evening services. I tried a bacon butty and a coffee; the $11.50 price and quality were both reasonable.

There’s even merchandise, like T-shirts, caps and coffee keep-cups, for those truly into the train.

A small cafe on the Hamilton to Auckland Te Huia train. Photo / Dean Evans

One-way train tickets are $18 via the Bee Card, or $30 if paying as a one-off, which I thought was on the high side, and purchased on-board from the cafe. The friendly cafe lady defended the charge, explaining it would cost me $80 in fuel plus parking to do the same trip.

At Pokeno we divert westward away from the motorway, passing through Pukekohe, though not stopping. There are no stops between Huntly and Papakura, a solid 82-minute non-stop run, though we slow to 30km/h around Pukekohe, for nearby construction workers.

There are two Te Huia services each way, per day, departing Hamilton/Frankton at 6.05am and 2.05pm, and from Auckland/The Strand at 9.35am and 5.35pm, with just the four stops in between.

It takes us about one hour and 20 minutes to reach Drury, which I would normally reach in an hour by car. But that’s where the car story hits traffic and turns into a crawl and adds another hour to Auckland city.

But then looking at our train ETA, there’s still another one hour and 10 minutes to go until we reach The Strand. Then I have another 2.2km to get to the office.

We stop at Papakura, which announces transfers to Auckland southern lines, if required. As daylight breaks, sights become familiar again, Takanini and Manukau, and back near the motorway around Ellerslie.

At Puhinui, just near Manukau, the fourth and penultimate stop, there are connections to the south, east and airport lines.

And from there it’s a slower journey but non-stop to The Strand, occasionally eyeing gridlocked traffic on SH1 while the train line winds its way through Mt Wellington and Newmarket, before shifting towards Parnell, past the Auckland Museum.

One-way train tickets are $18 via the Bee Card, or $30 if paying as a one-off. Photo / Dean Evans

Arrival time at The Strand is an actual 8.32am, impressively 13 mins ahead of schedule, for a total trip time of two hours and 18 minutes … but I also remember it’s school holidays this week, so the drive would have been a little less busy than normal, too.

With my last leg to run, someone grabs the last Lime scooter at The Strand station, so I switch to a Beam scooter from one of the two remaining: one charged and one almost flat. With some brisk morning sunshine, 18 minutes and $10.31 of e-scootering later, I arrive at work, reasonably fresh, at 8.55am, three hours since leaving home. A different adventure, absolutely, but maybe one I’d not be keen on repeating each day.

So the Te Huia train in summary: it’s slower, less convenient and more expensive than going by car, maybe. But for those for whom it works out, and for those seeking a less-stressful commute, it works rather well.

Cost-wise, realistically, fuel for a double-cab ute that uses 10l/100km would cost around $24 for diesel at Monday’s $2 per litre prices. Even $3 per litre is $36. Yes, break down registration, insurance and maintenance and the cost would rise. Parking in Auckland is the kicker, adding potentially another $20-$30+ per day.

A one-off train $30 ticket probably doesn’t make as much sense, but $18 for the Bee Card Te Huia is more appealing, given there’s likely travel costs at either end, either in money and/or time to get to and from the stations.

Box ticked, it’s good to have it as a back-up, but for this car-lover lucky enough to have both parking and the desire to go door-to-door, I’ll be taking the Te Huia train on a need-to-go basis only.

Dean Evans is the editor of DRIVEN Car Guide, part of NZME’s expert motoring team, a car enthusiast all his life, and diligently keeps left unless passing.