KEY POINTS:
Auckland rail passengers jammed on peak-hour services will gain some relief on Monday, when a new train is added to the region's fleet.
The Auckland Regional Transport Authority says the diesel locomotive-hauled SA train - rebuilt from old undercarriages at KiwiRail's Dunedin workshops - will provide a new week-day morning peak service from Otahuhu to Britomart along the southern line, and an extra homeward trip at night. An extra late-night service will also begin the weekend after next on the eastern line, leaving Britomart for Otahuhu at 12.08am on Sundays, via Glen Innes.
The new morning peak service from Monday is due to leave Otahuhu at 8.25am, and passengers can catch an extra train from Britomart at 7.38pm.
Transport authority customer manager Mark Lambert said the new timetable would be on top of week-day services introduced last month to the eastern line.
Extra carriages had also been added already to southern and western line services, and six more diesel trains were on order for delivery from next winter.
Auckland rail patronage grew by more than 30 per cent over the winter months, compared with a year ago, prompting a plea by the authority to passengers for patience while more trains were rushed off the Dunedin production line.
Patronage has almost trebled since 2003 to about seven million passenger trips a year.
The new addition will boost the Auckland rail fleet to 33 trains.
