Wellington rail commuters may get compensation

KiwiRail says it hasn't ruled out compensation for Wellington rail commuters after a month of train problems.

Thousands of passengers have experienced repeated disruptions to services this month, suffering delays of up to several hours and cancellations of many services.

KiwiRail's passenger general manager Ross Hayward said the company was looking at how it could recognise passengers' inconvenience.

However, it would not make a snap decision on compensation because all passengers needed to be treated equally, he told The Dominion Post.

Wellington's rail system had suffered from lack of investment, with its core rolling stock between 26 and 50 years old, Mr Hayward said.

It had bought 48 new trains, being built in South Korea, which would start coming into service next year.

Upgrades to the network were also planned.

- NZPA