The new passenger rail service between Waikato and Auckland will start on Tuesday April 6. Photo / File
The new passenger rail service between Waikato and Auckland will start on Tuesday April 6. Photo / File
Tuesday April 6 has been confirmed as the launch date for the new passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland.
After several delays for a variety of reasons a start date was finally announced today by Waikato Regional Council, which is leading the passenger rail project with partners KiwiRail, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Hamilton City Council, Waikato District Council, Auckland Transport and the Ministry of Transport.
The commuter train, named Te Huia after an extinct native bird, will operate two return services on weekdays to Papakura , originating in Frankton, with pick-ups at Rotokauri and Huntly stations.
The interior of one of the new carriages to be used on the Hamilton to Auckland commuter rail service. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
The journey will take about 88 minutes from Frankton to Papakura, 80 minutes from Rotokauri to Papakura, and 57 minutes from Huntly to Papakura.
For the first few months, Te Huia will operate on select Saturdays only, starting with April 17, due to limited availability of the rail track as a result of Auckland rail project and Metro maintenance work.
Te Huia will get passengers to Papakura in time for the start of the work day. At Papakura, Waikato passengers may join the AT Metro Southern Line electric rail service to travel into Auckland.
From Monday to Friday, Te Huia will depart Frankton at 5.46am and 6.28am, stopping at Rotokauri and Huntly. The return service will depart from Papakura at 4.42pm and 6.25pm. Bee Card fares are $12.20 from Hamilton and $7.80 from Huntly. Cash fares are available.
Passengers transferring to the AT Metro service will need to pay a separate fare from Papakura with an AT HOP card or buy a paper ticket for the Auckland Transport Metro network. Total travel time from Hamilton to Britomart in Auckland is expected to be 140 minutes.
One of the new 12 carriages that were refurbished at KiwiRail's Hutt Workshop for the Te Huia service. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
Waikato regional councillor Hugh Vercoe, chairman of the Regional Transport Committee and the rail governance working group, said: "We are as excited as our communities to be able to confirm a start date, giving people the certainty they need to start planning their travel from April.
"All stations are ready to go and we'll be holding public open days on 27 and 28 March, giving families the chance to walk through the carriages to check out the facilities," he said.
Each of the two trains has four carriages with free wifi, air conditioning, heating, a cafe bar and be able to carry 150 passengers. There is a toilet within each carriage and plenty of tables, power and USB points on board to allow for productive working spaces.
There is no booking system in place for general seats, although wheelchair users will need to book a seat, as there are only two available spaces on each train.
"This service will transform public transport and the way people in the Waikato travel between here and Auckland. There's real opportunity for us to expand the service into the future, opening it up to even more Waikato communities," Vercoe said.
KiwiRail Group chief executive Greg Miller thanked its three council partners for their commitment and effort in getting the service started.
"KiwiRail acknowledges the work the councils have put in, and looks forward to seeing the service running.
"Plenty of work has gone on behind the scenes by KiwiRail too, including training our new onboard crew who will be responsible for hosting passengers travelling on Te Huia. They have been preparing for this day and are raring to go.
"The start of the service will also be a proud moment for our teams at Hutt Workshop who have refurbished a total of 12 carriages from top to bottom."
Hamilton City Council's representative on the rail governance working group, Councillor Ewan Wilson, said having a high-quality rail service from Waikato to Auckland was "exciting for the city and a transformational step in future-proofing Hamilton's role in rail".
Waikato District Council's rail governance working group representative, Councillor Eugene Patterson, said: "After months of anticipation I am thrilled that we finally have a launch date.
The new passenger rail to Auckland will pick up at the new Rotokauri Transport Hub in Hamilton. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
"Te Huia will change the face of public transport in the region by better connecting Hamilton, the Waikato district and Auckland."
He said the new rail service also offers a fantastic opportunity to kickstart the revitalisation of the Huntly central business district.
"Waikato District Council is proud to have worked with all the partners concerned to make this passenger rail service a reality and we look forward to continuing this work to enhance the service in the future."
More information about the service is available at tehuiatrain.co.nz.
