Latest news with #CityRailLink
RNZ News
6 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Rail shut down for Auckland and Wellington over long weekend
Rail services in the capital and Auckland are grinding to a halt this long weekend for maintenance, disrupting travel for tens thousand of people, including rugby fans. In Auckland services are off from today. Buses will replace trains allow for ongoing up-graded need for the City Rail Link Project's that already caused significant upheaval. In Wellington he rail shut down is from tomorrow, which could prove challenging for the tens of thousands of people trying to get to the Sky Stadium for the big game between Moana Pasifika and the Hurricanes. Kiwi Rail's chief metro and capital programme officer Dave Gorden spoke to Lisa Owen.
Scoop
7 days ago
- Scoop
Critical Step Taken Towards A Sunday Service For Te Huia
Press Release – Waikato Regional Council A critical step towards a return Sunday Te Huia service has been taken, with Waikato Regional Council today approving the reallocation of reserve funds to cover the cost. Customer satisfaction surveys since the Waikato to Auckland passenger rail service started in 2021 have consistency indicated demand for a Sunday return service. However, it had not previously been possible due to engineering works across the Auckland network and budget. While some weekend works connected with the City Rail Link project will continue into 2026, as well as scheduled track maintenance, Waikato regional councillors heard at their 29 May meeting that a Sunday service time slot had been requested. Formal approval had since been received from the Auckland Timetable Committee, which comprises representatives of Auckland One Rail, KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Waikato Regional Council. However, a decision is still to be made by KiwiRail's National Timetable Committee. Until this final tick of approval is received, a date for the start of the Sunday service cannot be set, councillors heard. However, timings have been considered if the service goes ahead, with Te Huia departing from Frankton approximately 3pm and from The Strand approximately 6pm on Sundays. 'Te Huia started as a commuter service but has evolved to enable more people to enjoy leisure and tourism activities in both Waikato and Auckland. A Sunday service would not only be a gamechanger for Te Huia, but for both regions too,' said Waikato Regional Council Chair, Pamela Storey. 'We are committed to giving this service every chance of success beyond the end of the trial, because we know there are many workers and tertiary students who have come to rely on it, as well as people visiting whānau and friends.' Councillor Angela Strange, deputy chair of the Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee, said: 'Ever since the inception of Te Huia, Sunday services are what our public and community have been calling for.' She said the subcommittee has unanimously supported Sunday services. The $456,000 service cost is expected to be offset by fare revenue of almost $100,000, with the balance of the operating costs to come from the existing Te Huia budget reserve. The reserve was accumulated due to the delayed launch of the passenger rail service and other factors, including COVID-19 lockdowns and driver shortages. In a unanimous vote, councillors approved the reallocation of reserve funds. 'Using the reserves will have no rating impact and will provide certainty for planning. The introduction of a Sunday service is also a necessary stepping stone to improved services and demonstrating the value of Te Huia to central government,' Cr Storey said. A regional council submission on the Auckland Council's annual plan for $223,000 co-funding of the service appears to have not been supported, a staff report said. 'We will continue to pursue a contribution from Auckland Council in support of the service, because there is the potential for significant economic benefits for both regions,' she said.
Scoop
7 days ago
- Scoop
Critical Step Taken Towards A Sunday Service For Te Huia
Press Release – Waikato Regional Council Te Huia started as a commuter service but has evolved to enable more people to enjoy leisure and tourism activities in both Waikato and Auckland. A critical step towards a return Sunday Te Huia service has been taken, with Waikato Regional Council today approving the reallocation of reserve funds to cover the cost. Customer satisfaction surveys since the Waikato to Auckland passenger rail service started in 2021 have consistency indicated demand for a Sunday return service. However, it had not previously been possible due to engineering works across the Auckland network and budget. While some weekend works connected with the City Rail Link project will continue into 2026, as well as scheduled track maintenance, Waikato regional councillors heard at their 29 May meeting that a Sunday service time slot had been requested. Formal approval had since been received from the Auckland Timetable Committee, which comprises representatives of Auckland One Rail, KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Waikato Regional Council. However, a decision is still to be made by KiwiRail's National Timetable Committee. Until this final tick of approval is received, a date for the start of the Sunday service cannot be set, councillors heard. However, timings have been considered if the service goes ahead, with Te Huia departing from Frankton approximately 3pm and from The Strand approximately 6pm on Sundays. 'Te Huia started as a commuter service but has evolved to enable more people to enjoy leisure and tourism activities in both Waikato and Auckland. A Sunday service would not only be a gamechanger for Te Huia, but for both regions too,' said Waikato Regional Council Chair, Pamela Storey. 'We are committed to giving this service every chance of success beyond the end of the trial, because we know there are many workers and tertiary students who have come to rely on it, as well as people visiting whānau and friends.' Councillor Angela Strange, deputy chair of the Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee, said: 'Ever since the inception of Te Huia, Sunday services are what our public and community have been calling for.' She said the subcommittee has unanimously supported Sunday services. The $456,000 service cost is expected to be offset by fare revenue of almost $100,000, with the balance of the operating costs to come from the existing Te Huia budget reserve. The reserve was accumulated due to the delayed launch of the passenger rail service and other factors, including COVID-19 lockdowns and driver shortages. In a unanimous vote, councillors approved the reallocation of reserve funds. 'Using the reserves will have no rating impact and will provide certainty for planning. The introduction of a Sunday service is also a necessary stepping stone to improved services and demonstrating the value of Te Huia to central government,' Cr Storey said. A regional council submission on the Auckland Council's annual plan for $223,000 co-funding of the service appears to have not been supported, a staff report said. 'We will continue to pursue a contribution from Auckland Council in support of the service, because there is the potential for significant economic benefits for both regions,' she said.
Scoop
7 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Critical Step Taken Towards A Sunday Service For Te Huia
A critical step towards a return Sunday Te Huia service has been taken, with Waikato Regional Council today approving the reallocation of reserve funds to cover the cost. Customer satisfaction surveys since the Waikato to Auckland passenger rail service started in 2021 have consistency indicated demand for a Sunday return service. However, it had not previously been possible due to engineering works across the Auckland network and budget. While some weekend works connected with the City Rail Link project will continue into 2026, as well as scheduled track maintenance, Waikato regional councillors heard at their 29 May meeting that a Sunday service time slot had been requested. Formal approval had since been received from the Auckland Timetable Committee, which comprises representatives of Auckland One Rail, KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Waikato Regional Council. However, a decision is still to be made by KiwiRail's National Timetable Committee. Until this final tick of approval is received, a date for the start of the Sunday service cannot be set, councillors heard. However, timings have been considered if the service goes ahead, with Te Huia departing from Frankton approximately 3pm and from The Strand approximately 6pm on Sundays. 'Te Huia started as a commuter service but has evolved to enable more people to enjoy leisure and tourism activities in both Waikato and Auckland. A Sunday service would not only be a gamechanger for Te Huia, but for both regions too,' said Waikato Regional Council Chair, Pamela Storey. 'We are committed to giving this service every chance of success beyond the end of the trial, because we know there are many workers and tertiary students who have come to rely on it, as well as people visiting whānau and friends.' Councillor Angela Strange, deputy chair of the Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee, said: 'Ever since the inception of Te Huia, Sunday services are what our public and community have been calling for.' She said the subcommittee has unanimously supported Sunday services. The $456,000 service cost is expected to be offset by fare revenue of almost $100,000, with the balance of the operating costs to come from the existing Te Huia budget reserve. The reserve was accumulated due to the delayed launch of the passenger rail service and other factors, including COVID-19 lockdowns and driver shortages. In a unanimous vote, councillors approved the reallocation of reserve funds. 'Using the reserves will have no rating impact and will provide certainty for planning. The introduction of a Sunday service is also a necessary stepping stone to improved services and demonstrating the value of Te Huia to central government,' Cr Storey said. A regional council submission on the Auckland Council's annual plan for $223,000 co-funding of the service appears to have not been supported, a staff report said. 'We will continue to pursue a contribution from Auckland Council in support of the service, because there is the potential for significant economic benefits for both regions,' she said.
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
As Cities Across The World Adopt Safer Speeds, Auckland Is Alone In Abandoning Them
An international road safety expert based in Auckland condemns the city's move to raise speed limits across over a thousand residential streets, town centres, and major public transport hubs. 'No other city in the world is ignoring the evidence and changing speed limits like this, let alone spending millions of dollars to make streets deliberately more dangerous and less efficient,' says Lennart Nout, director of Mobycon Pacific and international expert on street design. 'Auckland Transport's rush to reverse safe speeds at this scale is unprecedented in a global setting. It goes against not only many of Auckland's own plans and policies, but against international trends and the huge body of evidence confirming the benefits of reduced speed limits on residential streets.' Mr Nout joins a growing alliance of leading road safety experts and transport advocates who are calling on Auckland's Mayor to urgently intervene and halt any further speed limit reversals. This will prevent Auckland Transport wasting millions of dollars on making Auckland's streets less safe, less healthy, and less efficient. In addition over 400 people have signed an open letter to the Minister and Auckland Transport to let Aucklanders keep safe speeds. Speaking on behalf of the group, Pippa Coom, All Aboard Aotearoa adviser and former Auckland Councillor, says 'Auckland's leaders have a responsibility to urgently call a halt on the speed raises. This will allow time for a full assessment of the safety implications and impact on communities, and will give Auckland Transport the opportunity to apply the safer NZTA-approved approach used by other cities to keep their people safe.' 'For months, we have been alerting AT's Board and CEO to multiple red flags that show their approach to the Speed Rule makes no sense. With incoherent and incomprehensible signage now appearing on our streets, everyone can see an urgent halt is needed before it is too late. Only today a sign has been installed upside down amid a mix of contradictory speed limits around a school in the suburb of Pt Chevalier.' [see photos attached] 'There is no doubt that AT's actions will lead to increased road trauma, as the safer speeds currently being removed were forecast to avoid 564 Deaths and Serious Injuries (DSI) over 10 years. Other cities have found a pragmatic and sensible approach to the Speed Rule – what's Auckland Transport's excuse?' says Ms Coom. "By rushing through reversions to higher speeds in our neighbourhoods, around our schools, transport hubs and town centres, AT's leadership and their traffic engineers are directly contravening their statutory responsibilities and ethical duty to maintain a safe transport network and to reduce risks,' says Greater Auckland's Connor Sharp. 'Instead, AT is creating a Kafkaesque road safety nightmare.' 'Moreover, this is very publicly sabotaging major new investment in City Rail Link, public transport and cycling infrastructure, by raising speeds in large swathes of Meadowbank, Maungawhau, Pt Chevalier, Avondale, Homai, Te Atatū South and elsewhere [as covered in detail here by Greater Auckland]. This will produce worse urban environments with deadly consequences,' says Mr Sharp. Mr Nout notes that Auckland is completely alone in its policy of raising speed limits. 'No other city in the world is actively working on making vehicle traffic go faster, specifically targeting residential streets. Quite the opposite: cities around the world, like Paris, London and Toronto are choosing to calm traffic, not just to reduce injuries and deaths, but to create healthier, more pleasant neighbourhoods. These cities are finding that there are no downsides to reducing the speed limit. Traffic flows just as well, quality of life improves and more people choose to walk and ride. In London for example, on the streets in areas where the speed limit was reduced, the number of deaths and serious injuries dropped by a staggering 34%. That makes these measures extremely cost-effective.' "The current trajectory is not just dangerous, it's internationally embarrassing. A swift and sensible solution is needed before our city becomes a global laughing stock,' says Ms Coom. 'Those who are responsible for Auckland's roads must step away from this sorry path, which will harm people who live here and people who visit here. We call on the Mayor, AT and the Minister to take immediate restorative action to keep our streets safe and welcoming for all.'
