first new train ready for Auckland , New zealand

plans to electrify , and also to extend service out into the provinces .
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_i ... D=10340977

It will be interesting to see if the provinical governments will contribute to these services , as it will push up house prices in these areas .

sunday trains to start in Auckland in 2 weeks . First sunday trains for 40 years .
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.c ... D=10349645

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story ... d=10350324

Mangere , NewZealand .
Drivers exiting the burger king drive thru seem to be getting abit confused .

Govt tags $450m for Auckland rail

21.12.05
By Bernard Orsman


The Government has firmed up plans to spend between $450 million and $600 million on Auckland's railway network but sees no need for electrification and a central-city tunnel in the short term.

A package to double-track the congested western railway line, reconfigure the Newmarket junction and build a new railway link to Manukau City was announced yesterday by Finance Minister Michael Cullen and Transport Minister David Parker.

This followed an announcement by former Transport Minister Pete Hodgson on the election hustings in August that the Government would build all new rail tracks and signal controls in Auckland, leaving the region to pay for trains and station upgrades.

Regional funding would come from rates and income from locally owned assets such as Ports of Auckland.

The Crown's funding package was greeted enthusiastically by Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee on the proviso that state-owned Ontrack, which owns the rail network, gets on with the job of double-tracking without delay.

There are high hopes the western line will be double-tracked from Newmarket to Swanson, about 26km, before the end of 2008 and certainly before the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

There are also high hopes the Government will sort out the clumsy manoeuvre at Newmarket that sees western trains arrive in one direction and having to back out in the opposite direction.

The Government will also build a new 2km branch railway from central Manukau to the main southern line at Wiri.

Dr Cullen and Mr Parker said the package did not cover electrification of the Auckland rail network or a 3.5km rail tunnel from Britomart under the central business district to Mt Eden.

Alan Thompson, chief executive of the ARC's transport subsidiary, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, said the region was working up a case for electrification to take to the Government in about April next year.

He said a programme of refurbishing old diesel trains would only cope with the 30 per cent annual increase in rail patronage for another year when the region would need to start buying new trains.

Green Party Auckland transport spokesman Keith Locke said electrification needed the green light urgently so the region could plan for the purchase of electric rather than diesel trains.

In order for the "below track" and "above track" division of labour to go smoothly, an Auckland passenger rail reference group has been set up to include the chairs of Ontrack and the regional transport authority.

Authority chairman Brian Roche said his organisation would continue to focus on improving passenger train services, including an expanded fleet of refurbished trains, station upgrades and passenger information.

Auckland working on rail electrification

21.12.05 1.00pm
By Bernard Orsman and NZPA


The Auckland region is working up a case for electrification of its railways to take to the Government.

Auckland Regional Council said a programme of refurbishing old diesel trains would only cope with the 30 per cent annual increase in rail patronage for another year when the region would need to start buying new trains.

The Government has firmed up plans to spend between $450 million and $600 million on Auckland's railway network but sees no need for electrification and a central city tunnel in the short term.

ARC transport authority chief executive Alan Thompson said the region was working up a case for electrification to take to the Government in about April next year.

Green Party transport spokesman Keith Locke said double-tracking the western line, new signalling and platforms including the Newmarket junction were all good news.

"But it is disappointing this money doesn't cover electrification, which is both vital for a modern public transport system and the best option for reducing carbon emissions even further," he said.

"Electrification needs a green light pretty urgently so Auckland Regional Transport Authority can plan the purchase of electric rather than diesel rolling stock."

A package to double-track the congested western railway line, reconfigure the Newmarket junction and build a new railway link to Manukau City was announced yesterday by Finance Minister Michael Cullen and Transport Minister David Parker.

This followed an announcement by former Transport Minister Pete Hodgson on the election hustings in August that the Government would build all new rail tracks and signal controls in Auckland, leaving the region to pay for trains and station upgrades.

Regional funding would come from rates and income from locally owned assets such as Ports of Auckland.

The Crown's funding package was greeted enthusiastically by Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee on the proviso that state-owned Ontrack, which owns the rail network, gets on with the job of double-tracking without delay.

There are high hopes the western line will be double-tracked from Newmarket to Swanson, about 26km, before the end of 2008 and certainly before the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

There are also high hopes the Government will sort out the clumsy manoeuvre at Newmarket that sees western trains arrive in one direction and having to back out in the opposite direction.

The Government will also build a new 2km branch railway from central Manukau to the main southern line at Wiri.

Dr Cullen and Mr Parker said the package did not cover electrification of the Auckland rail network or a 3.5km rail tunnel from Britomart under the central business district to Mt Eden.

Auckland leaders urge Government to pay for electric trains

22.03.06
By Mathew Dearnaley


Auckland political leaders have rejected a new Government funding formula for the region's rail network, and are urging ministers to cough up money for electric trains.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen and former Transport Minister David Parker virtually ruled out a $500 million rail electrification project in a letter sent last week to the Auckland Regional Council and its transport authority subsidiary.

They said that although electrification could be "revisited", there would be no Government funding in the next three years, when efforts would be concentrated on a basic upgrade such as completing track duplication on the western line.

This meant electrification would not occur for at least eight years.

Their advice has alarmed regional council chairman Mike Lee, who wrote back saying his organisation could not accept a new funding formula which it believed left Auckland significantly worse off than Wellington.

The formula would see the Government paying for all track work but the region fully funding new stations and trains.

Mr Lee said this contrasted with an effective 80 per cent Government contribution to a rail upgrade in Wellington.

He has also warned Prime Minister Helen Clark that regional rates would need to rise 17 per cent for each of the next 10 years, rather than a maximum of 5 per cent to which his council is committed, to meet a rail capital shortfall.

Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard is appealing to the Government to wait for an electrification business case to be completed, but says it should consider environmental and urban intensification issues as well as pure economic factors.

He said the region was under pressure from the Government to discourage urban sprawl, but retaining diesel trains limited development.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority had hoped to electrify the rail network by 2011 with shared funding from the regional council and the Government, and to start ordering new trains by the end of this year.

Although driven by a long-term desire to boost rail patronage to battle motorway congestion, the authority's ambitions have been spurred by the prospect of having to ferry around thousands of visitors during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Mr Lee said the Government had agreed to talks with the regional council on the funding formula, which was supposed to be in place by March 31.

But he said that unless it gave early support to electrification, an urgent need for new trains meant Aucklanders would be denied that option "in our lifetime" and be condemned to diesel units which would prove costlier and less efficient.

Hamilton-Auckland rail service proposed

23.03.06 12.00pm


A push is on to have commuter rail services established between Auckland and Hamilton.

Hamilton City Council and Environment Waikato are expected to ask the Government for funding later this year. They have agreed to spend $25,000 on a consultant's report.

The proposed new service would stop at Te Rapa, Ngaruawahia, Huntly, Te Kauwhata and Pukekohe, with potentially an express service straight through to Papakura or Britomart, the Waikato Times reported.

Timetables would connect with buses and trains at both ends to allow people to continue their journey on public transport. Park and ride facilities would also be set up so people could leave their car in Hamilton.

- NZPA

How far is Hamilton-Auckland?

138 k.m .
There is already servie to Pukekohe , which is around 86 km from Hamilton , to Auckland .
this should attract reasonable loadings , if a decent train is put on .
Travel time is not that hot , probably be just over 2 hours . While millions have been sepnt on the motorway , the double track( only long stretch in NZ ) railway has been left to deterioate .