Subscribe to RSSHuge Rise In PT Use
There’s been another record month for use of public transport in Auckland.
To the end of June, there was a 4.3% increase in use of buses, trains and ferries compared to the previous 12 months - 2.5m trips in that year.
The month of June also saw significant increases in patronage compared to June 2009, with:
- Rail up by 708,000 boardings - an 8.8% increase
- Bus up by over 260,000 boardings - a 6.7% increase
- The Northern Express is continuing with its staggering rate of growth. Patronage is up by 22.6% for the month of June and by 19.5% on the previous year.
Rail use up nearly 9%
Rail reliability is getting much better now track improvements have been completed.
Overall, punctuality is now well on the way with 84.5% of services on time in June from 79.4% the month before. This result is the second highest in the last 12 months.
Next on stream is Onehunga’s station opening to commuters on September 20 and next year we will see the new Manukau line.
A start is being made on the station base slab at the Manukau Rail Station – which will be followed by platform construction.
Manukau's rail trench site today
Two more four car trains are now in Auckland ready for commissioning with an additional train available in September.
19 Comments
I’m not surprised with that news.
I’ve been on the trains a lot this month and it’s getting harder to get a seat.
Has anyone noticed the landscaping and beautification initiatives along the southern line?
With this increased patronage I would have thought the the last remaining stations to be upgraded that there is a stronger case for these to be done.
Good news, Unfortunately I haven’t be able to catch the train much this month which I have been pretty disapointed with. I much prefer it over driving. On the times I have caught it, the train has been pretty busy despite the bad weather.
Jon - Is the train boardings up to 708k or up by 708k, if the latter that would be a massive improvement.
onehunga’s opening should bring a big jump to rail passenger numbers.
If you listed to the official estimates for Onehunga, they are suggesting only around 160 return trips each weekday, so maybe only 7-8000 trips a month due to Onehunga.
I think they are underestimating that by a factor of three or four.
Up TO 708k, as we have not yet cracked the 1 million mark per month. I think last year it was something like 9 million / year.
@Matt L The month of June saw significant increases in patronage compared to June 2009, with bus up BY over 260,000 boardings (6.7%) and rail up by 708,000 boardings (8.8%). Cheers
Great stuff, my Dom Rd buses are getting very busy, especially during peak (turning customers away) and the service has been detoriating (just what you want for a “B-line”)… Overall let the pressure for more progress continue..!
Ah okay - 708K up - but for the WHOLE YEAR to June. Now I get it - sorry for giving incorrect opinion, but the initial statement seemed to indicate June only. With 918,000 passengers a month being the March 2010 record, a “up 708k” for a month made no sense, so I assumed that would be June”s total.
@Jeremy Harris I too have noticed a jump in the number of people using it. Also being at the city end of Dominion Road I often have full buses zoom past me
. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve had a seat this week.
It must have been up to 708,000 on the rail system. It must have been up by 260,000 bus boardings though other wise that wouldn’t make sense.
The real question: did we get to 60 million trips per year?
Today I noticed for the first time six carriages on the Western Line.
Yes it is fantstic to see the patronage rising again, i hope some time soon it will be a real struggle to get a seat on the trains and buses (well, not saying that you guys should have discomfort) and Joyce and finally realised it.
or even better he made a credit card or tiger woods scandal and is given the boot. lol.
considering the average rise (4.3%) is way less than any of the given averages for each mode (especially the Northern Express), doesn’t that mean that ferry patronage must have dropped heaps?
About time to put more buses and longer units online. And build the tunnel (properly, to allow future expansion).
I have often wondered why there arent double decker busses (ie like the UK’s First flee) on the bline. All too often you cant get a seat, or even get picked up by the 277 or 274 after Mt Eden village. I guess it would be difficult for the drivers to control whether passengers abuse their ticket fare (by not getting off say), but that wouldnt be an issue after integrated ticketing.
@Sam Ferry patronage for June is 1.6% lower than last June, but for the financial year patronage is 3.5% higher than the previous financial year
I guess we just never got into the double-decker thing here. Does the UK have a higher max height limit compared to our 4.25m?
@Karl
No, I guess its not in NZ as the demand for public transport hasn’t been there.
Maybe now’s the time to think about implementing some on the busier bus routes like Dom Road and the Northern Express.
“No, I guess its not in NZ as the demand for public transport hasn’t been there.”
Well, we had 100 million trips/year in 1950s, with a fraction of today’s population…