Subscribe to RSSOnehunga Opening Details
An exciting PT September ahead - two big openings at Onehunga and New Lynn.
Onehunga’s grand official opening will be on Saturday September 18.
A steam train (JA1275) will leave Parnell’s Strand with the official party at 9.50am. This is the train, owned by Mainline Steam.
This steam engine will bring the official party
Attached will be probably 3 Mainline Steam cars, led by a DC locomotive (for trainspotters: probably 444).
Trains testing out the new Onehunga station
The train should reach the new Onehunga train platform at 10.30am for the official party (hopefully prime minister John Key) to bless the re-opening of the line after 38 years pat themselves on the back for doing a great job for public transport and to unveil the official station plaque.
Onehunga comes alive with trains again
There will be special activities to celebrate from the businesses on Onehunga Mall and hopefully Dress Smart.
There’s talk of an extra treat - maybe 2 free Onehunga to Penrose and return shuttles on the steam train being run for onlookers.
Penrose 3 - the Onehunga platform
The train with the official party returns to the Strand at 1.30pm.
The commuter service proper starts at 7.12am from Onehunga the next morning.
That’s the same day the New Lynn transport hub - seen here -opens for business with its big TV screen in the waiting area beaming in bus departure times.
A week or so later, on September 24, the Minister of Transport, Steven Joyce, will officially open the New Lynn hub.
New Lynn's new transport hub now only weeks away
Spring is in the air- thank goodness as I hate winter and wish I had John Key’s bank balance to hibernate to a Hawaii hideaway all winter.
But the sun is starting to shine a bit more, the days getting longer and it’s another exciting start to more great things for public transport in Auckland.
And of course new timetables start on September 19 along with Onehunga’s service and the new timetables - on the positive front- allows some longer trains on the Western Line.
7 Comments
I’m reliably informed that there will be entertained provided on the train by an Onehunga theatre group
Now that the Trains are going to arrive at Onehunga,the authorities will have to re route the buses from over the bridge…..instead of turning left at Neilson St send them up the mall then around to the bus station and the buses on the outward journey let them turn left at Princes st and right at the roundabout adjacent to the station.
WOT about it ARTC……………
@Bryan ARTA is working with the Auckland City Council and bus operators on rerouting some services via the Onehuga station so that bus stops and shelters are adjacent to the station plaza and across Onehunga Mall.
But there is a problem – the roundabout intersection at Princes/ Onehunga Mall.
Work is being done whether that can removed and levelled and how much that would cost because of the need for buses to easily turn that corner.
Regarding the six car carriages on the Western Line; what will be done concerning the Baldwin Avenue Station as it will not be extended to accommodate these longer trains for another four months (as I have heard)?
@urbanlocal There is no choice. The big trains won’t be stopping there.
Correction.
The steam locomotive will be Ja1275 from Mainline Steam’s Parnell Depot.
The carriages are being provided by the Railway Enthusiasts Society and are based on the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, this will be there first appearance on the Kiwirail network in some years.
Interesting shot of Onehunga http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?BU=http://www.akcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/heritageimages/keyword.htm&QF0=ID&QI0=4-1460&MR=1&TN=Heritage&RF=large&RL=0&NP=2&AC=QBE_QUERY