Subscribe to RSSBig Rail Sunday
What a start to the week!
We’ve come a long way since even last year when there were endless breakdowns on old draughty platforms.
This Sunday sees:
- Commuter services start on the re-established Onehunga line
- A new stop at Te Papapa
- Bus stops shifted to Onehunga mall opposite the station
- New timetables - they’re here
- 400 more train trips a week
- Longer trains on the Western Line
- New Lynn transport hub opens its doors before its official opening next Friday
- New bus stops in New Lynn and revamped bus services to tie in with the train timetables there -map of new transport hub here
It’s incredible to think how far we have come in two years.
Remember when this was common?
So let’s celebrate and just for one weekend not dwell on what we don’t have yet (you know the list!)!
Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey says the New Lynn interchange is key to the multi million dollar regeneration of New Lynn and shows the huge benefits that can come from an integrated approach to urban renewal.
“The stunning new transport centre is the first step in New Lynn’s long-awaited transformation and the lynchpin in the largest urban regeneration project in New Zealand today. It will soon be complemented by the extension of Clark Street to Great North Road and the redevelopment of Totara Avenue and Todd Triangle as a more pedestrian-friendly retail area,” he says.
“With a projected 20,000 residents and 14,000 workers in New Lynn by 2030, creating an exciting, successful and accessible town centre has been a top priority for Waitakere and having other funders buy into that vision has been key to helping us achieve it.”
ARTA Chairman Rabin Rabindran says that the impressive patronage growth seen this year shows that the efforts in introducing more frequent services and better infrastructure are paying off.
6 Comments
this is just fantastic isn’t it?
Though we still got a long way to go (electrifcation/new carriages etc.) it’s nice it make it more comfortable and look more appealing to newcomers to public transportation.
Idiotic i know, but im actually hoping for another petrol spike to force more people onto the trains, because there would be some people who still doesn’t know about the improvements on New Lynn, Newmarket and Onehunga. People would realise that public transportation is many times more better now than two years ago where break downs occur frequently.
Now that ive mentioned it, what is the averages of trains arriving on time this month?
@Anthony M Last ARTA stats were for July. Western line services improved further compared to recent months and in July 87.4% of services operated on time or within five minutes of schedule, compared to 83.1% in June but slightly below the 89.0% recorded for the same month last year. The performance of the southern and eastern lines was affected by speed restrictions and track protection measures and, as a result, 80.5% of services on these two lines combined operated on time or within five minutes of schedule. This compares to 85.1% in June
and 81.3% for the same month last year.
I agree- bring on another fuel spike! It is really heartening to remember though that even now, there are new people on the trains every day… And they’re not going back to their cars. I actually think that catching our trains is a more enjoyable and comfortable experience than most systems around the world- all our infrastructure is kept clean and our new trains/stations seem to be built to a pretty high standard. Mainly comparing to old,cramped London tubes that don’t even have air con, and cheap uninviting infrastucture (such as plastic seating) in many parts of the us, which is also experiencing massive budget cuts and has many very run down and overcrowded networks.
Overall,I think were doing pretty well with the whole rail Renaissance thing… But if we dont get that CBD loop and quality EMUs soon, I may change my mind
I agree, we have come so far in the last few years, and we still got Electrification and Inter-grated ticketing AND 10 minute frequencies coming. Already we have seen a increase in use as train is now fast becoming not only a viable alternative to cars but a preferable form of transport.
Bring on the years to come, and the success of our implemented public transport system as we reap the rewards for the investment Auckland and New Zealand has made.
*Not sure about raising petrol prices though, not so good for us disabled people who cant walk far. But selfishly thinking petrol spike next year once I’ve recovered would be great
great news, now what is next?
Jon is there anyway we can maybe do a list or something or a thread even and look at every station on the line, what it has, what its had done, or whats going to happen?
I know that is probably huge, but it would just be nice to some info on each station in one place.
maybe like a info thread x station blah blah, has a toilet or wheelchair access or something.
I’m just generally interested ( being overseas at the moment ) as to to what each station has, is getting or doesn’t have. if that makes sense?
make people even more aware of whats going on, or not going on… this story above and the pictures are all great news, onwards and upwards, its taken a while…slowly getting there though.
@Carl Good idea but a lot of work. May do something in a few months when the pressures off.