Britomart Peak Time Breakdown

 

Peak time trains into Britomart this morning  suffered delays at a critical time when a train broke down at the platform preventing spare berths for those trains trying to enter just after 830am.

Trains had to slow down as they approached the Britomart tunnel and stop and wait and wait….

This is just another example of why we need a Britomart through tunnel.

It’s a point still lost on the critics of the CBD link plan as they argue that we don’t need more train stops around the city for the cost of the tunnel extension.

They don’t grasp and some in the media have failed to explain when they have said this that there is a major capacity issue with only 12 trains in and out an hour - a capacity that will soon be reached  - and occasions like this causes a meltdown that has a domino effect throughout the Auckland rail network system.

Passengers hoping to make their 9am workplace start time in the CBD were late as a result of this meltdown.

And reader Larry mentions:

“The electronic signs at New Lynn this morning were saying that buses will be replacing trains this weekend. None of the posters agreed with this.  With the Farmers Parade that may be fun. Also the electronic signs still say that the 0745 to Britomart is still an express service.”

Indeed Larry. That’s bad. The trains are running this weekend for the Santa parade and the KiwiRail /Auckland Transport rail information day at Newmarket tomorrow.

At least those stuck this morning in trains outside Britomart were able to get a glimpse of the work going on at the old Strand Central railway station where the shelters are being demolished and an emergency stop (as in train station, not the thing you pull going to U2!) put in, just in case it’s needed during the RWC (which would be needed today if passengers could not get to the games because of berthing issues causing a meltdown).

A stabling yard is also being created there.

Tags:

 
 
 

5 Comments

 
  1. Matt L says:

    Must have happened just after my train to in. In saying that delays are nothing new to us regular users and I have only had about 2 trains in the morning that would be considered on time (within 5 mins) in the last 2 months since the new schedule came into effect.

  2. Ashley says:

    i was stuck in a west bound service to Swanson @ 8:30
    that got cancelled then got on another train to be told that it was the wrong one so we got of that to wait for the next one, so i was in 3 different trains within 30 mins and all at Britomart

  3. Anon says:

    Well, I heard the government has until May 2011 to help fund the CBD loop. Steven Joyce ain’t gonna do sheet!

  4. Kurt says:

    Yet again there is no plan B to quickly sort out a break down and given break downs are all too regular you would think Veolia would be real pro’s at it!

  5. max says:

    I talked to one of the KiwiRail folks at Newmarket last Saturday (Murray Noon or Hood or somebody - the Auckland electrification project manager) and asked whether the Strand stop could not be used to let passengers in such a snarl-up debark from their trains.

    You know, rather than sit 30 minutes in a queue trying to enter Britomart, you walk 10 minutes further.

    Sadly, the emergency stop is apparently on that part of the old station curving east towards the Eastern Line - so you can’t stop a Britomart Train there unless you are willing to then re-shuffle the whole system back and forth.

 

Leave a Comment

 




XHTML: You can use these tags:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>