Construction of a new transport hub in Hamilton will start before Christmas, a project which will provide a major boost
for public transport in the city.
Downer New Zealand Ltd has been awarded the contract to build the new Rotokauri Transport Hub (the Hub) including a bus
interchange, a rail platform for the forthcoming Hamilton to Auckland passenger rail service, and a pedestrian bridge
over the railway to The Base.
Hamilton City Council General Manager Development Chris Allen says there are significant social benefits in providing
our residents a choice in how they get around the city, so this is an exciting step forward for Hamilton.
“The Hub is part of a bigger growth package arising from the Hamilton to Auckland Corridor Plan, a government, local
government and iwi partnership to progress urban growth between the two cities.
“The start-up rail service is a project to come out of this Plan as a priority, and our contribution is to establish the
new Rotokauri Transport Hub,” says Mr Allen.
Once completed, the Hub will include a park-and-ride facility for rail and bus passengers, including mobility spaces,
electric vehicle charging spaces, drop-off and pick-up zones and taxi stands. It will be an important new link for
connectivity within Hamilton and to Auckland.
The Rotokauri Transport Hub is part of a $2B 10-year capital investment by the Council to enable and support planned,
sustainable growth and look after the city’s future transport, infrastructure and community facilities.
The total project cost to develop the Hub, including land costs, design work and additional roading, is $29M, of which
$18.5M is contributed by government through NZ Transport Agency subsidies.
The new passenger rail service is scheduled to start in mid-2020, with Waikato Regional Council contracting KiwiRail to
provide it. The service will offer two week-day return services and one Saturday service. The trip from Rotokauri to
Papakura is expected to take 80 minutes. In the next few months, the train carriages will be refurbished, stations built
and upgraded, and timetables, ticketing and on-board amenities finalised.