The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) would like to make commuters aware, that when they return to their daily commuting this Monday (31st August) that they will find that trains are currently restricted to 40kph only on all Auckland routes north of Pukekohe. The PTUA would like to advise commuters to plan their travel to allow extra time due to this restriction. This will be a double whammy for commuters having to cope with the level restrictions of level 2 and the ongoing problems of Covid as well. Eastern line patrons will be further inconvenienced, having to put up with bus replacements on that route until September 6th.

PTUA are disappointed with these circumstances and wonder why and how the Auckland rail network could be run down to such an extent. We are aware that much of the track network is defective and that this speed restriction will not be lifted until most of the network track is replaced or remediated.

Niall Robertson PTUA Chair says “As the Auckland ratepayers pay around $25 million each year for this service through AT, they deserve better results.”

The PTUA see this as a total failure of Auckland’s urban rail service and that it must never be repeated, we are calling for an independent public inquiry. The purpose of such an inquiry would be to establish what went wrong, prevent any repeat of the problem and reassure the public this will be the case. Auckland’s travelling public have been seriously let down.

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