The union representing rail workers says the new Te Huia commuter rail service between Auckland and Hamilton is a great
concept – but needs to tweak its operating model.
Rail and Maritime Transport Union General Secretary Wayne Butson says Te Huia needs to pick up passengers at
intermediate stations in order to build passenger numbers and provide a proper service to the area.
He says new stations must be built at Te Kauwhata, Pokeno and Tuakau right away.
The RMTU is urging the Minister of Transport to intervene and get KiwiRail, local Government and NZTA to work on
reconfiguring the service, says Mr Butson.
“This needs to be fixed in a hurry. It would be disastrous if a great, forward thinking concept like Te Huia is
undermined by a flawed rollout.”
Mr Butson says journey times will eventually be quicker, but in the meantime Te Huia had to be made available to large
numbers of potential users along the route who were currently denied that option.
He says extending the service to run further north of Papakura to Otahuhu would make more sense in reducing travel times
and improving connectivity.
Mr Butson says commuter rail is an urgently needed solution to congestion, carbon emissions, and a more effective modern
transport system.