Business groups frustrated at news of Auckland rail cancellations

By Sally Wenley

There is shock and concern among commuters and businesses in parts of Auckland faced with being side-tracked when several train routes are temporarily closed from 2023.

A major rebuild on foundations underneath railway lines means everyone will be steered toward buses for several months at a time over the next two years.

From next year, there will be rolling closures on three major Auckland train lines.

Newmarket’s station feeds into schools, shops, movie theatres and malls.

Newmarket Business Association chief executive Mark Knoff-Thomas said it was frustrating their train service would be out of action.

Everything that could possibly be done to make the swap to buses as smooth as possible needed to happen – such as potentially reducing fares, he said.

Onehunga is another suburb further south on the rail line and its Business Association spokesperson Amanda Wellgreen, has already made up her mind about what transport option she will be using.

She has had to use a replacement bus from central Auckland during a previous closure and it took nearly an hour in the middle of the day when traffic was light.

Wellgreen said she would be driving her car when the trains are out of action, as catching a bus led to a long wait in traffic, interrupted by multiple stops.

Meanwhile, Auckland Transport said it would be seeking feedback from passengers.

Group manager of metro services, Darek Koper, said AT understood buses took longer than trains so it was looking at installing extra bus only traffic lights, and express lanes.

‘Pop-up’ express lanes for buses were also being considered – and there was not currently any funding to offer cheaper bus fares, he said.

A tender had gone out for other companies to provide additional transport – such as coaches or mobility vans – during this time, Koper said.

But it could be de-railed, according to the union representing up to a 1000 bus drivers, as there was likely to be a shortage of drivers.

Louisa Jones from First Union said there were plenty of bus driver vacancies around the region as it was not a very appealing job for some.

The hours were long and drivers were sometimes verbally or even physically abused, she said.

Auckland Transport said it would be discussing this with the drivers and was promising that not all train routes would be out of action at the same time.

Parts of the Auckland rail network will be temporarily closed from 2023 for a major rebuild.
Photo: Supplied / KiwiRail

Auckland councillor would have liked more notice of disruptions

Auckland councillor Richard Hills said the council should have received more notice of the planned disruptions.

“It would have been nice for us to find out and be able to ask a bunch of questions and to try and solve some of the issues or at least ask how some of the issues are going to be solved, while this work is going on.”

It was good that Kiwirail was investing in its infrastructure after years of underinvestment, he said.

Questions Hills wanted answered included whether they were going to work through the night and whether workers were coming from other areas to help complete the major project.

There was already a major shortage of bus drivers, he said.

“I’m really worried that we’re setting ourselves up for ‘yes we’ll have some replacement buses but whether they will be driven by anyone and whether we can get, you know bus lanes, transit lanes rolled out.”

If people have to use a bus, which ends stuck in traffic with all the cars, then they would not bother taking the bus, he said.

Asked whether a motorway lane should be used solely for buses at that time, Hills said they would have to look at that.

“They’re going to have to add 40,000-50,000 more people off the trains and into cars. It’s going to be pretty bad news for everyone, so I just don’t know how you’re going to manage it.”

Hills said they also needed to look at whether there was a way to increase access to buses for those with disabilities, since not all buses had good access.

A cooperative approach was needed to make it work and all the agencies, such as Kiwirail, Auckland Council, Waka Kotahi and central government, needed to work together, he said.

“Then every little bit needs to be communicated to the public, not just online. There needs to be people down at the stations over the next couple of months getting people ready, understanding what the possible trips are.”