NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Auckland's commuter updates: Britomart Station partially re-opens, heavy fog cancels flights at Auckland Airport

NZ Herald
9 May, 2018 06:09 PM7 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Fog restrictions remain in place at Auckland Airport as almost 60 regional flights have either been cancelled or delayed, while limited train services running at Britomart.

Nearly 80 regional flights have been grounded at Auckland Airport due to fog this morning with restrictions only just being lifted.

About 44 domestic flights were cancelled and 34 domestic flights delayed due to the fog.

Auckland Transport said about 11.45am the fog restrictions had been lifted, after being put in place at 3.20am.

Domestic flights to Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown were not affected by the fog.

One passenger waiting for a flight to Whanganui said there were some "grim-looking expressions".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Many are resigned to accepting the delays will be longer than they'd hoped.

"Frustrated passengers are on phones, trying to rearrange plans for the day and explain it isn't yet known when they will be able to travel."

Message board at Auckland Airport. Photo / Michael Craig
Message board at Auckland Airport. Photo / Michael Craig

The fog remains as thick as ever over the airport. International and domestic flights to main centres continue to take off, although they are invisible from the terminal.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Due to no improvement in fog conditions, regional flights continue to be cancelled.

Passengers for flight NZ8611 to Tauranga had gathered at the gate in anticipation of a boarding announcement, only to be told it had been further delayed.

Buses have been brought in for some passengers, including to Tauranga, Taupō and Kerikeri.

Queue returns to counter one at Auckland Airport. Photo / Edward Rooney
Queue returns to counter one at Auckland Airport. Photo / Edward Rooney

A bus driver taking passengers to Tauranga at 9am said he had been busy since 5am taking rail passengers into Auckland city.

Discover more

New Zealand

Passengers on derailed train feared it was a quake

09 May 12:51 AM
New Zealand

Commuting headache: Britomart to remain closed tonight after train derails

09 May 03:30 AM
New Zealand

Live: Britomart limited rail services, heavy fog on roads

09 May 06:02 PM

"I had a call from the international airport wanting me to help with 200 passengers there and I had to say 'sorry, no can do'."

Megan Powell and son Pax Kay, 5, had their 8.30am flight to Rotorua cancelled and rebooked on an 11am flight.

"We started out from Perth last night at 7.45," she said. "So the delay does make it a long trip."

Powell said the disruption was understandable, as everyone couldn't help but notice the fog.

"We'll just walk around a bit. Pax can play with his dinosaurs. It's not too bad at all, really."

Powell was returning home to visit her parents in Rotorua.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
"My flight to Blenheim was originally meant to be at 7.55am, now they say 10am," said Shaun Burton, in the foreground. His flight has since been cancelled. Photo / Edward Rooney
"My flight to Blenheim was originally meant to be at 7.55am, now they say 10am," said Shaun Burton, in the foreground. His flight has since been cancelled. Photo / Edward Rooney

Shaun Burton's flight to Blenheim was originally scheduled to leave at 7.55am, then it was delayed to 10am. Now it has been cancelled.

Passengers are advised to check in with their airlines about delays and cancellations.

In domestic departures and arrivals Air New Zealand and Virgin flights (operated by Air NZ) early this morning to and from Whangārei, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Taupō, Napier, Blenheim and Nelson have been affected.

Fog was affecting several airports in the upper North Island this morning, including in Hamilton, Whenuapai, Rotorua and Kerikeri.

Ann-Marie Edmonds said planes were "going nowhere" in Rotorua this morning.

So far three flights from there had been delayed - to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and two cancelled, Air NZ flight NZ 8150 to Auckland and NZ 8149 arriving from Auckland.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fog also affects motorists

Motorists are facing delays with heavy fog blanketing parts of Auckland this morning.

State Highway 1 traffic is delayed just south of Wellsford after a logging truck rolled.

ROAD OPEN - UPDATE 11:20AM
Vehicle recovery has now been completed & this section of #SH1 is fully OPEN once again. Thanks for your patience. ^TP
https://t.co/z7bMqzo5Nn

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) May 9, 2018

A Fire and Emergency spokesman said they received reports of the crash near Davies Rd and Port Albert Rd around 8.15am.

A police spokesman said the driver was not seriously injured.

The road was blocked for a time with diversions in place but had since reopened.

Rail: Britomart Station re-opens

Meanwhile, Auckland's Britomart Station has reopened for limited rail services.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Auckland Transport has advised that Britomart is now partially open, but limited train services are operating to the station every 20 minutes.

Platforms 3, 4 and 5 at Britomart will be open for some services, while Platforms 1 and 2 will remain closed as it was not possible to move the derailed train overnight.

Southern and Eastern lines will operate to Britomart, but the Western line services will be terminating at Newmarket - connecting with the Southern line service to Britomart.

The Onehunga train shuttle is also operating between Penrose and Onehunga and there will be limited replacement buses running between Britomart and The Strand and Britomart and Newmarket. These buses will depart from stop 7020 at the corner of Commerce and Quay Sts.

Commuters are advised that due to the reduced frequency, trains and buses will be busier than usual.

The derailment crippled the busy station after three of six carriages derailed as a train arrived at the station at 9.45am yesterday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The six-carriage train had 33 people on board but no one was injured.

Some passengers described the accident as a sudden shake "like an earthquake".

The station was closed overnight as the Transport Accident Investigation Commission looked into the incident.

Investigators mapped, recorded and gathered evidence from the site to make sure the re-railing crew had all the information they needed to get the train back on track.

It is not yet known when the train will be put back on the rails.

Yesterday afternoon, commuters told the Herald the closure had added as much as an hour to their trip home.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Louise Caro was aware of the closure of the station before arriving but was annoyed at the confusing planner provided by Auckland Transport detailing what bus she needed to catch.

She was on her way home from work to Morningside and expected the interim transport options would mean her commute was at least an hour longer.

"I would normally be home by 5.10pm but God knows how long it will take me now. I may have to get my husband to come get me.

"It should be fixed by tomorrow, it is just one train for God's sake. I'm frustrated."

She was lucky she lived in central Auckland and feared for the length of commute for people in the fringes of the city.

About 12 Auckland Transport staffers were at the two entrances directing people to the Newmarket and The Strand stations via buses.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Andrew Blomfield was travelling home to Papakura and said the closure was "bit of a pain in the arse".

Praveen Sivapalan said he didn't know much longer it would take for him to get home to Howick but expected it would add another half an hour at best.

At worst it could be more than an hour, he said.

Fog enveloped Victoria Park this morning. Photo / Michael Craig
Fog enveloped Victoria Park this morning. Photo / Michael Craig

An Auckland Transport spokesman said there would be delays and changes to where the trains departed and arrived last night and through to the morning.

The station was to be closed overnight as the Transport Accident Investigation Commission looked into the incident.

The commission arrived at the scene about 3pm and was now in control of the station, Auckland Transport media relations manager Mark Hannan said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Transport Accident Investigation Commission senior communications adviser Simon Pleasants said investigators would be mapping, recording and gathering evidence from the site to make sure the re-railing crew had all the information they needed to get the train back on track.

"The commission opens an inquiry when it believes the circumstances of an accident or incident have - or are likely to have - significant implications for transport safety, or when the inquiry may allow the commission to make findings or recommendations to improve transport safety."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Lawyer challenges 'plain wrong decision' in Jago's sexual abuse case

17 Jun 09:20 AM
New Zealand

Watch: Inside look after fire engulfs Auckland supermarket

17 Jun 08:15 AM
New Zealand|crime

Fit of rage: Man injures seven people in attack on partner, kids and neighbours

17 Jun 08:00 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Lawyer challenges 'plain wrong decision' in Jago's sexual abuse case

Lawyer challenges 'plain wrong decision' in Jago's sexual abuse case

17 Jun 09:20 AM

Former Act president's lawyer claims sentence was too harsh, calls for home detention.

Watch: Inside look after fire engulfs Auckland supermarket

Watch: Inside look after fire engulfs Auckland supermarket

17 Jun 08:15 AM
Fit of rage: Man injures seven people in attack on partner, kids and neighbours

Fit of rage: Man injures seven people in attack on partner, kids and neighbours

17 Jun 08:00 AM
Inside look: Damage revealed after fire engulfs Auckland supermarket

Inside look: Damage revealed after fire engulfs Auckland supermarket

Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP