Morning rush hour at Britomart Train Station in Auckland after a signal failure. Photo / Michael Craig
Morning rush hour at Britomart Train Station in Auckland after a signal failure. Photo / Michael Craig
EDITORIAL
Failures on Auckland's rail network can almost make sitting in traffic look attractive.
The regular advisories issued by Auckland Transport, barely conceal the agency's frustrations. To be fair, these stoppages are seldom AT's fault.
• January 25: The signals operated by KiwiRail failed at around seven this morning, haltingall trains. • May 23: Services across the Southern, Western and Eastern lines are delayed or cancelled due to a train fault at Puhinui. • June 14: KiwiRail signals failed at approximately 11.15am, stopping trains across the network. • June 18: A building site contractor brought trains to a standstill for more than half an hour after inadvertently cutting power to the network. • June 24: A truck hit a rail overbridge, halting trains operating between Papakura and Pukekohe in both directions.
There's been no shortage of commitment to get people moving in the rail corridors. Massive amounts of money and resource have been invested into Auckland's rail network.
The double-tracking of the Western Line between Britomart and Swanson, via Newmarket, cost $420 million and was completed in 2010 - just one of $600m of projects which included re-opening the Onehunga line and a new rail link at Manukau.
Rail services can be disrupted by all sorts of unforeseen factors, just as our motorway network can by halted by a major crash or sudden surge of motorists heading towards or away from a major event.
In April last year, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced a further record spend of $8.4 billion into the construction of a rapid transit network, featuring light rail to the airport. About $940m would also go towards heavy rail improvements such as electrification to Pukekohe and more electric trains.
The three players providing rail services have dedicated unaccountable man hours to making rail viable. Auckland Transport, a council-controlled organisation of Auckland Council, is responsible for funding and contracting Auckland's public transport. Transdev Auckland (formerly Veolia Transport Auckland) operates the Auckland passenger rail network on behalf of Auckland Transport. KiwiRail owns and operates the track network.
Recognising the investment, passengers have been getting onboard. Since Britomart (Auckland's downtown station) opened in 2003, Auckland's rail patronage has increased rapidly from 2.5 million trips per year to 20.6 million customer journeys per year as estimated by passenger operator Transdev Auckland.
Rail services can be disrupted by all sorts of unforeseen factors. Photo / Michael Craig
Following the June 18 rail fail, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff - no doubt, galled by thousands of potential voters left stranded on the coldest day yet of the year - demanded answers. KiwiRail said it would commission two reviews, one internal and one independent external.
The short answer is, our rail services can be disrupted by all sorts of unforeseen factors, just as our motorway network can by halted by a major crash or sudden surge of motorists heading towards or away from a major event.
Cobbled from a former main truckline and feeder lines, our metropolitan rail network is vulnerable at many places, such as level crossings - which are sites of tragically poor decisions by motorists and pedestrians - and at overbridges to over-height vehicles.
Unless New Zealand can stomach stumping up for a dedicated, isolated rail corridor looping around the entire city - a la Hong Kong's MTR or our motorway network - rail will remain prone to failure, whether by a faulty signal box or careless contractor with a pair of boltcutters.
