Faster locos mean timely rides - council

NEW TRAINS: DFB locomotives will be replacing DCs on the Wairarapa Line this month. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The introduction of more powerful and reliable locomotives will improve train punctuality for passengers on the Wairarapa line, according to Greater Wellington Regional Council.

The initiative comes after an additional $2.3 million was secured by the regional council from NZTA to renew sections of the Hutt rail line so that delays for commuters from Wairarapa and the Hutt Valley can be reduced.

Because of the funding, substantial long-term improvements to the network will be enabled which will boost rail infrastructure and train services in the region, and will result in the lifting of speed restrictions.

The locomotives that have been running on the Wairarapa Line were mainly DCs, however the more powerful DFBs are what will be hauling carriages on the service as from now.

These DFB locomotives, which will be progressively introduced to the Wairarapa Line during the month, will provide greater acceleration and an improved ability to recover from minor delays and speed restrictions.

Volunteer at Fell Locomotive Museum and Member of the Wairarapa branch of the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society, George Watt, says the introduction of these DFB locomotives will be a valuable asset to Wairarapa Line.

"DFBs are much more powerful, they have great engines," he said. "Running them instead of the DCs will definitely speed up journey time and improve travel."

"They've had the DCs since the 1980s on the Wairarapa Line and they've done a good job so far but it is time for an upgrade. Though keep in mind, most delays on the rail are not caused by the locomotives themselves, but other rail factors."

Over the past few years the Wairarapa Line punctuality has dropped from 84 per cent in 2011 to 74 per cent in 2014 with most recent statistics showing the line's punctuality at 69 per cent..

One of the causes of these delays has been the speed restrictions in place on the Ngauranga section of the Hutt Valley line, in which sections of the track with corroded rail have been replaced.

Regional councillor Fran Wilde says for some time now a priority has been placed on people's safety instead of speed.

"When you have speed restrictions, the impact of that can spread throughout the network," she said. "I'm delighted that the result of discussions with KiwiRail is a major step towards getting the Hutt line up to the same standard as the Kapiti line. This will make a big difference for commuters from Wairarapa as well as the Hutt Valley."

Hannah Berg said on the Times Age Facebook page the Wairarapa Line was well overdue for an upgrade given how widely the service is used.

"Only last Friday a train broke down," she said. "Due to this a bus was organised to replace the 8.20pm Wellington bound train. Although it was departing at 9.15pm. Ridiculous if you ask me."

Geoffrey Palmer has been a frequent commuter from the Wairarapa to Wellington for his work.

He said that at times he experienced up to a half hour delay using the service.

"Engine reliability is one thing, but it's actually scheduling that's making the Wairarapa Line delayed," he said. "On the question of reliability, it comes down to what the relative condition of the DFBs is."

The regional council assure factors including normal operating costs including driver hire, locomotive provision, fuel, and maintenance have already been accounted for in the existing budget.