Fury at being dumped after signal failure

Heather Peters (left) and Lana Langman were left at Kingsland station. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Angry commuters say it was a pity Auckland Mayor Len Brown was not on their train when they were unceremoniously "dumped" at Kingsland station during a signals failure.

Mr Brown has made three train trips to work since January 17 and announced his intention to become a regular user of public transport.

His staff say although one service was 10 minutes late, he "loves taking the train" and intends using public transport on average once a week.

But daily commuters and workmates Heather Peters and Lana Langman say Mr Brown should have been on their train on Tuesday night to experience the indignity suffered by more than 100 passengers of being asked to get off, then told to make their own way home.

Mrs Peters said the train, which the pair boarded at Grafton Station at 5.05pm, stopped at Kingsland for 10 minutes before its passengers were asked to disembark for what they were told would be a further five-minute delay because of a signals fault at Morningside.

After 15 minutes, the train suddenly reversed back towards Britomart, and five minutes later a station announcement said the service had been cancelled and they would have to find other way home.

"I am sorry but this is totally, totally unacceptable," Mrs Peters said.

"Surely when they take our money and click our tickets they have some obligation to get us to our destination - they have entered into a contract."

She said that after many passengers, including a pregnant woman and children, left to look for other transport, another train turned up and collected those still at the station, herself and Mrs Langman among them.

"Bring on the [Rugby] World Cup, Len, I can't wait," Mrs Peters said.

Mrs Langman: "It shouldn't happen to anybody - to workers, let alone tourists."

The women said that although trains were generally more reliable now than in previous years, there were still too many delays. They said they had yet to see big improvements since much-vaunted Christmas work, which closed the entire network.

Train operator Veolia Transport's most recent figures for punctuality are for December, when the company reported just 74.6 per cent of trains arriving at their final destinations within five minutes of their schedules.

Customer service manager Nick Orange blamed poor punctuality in December on temporary speed restrictions which allowed KiwiRail to complete enabling works for Christmas construction, and on network problems outside Veolia's control, including signals failures and track-side fires.

A spokesman for Mr Brown said he was disappointed with the problems and was aware of more work required to ensure "the world-class" system Auckland needed.