Rejigging Waitakere timetable to beat lateness

Auckland's commuter train operator has revealed plans for a revised timetable following Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey's complaints about the continued lateness of trains on the Western Line.

Connex general manager Chris White offered the revision as part of a solution when he was summoned to last night's city council meeting.

The solution was some new services, including a limited express, some increased services and the ability to run more trains. But this would add to running times, he said.

In peak times, trains on long-run services from Britomart to Waitakere would leave every 35 minutes. They would be in addition to the express services.

Short-run services from New Lynn to Britomart would leave every 15 minutes at peak times.

Track crossings in the bottle-necked, single-track sections would be changed so multiple trains travelling in the peak direction could pass.

But this would result in two counter-peak services being held at Henderson Station for between 8 to 12 minutes.

Mr White said 14 additional locomotive-hauled trains would be running this year.

The timetable revision would mean later running times for trains but passengers would "find things will even out in time".

He said the present timetable running times of 54 minutes between Britomart and Waitakere was never kept because the track system did not allow it.

The express would achieve a run of 50 minutes from Waitakere to Britomart.

Timetable changes would not remove delays from system failures and sections of the line that were still single track would limit recovery from delays because of speed restrictions.

Mr White said the timetable reflected a more realistic expectation of what the equipment could do.

Last month, Mr Harvey said continued lateness of trains was a scandal and expressed concern that a generation of potentially loyal rail customers may give up on trains before a $10.7 million transport interchange being built at Henderson was opened next June.

Since then he had talked to Mr White who explained about the rejigging of timetables and delivery of new trains.

"It's complicated but you will understand how in changing the timetables we just might get a service that equates to the delivery our commuters expect," said Mr Harvey in his report to the council last night.

Peak services

Long-run services from Britomart to Waitakere would leave every 35 minutes, in addition to the express services.

Short-run services from New Lynn to Britomart would leave every 15 minutes.