Test run for World Cup promising

Rugby fans queue for trains after the test match. Photo / Michael Craig

While plans for Auckland's "party central" remain shambolic, organisers, police and fans agree Saturday's All Black-Springbok clash showed Eden Park is on track to shoulder the 60,000 punters expected at Rugby World Cup matches.

Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) had labelled the game a test run for the revamped Kingsland rail station, which will have to cope with a flood of fans arriving by train from Britomart during next year's event.

Forty-seven extra trains - with 26 scheduled carriages - funnelled fans to and from Eden Park and while trains were jam-packed, passengers were moved off and on quickly.

The Herald left Britomart on the 6.13pm train to Kingsland, packed with cheering fans keen to get to the ground.

Passengers said they travelled by rail because it was convenient and free to those with match tickets.

The train was five minutes late and despite the discomfort, those on board appeared in good spirits with All Black supporters taunting the sparse Springbok contingent.

After the 15-minute journey, punters were loaded off the trains and directed by signs and staff to the stadium.

But herding fans back onto trains proved more difficult after the match, though delays were kept short.

Even rugby fans miffed that special event trains bypassed Newmarket Station were pleased with an alternative free bus service to and from the game.

"It went very smoothly," said Remuera resident Bernard Branfield.

"The bus service was superb and the travel was comfortable."

Bus travellers were directed from the top of Sandringham Rd down the new Wairepo Swamp Walkway which was wide enough for the crowds, despite being unfinished.

ARTA's Rugby World Cup transport director, Bruce Barnard, was happy with how the facilities coped, but would have liked to see a few more signs to direct punters.

Eden Park Residents' Association spokesman Jose Luis Fowler said that while Saturday night was generally good, he did not think the game ran as smoothly as it could have.

"Traffic management was supposed to move people towards Sandringham Rd but traffic seemed to be going down towards Dominion Rd," he said.

However, he was confident that could be fixed before the cup.

Even fans who drove cars to the match believed the system was working well and would handle the influx of visitors.

Even though a large number of fans took cars to the game, the police were impressed with the way Aucklanders took to public transport.

Road policing manager Inspector Gavin Macdonald described Saturday's efforts as "a great dress rehearsal for next year's Rugby World Cup".

"It was also good to see that a lot of people going to the test match at Eden Park had used public transport and that the roads were relatively quiet and free from congestion," he said.

Auckland City Mayor John Banks was just as pleased with how the night unfolded. "There were some bugs but generally speaking it was a good show with the venue working well."

- Additional reporting: Mathew Dearnaley