Services were expected to operate as normal for the evening commute.
New Zealand Transport Agency central operations manager Mark Owen yesterday said the resumption of normal rail services was likely to mean a reduction in the peak hour delays that had disrupted highways since the storm.
"We now expect many travellers to return to using trains, easing pressure on the highways between the Hutt and Wellington."
Wellingtonians had responded admirably and planned their journeys in advance to reduce delays on the roads, Mr Owen said.
About 380 households in Wellington remain without power since last Thursday's storm, which caused widespread damage as winds of up to 200km/h battered the capital.
A Wellington Electricity spokesman said crews had been working in the hardest-hit areas since Sunday, and had found the damage to the electricity network was far worse than originally expected.
"Unfortunately, many of the repairs that are needed are extensive and take a tremendous amount of technical work to repair small numbers of customers at a time.
"Our repair crews are making good progress and all indications are that restoration of power supply to all customers will be completed before next week."
About 150 extra staff had been brought in from outside the region to help restore power.
