World Cup trains plan hits buffers for elderly

Kingsland Station is set up for Britomart passengers. Photo / APN

Auckland Transport is to investigate whether to help elderly and disabled people get from its Morningside railway station to Eden Park for Rugby World Cup matches.

The council-controlled organisation said yesterday it was satisfied with a rail movements plan in which Kingsland Station was reserved for Britomart-bound trains after Saturday night's Super 15 clash between the Auckland Blues and Canterbury Crusaders.

That left spectators wanting to catch westbound trains to walk about 500 metres to Morningside Station, which some have complained is too far for the elderly and those with mobility problems.

World Cup transport director Bruce Barnard said about 7300 matchgoers were cleared from Eden Park by trains leaving every five minutes, in little more than half an hour, of which 5800 left from Kingsland station and 1500 from Morningside.

Mr Barnard, an Auckland Transport official, said that boded well for cup finals matches after which about 16,000 rail passengers among Eden Park crowds of 60,000 would need to be cleared within 75 minutes.

A spectator of Saturday's match, Sam Weaver, complained that she and others had been unaware when boarding a late-running train at Baldwin Ave Station that the service would terminate at Morningside.

She said there was only one bus on hand to take passengers from the crowded train the rest of the way to Eden Park, and she and her friends were left waiting for another bus to arrive just five minutes before the 7.35pm kickoff.

"The driver let about 10 of us on before he shut the door and took off, leaving at least another 50 or so people at the stop, even though his bus was not full," Ms Weaver said in an email to the Herald.

"Bloody shameful, the whole debacle - we had a friend with us from overseas and it was a bloody embarrassment."

Another spectator said: "We and thousands had to walk two miles to Morningside Station to catch a train, no free bus - how are elderly and mobility challenged supposed to handle this?" Mr Barnard said Auckland Transport had measured the distance at about 500m, which would take about six minutes to cover at a brisk stride and 10 minutes at a more relaxed pace.

But he said the agency would consider whether there was a need to help elderly or disabled spectators from Morningside, such as with a shuttle-cart service similar to one operating from Dominion Rd to Eden Park.

A Herald staff member said he reached the station within six minutes of the referee's final whistle at 9.15pm, in good time for the first train to leave Morningside at 9.31pm, when it was "standing room only but with a good vibe".

BIG MOVERS

* 7,300 spectators used trains to leave Eden Park area

* 5,800 from Kingsland

* 1,500 from Morningside

* 16,000 expected to be moved after RWC matches