Auckland to Hamilton train Te Huia to quit Papakura stop for Pukekohe

Te Huia at Rotokauri Station in Hamilton. Photo / Waikato Regional Council

The Auckland-Hamilton passenger rail service Te Huia will no longer stop at Papakura and instead call into Pukekohe.

The decision was made to improve the efficiency of the service, Waikato Regional Council said.

Te Huia will stop at Papakura for the last time on Saturday, February 8 at 6.21pm heading to Hamilton. The service’s first stop at Pukekohe Station will be on Monday, February 10.

The council’s Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee deputy chairwoman Angela Strange said: “To ensure running times and trip efficiency are prioritised, we’ve had to make the tough decision to remove Papakura as one of our stops.

“But we’ll continue stopping at Puhinui Station, providing our passengers with easy access to Auckland airport, as well as connections to AT bus and rail services.”

Pukekohe Station recently underwent upgrades which include a new overbridge with lifts to connect the bus stops and train station, park and ride facilities for 87 vehicles, and bicycle parking facilities.

Waikato Regional Council’s 21 Northern Connector and 44 Pōkeno to Pukekohe bus services also connect to the station.

Over Christmas, KiwiRail had an extended network closure in place to carry out works and upgrades in preparation for the opening of the City Rail Link in 2026.

The closure also impacted Te Huia with the service being off the tracks for four weeks. Trips resumed this week.

In May last year, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi board decided to reduce funding for Te Huia.

From July 2025 until the end of the trial period in 2026, NZTA would reduce its Funding Assistance Rate, a percentage of the cost of operating the service fare and other revenue received, to 60% - from previously 75.5%.

Waikato Regional Council, which is co-funding the service, said last year they would spend reserve funds of $2.2 million from Te Huia targeted rates on the service so it could continue to complete its five-year trial.

For the first 10 months of 2024, Te Huia carried almost 74,000 passengers. This compared to 58,000 over the same period last year, the council said.

In making the funding decision last year, NZTA said Te Huia’s performance as a start-up public transport service had generally been “encouraging”.

“While the service has gradually built patronage, Te Huia has not achieved all of the targets set out in the original business case,” NZTA chief executive Nicole Rosie said at the time.

The updated timetable is available online at tehuiatrain.co.nz/timetables.