Te Huia at Rotokauri Station in Hamilton. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
Te Huia at Rotokauri Station in Hamilton. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
Sunday services for the Te Huia Waikato to Auckland passenger rail are one step closer to reality.
The Waikato Regional Council (WRC) approved the reallocation of reserve funds to cover the cost and the Auckland Network Timetable Committee has also given the green light.
A report said council staff were confident there was sufficient capacity to introduce the new service in July.
However, the service still needs final approval from KiwiRail’s National Timetable Committee. Until then, a start date could not be set, a WRC release said.
The service would cost $456,000, which the council expected to be offset by fare revenue of almost $100,000, with the balance of the operating costs to come from the existing Te Huia budget reserve.
The reserve was accumulated through several factors, including the delayed launch of the service, Covid-19 lockdowns and driver shortages, the council said.
WRC chairwoman Pamela Storey said using the reserves for the Sunday service would have no rating impact.
If approved, the Sunday Te Huia run would leave Frankton in Hamilton about 3pm and The Strand in Auckland around 6pm.
Storey said the service would be a game changer for the Auckland and Waikato regions.
“Te Huia started as a commuter service but has evolved to enable more people to enjoy leisure and tourism activities in both Waikato and Auckland.
“We are committed to giving this service every chance of success beyond the end of the trial, because we know there are many workers and tertiary students who have come to rely on it, as well as people visiting whānau and friends.”
Waikato Regional Council chairwoman Pamela Storey. Photo / Stephen Barker
The council said customer surveys since the start of the service in 2021 repeatedly indicated demand for a Sunday return service, but it had not previously been possible due to its cost and engineering works across the Auckland network.
While some weekend works connected with the City Rail Link project would continue into 2026, as well as scheduled track maintenance, a Sunday service time slot had now been requested.
WRC’s future-proof public transport subcommittee unanimously supported Sunday services, and all councillors approved the reallocation of reserve funds.
Meanwhile, the council made a submission on the Auckland Council’s annual plan seeking a 50% contribution of $223,000 from its northern neighbour in support of the Sunday service.
Auckland Council has not supported this, Waikato Regional Council said.
“We will continue to pursue a contribution from Auckland Council in support of the service, because there is the potential for significant economic benefits for both regions,” Storey said.
The inter-regional passenger rail service Te Huia has been operating since April 2021. It started with two return services operating Monday to Friday and one return service on Saturdays.
Since February 2024, a third return service began on Thursday and Friday and a second return service on Saturday. There are currently 28 services per week.
