What are the odds it will still be running in a year?
franc123,
Apr 15, 4:28pm
Whats the odds it will still be running by the end of the year more like. This has been done before and failed.
nice_lady,
Apr 15, 5:34pm
They did have one running in the 90's you could catch it in central Hamilton under where the Warehouse is now. It was quite nice - a rail car with hostie service, booze and all. Hubby used it a few times. He'd get off in Papakura but he thinks it might have gone through to Central Aucks. That's one of the problems with this new one - what fool decided it was only going to Papakura and then the passenger had to wait there for a while and catch a commuter train into central. This of course is not optimal by a long shot. Who in their right mind want's to sit on Papakura station for more than a few seconds at a time and certainly not with their work laptop or other stuff, (you'd be a target pretty quickly). Plus, it extends the trip into central to 2.5 hours in total. It's just stupidity.
kestrel43,
Apr 15, 5:54pm
Well lady you obviously haven't been to Papakura station recently as it is very busy at the times you transfer from the Hamilton train to an AT metro service, no security problems at all. The transfer has to happen at Papakura because there aren't any available time slots heading north. That's how intensive the train service in Auckland is now as opposed to your dim recollections from 50 years ago.
nice_lady,
Apr 15, 8:22pm
The mid to late 90's was 50 years ago?
sr2,
Apr 15, 8:45pm
Wow, sure that post wasn't a Labour party political broadcast?
Reality is they have to change trains at Papakura to move from diesel to electric. The whole transfer process takes 50 minutes - what could possibly go wrong!
Im not sure that Hamilton is a good idea but pokeno makes sense. Its become the forgotten Suburb of Auckland
blands70,
Apr 16, 8:03am
That was the Overlander (daytime) or Northener (night time) train passing through from Wellington to Auckland. I presume you can still catch the Overlander in Hamilton (Frankton, as the central station is closed) but only on one of the three days it runs and it would be in the afternoon from Hamilton.
I do like the idea of the commuter train and hope it’s not too long before they can enhance services by extending electrification to Hamilton and also stopping at Puhinui for the airport. Also would be good for there to be a later morning Saturday service up and Sunday evening back.
lythande1,
Apr 16, 8:11am
I like trains, I hate driving. It suits me!
intrade,
Apr 16, 8:27am
Like years ago i went to see if i could take the train to auckland from taumarunui. So i was told i have to ring the night before if the train comes or not for the next day. Then they closed the service and said no one uses it. ummmmmm. well who th f. k is going to ring if the train comes and if not finds alternative transport?
gazzat22,
Apr 16, 9:00am
The rail system is only electrified To Papakura so any services from south have to stop and swap trains at Papakura to an electric unit.The "stupidity"occured under the Key government.!
gazzat22,
Apr 16, 9:08am
Kaz FYI Pokeno is not part of Auckland ,it comes under the Waikato District Council as does Tuakau.The Auckland boundary is basically the BP at Bombay.at one stage John and his" able" servant Rodney had the boundary cutting through Pukekohe.
gazzat22,
Apr 16, 9:44am
My grandson went by train to Auckland University from Pukekohe and return for 3 years.He said the swap at Papakura was very rarely more than 10 minutes.
sr2,
Apr 16, 10:44am
What took 10 minutes then has now become 50, sadly times have changed.
"Connecting to a different, Auckland train with a separate transport card was a slow hurdle. That transfer and full journey from Papakura took about 50 minutes".
nice_lady,
Apr 16, 10:52am
NO it wasn't. The overlander/northerner were an entirely different service and NEVER ran a railcar, nor did they have then, (or now), any kind of waitress service either ! And also they never passed thru Hamilton Central.
nice_lady,
Apr 16, 10:56am
Yeah ok. But the pictures I've seen of this new service had a diesel Loco on the front.
blands70,
Apr 16, 11:15am
I stand corrected. I was misremembering. The trains that came through Hamilton Central were going between Tauranga and Auckland. There’s no passenger service on that line now.
blands70,
Apr 16, 11:16am
Yep, that’s why Te Huia only runs as far as Papakura and from there passengers transfer to an electric service.
blands70,
Apr 16, 11:18am
The full journey (including transfer) is 50 minutes. It’s not 50 minutes of waiting around papakura for a train.
gazzat22,
Apr 16, 12:28pm
Thats because the rail system is only electrified to Papakura.As stated everything south of Papakura is not therefore run by Diesel Locos.
sr2,
Apr 16, 1:09pm
Yes your correct, do you get the feeling it will be as successful as Kiwibuild or the Harbour Bridge cycleway or the Auck petrol tax easing traffic congestion?
(I can see a pattern emerging here!).
kestrel43,
Apr 16, 2:16pm
If you're going to Britomart, it will take 50 minutes. However if you are going to Middlemore, it will take you 25 minutes and drop you right outside the front door with no parking hassles. A trip to the Auckland Airport Domestic terminal will take 45 minutes and cost $3.90. However with the soon to be opened bus lanes along SH20B it will be 35 mins. If Te Huia is able to use the soon to opened Puhinui Interchange station, then expect a further 10 min reduction.
kestrel43,
Apr 16, 2:23pm
Maybe the property developer at Pokeno could dip into his own pocket and help fund a railway station for the town especially as they featured it in advertising.
intrade,
Apr 16, 2:46pm
sidney train system is not to bad considering my standard i come from a country where the train is there 13.15 and leaves the platform 13.16 on time within about 20 sacounds out max. the auckland train is a f. kn joke to say the least. 14$ one way from manukau to pendrose i paid once 10 people in the wagon 15 minutes late and 3 people checking you paid for a ticket in the crap they call a train in auckland. one outside the train and 2 inside checking tickets
kestrel43,
Apr 16, 3:11pm
Manukau to Penrose: cost $3.90 with AT HOP card.
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