22 Oct 2023

More services to be added to Te Huia train timetable

10:00 am on 22 October 2023
The first Te Huia commuter train from Hamilton to Auckland arrives at Papakura on Tuesday morning.

File photo. Photo: RNZ / Gill Bonnett

People will soon have more flexibility when taking the train between Hamilton and Auckland.

More services were being added to the timetable for Te Huia, from February.

A third daily return service would run on Thursdays and Fridays and a second return service on Saturdays.

KiwiRail said upgrades to The Strand customer centre in Auckland would also be completed by February, including a café, waiting area, toilets and showers, and free WiFi.

In July, Waka Kotahi sanctioned Te Huia and restricted its service, after two incidents of the train failing to stop for red signals.

The train was banned from the Auckland metro network, stopping in Papakura instead.

In August, it was given the go-ahead to return to the CBD.

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