Patronage on the commuter rail system in Auckland has reached nine million journeys per year.
The Auckland Transport Agency says patronage over the past month is up 14% on the previous year, due to recent big events such as the U2 concert.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown on Friday selected a passenger arriving at the Britomart terminus to receive a month's free travel to mark the milestone.
Auckland Transport expects annual rail patronage to reach 10 million by the end of next year.