New dawn for train rides between Palmerston North and Wellington

Commuting between Palmerston North and Wellington will be transformed by Government investment in lower North Island rail services.

The Capital Connection, which is ageing and has survived numerous threats of closure, will be replaced by a rail service that will double at peak times, with two daily off-peak trips and weekend services, with travel time between cities cut by 15 minutes.

The weekend’s announcement has thrilled civic leaders.

Palmerston North MP Tangi Utikere said the multimillion-dollar investment in lower North Island rail would be a game changer for the city and region.

READ MORE:
* Palmerston North buses will go all electric
* Capital Connection ticket to ride gets discount
* Capital Connection carriage upgrade signals certainty for commuters

He said he had advocated for the rail improvements and supported the efforts of Horizons Regional Council and the Greater Wellington Regional Council to achieve the outcome.

The two councils included support for the service in their long-term plans in 2015, a cross-boundary agreement that saved the Capital Connection from imminent closure, and they had been working on a more permanent solution ever since.

Utikere said the promise of increased services would make rail a more convenient and attractive transport choice for commuters, and also for leisure travel.

The package would include new “stabling” facilities for carriages in Palmerston North, and a likely upgrade of railway station facilities.

Mayor Grant Smith said the announcement was very good for the city.

He said he had implored both political parties to support the transport infrastructure upgrade, and was confident it really would happen, although it could be four years away.

Investment in the railway station was needed to enhance passengers’ experience, he said.

Horizons’ chairwoman Rachel Keedwell said the new hybrid rail fleet would mean more reliable, efficient and attractive services which would encourage more people to use public transport, and would reduce emissions and congestion.

“Overall it’s been a team effort with strong advocacy across both regions to get this solution.”

She said the decision had been a long time coming, and the timing was critical with the current train coming to the end of its working life.

Refurbished carriages for the Capital Connection would be on the line from July, but with a five-year certification and no guarantee they could continue to be used beyond then.

She said the new service would be “just in time”.

“We know our communities will be really excited by this prospect, and will want to know a lot of detail we can’t provide yet.”

Those details would be around new timetables, services and ticket prices and when they would kick in.

“The aim is to keep ticket prices the same or lower than what they are now, and there will be no rate increases to support the increased services required for several years.”

Keedwell said Horizons would be considering what other services might be needed to support the new rail plan, such as buses to the railway station at arrival and departure times.

Both Keedwell and Utikere said the new, more flexible timetables would be more likely to encourage them to take a train more often, as the current service made for a long, 13-hour day to do business in Wellington.

Keedwell said passengers who had loyally supported the Capital Connection over the years when its future had been uncertain – currently about 200 people each way each week day – had played a part in securing the new deal.

She was particularly delighted the 18 new trains for the Manawatū and Wairarapa lines would be hybrid-electric, able to run on battery power on non-electric tracks.

Horizons had already announced its next bus fleet would be all-electric.

The rail investment announcement has also been welcomed by Save Our Trains campaigner Paul Callister.

“This is a huge win and there are considerable benefits. These new trains will connect people, promote economic development, and help reduce carbon emissions.

“They’ll help support planned population growth in Kāpiti, Horowhenua and Wairarapa.”

The Government’s pre-budget announcement on the rail service follows an unsuccessful attempt to have it included in the 2022 Budget, and built on business case preparations from 2019.