21 March 2002

Fans of The Blues will be able to zip past the regular pre-match traffic congestion for the first home game of the season, with a free trip on ANY train in the Auckland region to and from Eden Park!

Tranz Metro and The Blues Franchise are offering punters the opportunity to use their game tickets as free train passes on any of the regular train services as well as a host of special services scheduled specifically for the The Blues vs. Chiefs match on March 23. This is the first time Aucklanders have been offered the opportunity to take advantage of free rail transport to a major sporting event, and patronage expectations are anticipated to be well into the thousands.

Tranz Metro Marketing Manager, Gordon Horsely, is enthusiastic at the potential for many Aucklanders to realise how much more convenient catching public transport can be and has challenged other event organisers to get behind the promotion of alternative transport options. ¡§It¡¦s great to work with an organisation such as The Blues Franchise which, like Tranz Metro, has a real commitment to Aucklanders. We¡¦ll be running train services across the region to Eden Park on Saturday, stopping at every station on the route to pick up rugby fans along the way. The trip to the match on the train will be the start of a whole day¡¦s fun and entertainment.¡¨

Public Transport Committee Chairwoman, Catherine Harland is also enthusiastic about a greater number of events using public transport as the primary means of access to their venues. ¡§It¡¦s fantastic to see the business community encouraging Aucklanders to get out of their cars and try an easier means of travel when planning a day out at one of the region¡¦s most popular sporting events,¡¨ she said.

Tranz Metro will operate the normal hourly Saturday services to Eden Park (Kingsland Station) on the South and West lines in addition to a number of special services:

„h Departing from Waitakere and stopping at all stations along the way to Eden Park.
„h Departing from Papakura and travel via Ellerslie stopping at all stations on the way
„h Departing from Otahuhu and travelling on the Eastern line via the Glen Innes, Orakei and Auckland stations (around the waterfront) stopping at all stations along the way

For full details of arrival and departure times at all stations, call Rideline 366 6400 or visit the website www.rideline.co.nz

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