ARC announces rail timetable for Britomart

With the Britomart Transport Centre nearing completion, the ARC has announced a revised timetable for the rail network.

Effective as of June 9, the new timetable includes the first of the gradual changes and improvements to rail services aimed at increasing the frequency of services and providing some additional capacity.

ARC Passenger Transport Chairwoman, Catherine Harland, says the ARC is on track to deliver what we promised for the opening of Britomart.

“Our focus has been on ensuring that eight refurbished ADL trains are ready for the opening of the Britomart Transport Centre, along with a number of improvements to services. Four of the refurbished trains are already operating on the network and customers have made positive comments about these.

“We’re now pleased to announce the new timetable for rail passengers”, says Cr Harland. "After years of talk we are now delivering the region a pragmatic, staged programme of new services - real progress and real action. It is not a big-bang, grand scheme with all the bells and whistles but at last customers will see long demanded evening services, some earlier train times and more trains to and from Pukekohe. We're using what we've got better and smarter."

"More changes and more services will be introduced over the coming year, assuming funding increases proposed in the ARC's 2003/04 Annual Plan are confirmed."

From June 9, the new timetable will operate across all lines with trains continuing to arrive at, and depart from, Beach Road station as they do now.

From July 7 (weather permitting) an historic milestone will occur, rail services will travel directly to and from the Britomart Transport Centre, returning train travellers to the bottom of Queen St and giving far better access to the CBD.

Key points to note relating to the new timetable are:

Trains will depart the CBD later in the evening – until 8pm Monday to Saturday - allowing greater flexibility for passenger travel times (currently services cease around 6.30pm).

Pukekohe travellers will have additional early morning and evening service, and for the first time a mid-morning and mid-afternoon service.

There will be earlier trains on the Eastern line, running half hourly from 6am (regular morning services currently start at 7.15am).

All other services will find their timetable slightly altered to take into account the additional running time to and from Britomart Station.

In late July more trains will be available to operate a loop service (via the Eastern line, Beach Road Station and Southern line, and in the reverse direction) enabling two additional services to leave from Papakura in the morning peak and two additional services in the afternoon from Newmarket.

Further improvements to rail timetables and frequencies will be implemented gradually over the coming year. Within six months of the commencement of services to and from Britomart, the timetable will also include a 10-minute peak frequency between Papakura and the CBD, additional peak services from New Lynn to the CBD, evening services to 11pm, and Sunday services.

The new full timetable is available by logging on to www.rideline.co.nz and actual timetable brochures will be available on the trains from late May. For questions and discussion, visit the Britomart Transport Centre Forum on the Rideline website.

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