7 September 2021
Te Huia train service launched in April 2021 offering two return services between Hamilton and Auckland on weekdays and selected Saturdays. Te Huia can carry more than 500 people between the two cities each day – the first Saturday service was so busy there was standing room only from Rotokauri to Papakura.
It’s estimated Te Huia will reduce car trips between Hamilton and Auckland by up to 73,000 each year, which will help make roads safer, reduce congestion at peak times and reduce New Zealand’s carbon footprint. It also gives people a reliable, stress-free way to travel between the two cities.
Waikato Regional Council and Waka Kotahi have invested around $98 million in this five-year project. Getting this service up and running shows what partners can achieve through collaboration. This work was led by Waikato Regional Council in partnership with Waka Kotahi, KiwiRail, Hamilton City Council, Waikato District Council, Auckland Transport and the Ministry of Transport.
Te Huia will be trialed for just over four years, which gives local people time to try it out and the regional council the opportunity to collect data and insights to help inform next steps.
As part of the 2021–24 National Land Transport Programme, more than $3.2 billion will be invested on work that improves transport options and helps reduce carbon emissions across the Waikato and Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland regions.
2021–24 NLTP Waikato regional summary
2021–24 NLTP Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland regional summary
