Auckland train cancellations could continue this week

Monday, 17 June 2019

Train cancellations could continue this week for Aucklanders commuting via the southern and eastern lines due to maintenance.

At least eight trains services from Papakura, Britomart and Manukau were cancelled on Monday morning, Auckland Transport said.

Other services were experiencing delays of about five to eight minutes, due to KiwiRail imposed speed restrictions because of substandard tracks.

'KiwiRail has assured us that the track is safe. These speed restrictions help maintain the track condition until maintenance work can be completed.'

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AT spokesman Mark Hannan said the cancellations and delays were frustrating.

'We're finding it hard to maintain 10 minute frequencies due to speed restrictions.'

He believed there would be no further cancellations on Monday morning, but possibly more further into the week.

Although the disruptions were primarily on the southern line, the wider AT Metro network would also see a flow on effect.

Stuff is aware of at least two cancellations on the western line, which were not included in AT bulletins.

Heath Anderson said he and others on three 'fairly full carriages' heading into the city from Morningside were told the service would be terminating in Kingsland, with no offer of explanation.

Anderson had heard about cancellations on the southern and eastern lines, but was disappointed in the lack of transparency over what happened on the western line.

'Tell us if there are going to be cancellations and tell us why.'

KiwiRail Executive General Manager Operations Siva Sivapakkiam, apologised for the inconvenience to commuters, but said safety was KiwiRail's top priority.

'KiwiRail owns and maintains the railway tracks and signals for the Auckland network, as part of our regular maintenance programme, we have inspected and identified sections of rail track that need replacing on the southern and eastern lines.

'We have placed temporary speed restrictions at several locations on the southern and eastern lines until we can carry out this work. The line needs to be closed to commuter trains to safely lay the new rail track.'

Sivapakkiam said KiwiRail was working closely with AT to prioritise the required maintenance and to lift the temporary speed restrictions as quickly as possible.

 'On the basis of the current speed restrictions, it should be expected that delays will continue, and that some services may be cancelled.

'Future inspections of the rail track across the Auckland network may require further temporary speed restrictions to be introduced,' he said.

The delays come after passengers were stuck on halted services for more than an hour on Friday, due to a KiwiRail signal issue.

Cancellations on Monday included:

- 6.54am Papakura to Britomart

- 7.03am Manukau to Britomart

- 7.34am Papakura to Britomart

- 7.46am Britomart to Manukau

- 7.50am Britomart to Papakura

- 8.30am Britomart to Papakura

- 8.33am Manukau to Britomart

- 8.54am Papakura to Britomart