Walk more, wait less: Waikato’s bus network overhaul

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Waikato Regional Council is proposing reducing the coverage, and increasing frequency of buses in Hamilton.

Waikato Regional Council is proposing a shake-up of Hamilton’s bus network that would see more frequent buses on fewer routes, in a shift aimed at boosting public transport use across the city.

Under the plan, three key routes, Orbiter, Comet and Meteor, along with a new Rototuna line, would operate as high-frequency services with buses running every 15 minutes from 7am to 10pm, and every 30 minutes outside those hours, from 6am to midnight, seven days a week including public holidays.

To make this work, the council is proposing to reduce coverage elsewhere in the city, consolidating or replacing existing services and asking passengers to walk further to get to them..

Feedback on the proposed changes closes on July 13.

According to the council, the trade-off reflects ‘international best practice’ and local data showing passengers are willing to walk further for more reliable, ‘turn up and go’ bus services.

The plan is part of a wider regional review being carried out ahead of a 2026 tender process, and focuses on areas where contracts are up for renewal.

Feedback on changes for other areas will be sought when their contracts expire.

There’s a focus on high-frequency bus services to encourage more bus use.

Changes to non-frequent services include combining existing routes: the Te Rapa and Pukete services would merge into one Te Rapa route; Dinsdale and University into one route; and Claudelands would be absorbed into a new Fairfield service.

Rototuna services would be restructured around the new high-frequency line, with existing loops removed.

The Hillcrest service would take over from the discontinued Hamilton Gardens Uni route.

Remaining non-frequent services would run every 60 minutes from 7am to 9pm, seven days a week.

Hamilton-Raglan bus services are proposed to stop at the transport centre.

Longer-term plans go further, replacing the Orbiter with two new high-frequency routes, the Northern Link and Southern Link, bringing the total number of high-frequency services in Hamilton to five.

The council is also exploring on-demand transport options where riders book a trip by phone or app, especially for areas that lose fixed-route services.

These proposals support goals set out in the Waikato Regional Public Transport Plan, which aims to make services at least carbon neutral from 2025 to 2050, while improving access and increasing use.

While Hamilton would see the biggest changes, other parts of the Waikato are also in line for updates.

The regional council plans to boost Morrinsville-Hamilton services to every 30 minutes at peak.

In Raglan, current service levels would be maintained in the short term, but all buses would start and end at the Hamilton Transport Centre, removing stops near some schools.

A new Raglan circulator service is proposed to run every two hours from 7am to 7pm daily, with potential to expand.

Long-term, weekday return trips between Raglan and Hamilton would increase to nine per day.

In Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki, the low-demand Te Aroha to Paeroa leg of the Eastern Connector would be removed, redirecting funding to connect other Hauraki towns to Thames.

Medium and long-term plans include a new peak-time Pōkeno–Drury train station link.

The Thames Connector would reduce from five to three daily trips, while adding new links to Ngātea, Kerepehi and Turua.

Medium-term proposals include once-a-week services to Paeroa, Waihi, Whangamatā, Whitianga and Coromandel, with weekend services added long term.

In Matamata-Piako, Te Aroha trips would start at the town’s northern end.

The regional council plans to boost Morrinsville–Hamilton services to every 30 minutes at peak, and add town loops in Morrinsville, Matamata and Te Aroha.

Long-term proposals include hourly peak services from both Matamata and Te Aroha to Hamilton.

North Waikato would see the Te Kauwhata to Pukekohe section of Route 21 cut in the short term.

Two alternatives are proposed: adding a Hamilton to Te Kauwhata return trip or extending Route 44 to Te Kauwhata via Meremere and Mercer.

Medium and long-term plans include more frequent services, a new peak-time Pōkeno–Drury train station link, and 20-minute peak frequencies on key corridors.

Public feedback will help shape the final network design before it goes to tender in early 2026.

What do you think of the proposed changes - will more frequent buses on fewer routes improve your travel, or make it harder to get where you need to go? Let us know in the comments.