Te Huia

After the June 2006 announcement of the Overlander's cancellation, there were proposals to re-instate the Waikato Connection, including from Dave Macpherson, Hamilton City Council's Passenger Transport Committee chairman. The Overlander's cancellation was subsequently rescinded, eliminating the possibility of using its rolling stock on a new Waikato Connection, but other proposals have remained due to increased vehicular traffic volumes straining road capacity. These proposals include using the Silver Fern railcars as in the original Waikato Connection, though they were at the time under contract for suburban commuter trains between Auckland and Pukekohe. Proposals were floated in 2007 to reinstate the service.[3] An interim proposal from the Rail Working Group in 2011 recommended further assessment of three options:

a) A Silver Fern railcar from Hamilton to Papakura with a transfer to the MAXX service at Papakura

b) Extension of the MAXX service to Hamilton

c) The composite train option (Silver Fern railcar coupled to the back of an existing MAXX service at Pukekohe).

This proposal addressed cost concerns raised by the affected local government organisations by making use of existing rolling stock and infrastructure where possible and avoiding use of the Britomart Transport Centre which, because of capacity constraints, was not available for peak-time arrivals and departures of such a service.[4]

The proposal was dropped on a 2011 report[5] in favour of extension only from Pukekohe to Tuakau, but that was also shelved.[6] In 2016 the Transport Minister said, when starting work on a parallel section of Waikato Expressway costing over $2bn, "it will be some time before it makes its case economically".[7]

A further study to establish a strategic business case was started in 2017.[8] It identified the lack of a third line to Auckland and consequently, a journey time of over 2hrs 20mins as obstacles.[9] Regional Council's 2018 Long Term Plan consultation also includes a question asking whether Hamilton ratepayers will pay about $11 a year for a skeleton commuter service from Hamilton to Papakura.[10] A paper for the same plan proposes a Hamilton–Papakura bus link, taking 1hr 20mins, 10 minutes faster and much cheaper,[11] at an estimated annual cost of $54,000.[12]

The Sixth Labour Government promised commuter rail in 18 months to Hamilton[13] and commuter rail to Hamilton and Tauranga.[14] Hamilton residents want a passenger service right into Auckland (Britomart if possible).[15] Labour MP Jamie Strange expected the service to be operating by the end of 2019.[16] A 2018 Waikato Regional Council plan aimed to have more than 95% of peak rail trips completed in less than 2 hours and 30 minutes (compared with 50% by road) within 5 years, 2 hours within 15 years and eventually 90 minutes (90 km/h average).[17]

In 2019, the unofficially popular name[18] of Tron Express was announced and the start date further delayed to mid-2020.[19] But Tron received fewest positive comments and was the least well liked in focus groups,[20] so Te Huia was then recommended by two Waikato councils.[21] In 2019, there was also discussion over the level of NZTA funding.[22]

Detailed planning in 2018 put the start date back to March 2020.[23] The delayed supply of new bogies from overseas delayed by two months the startup from March to May 2020.[24][25] The service introduction was then delayed to November 2020 by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.[26][27]

The need to replace some rail track in the Auckland area (including Papakura) where slow (40 km/h) speed limits would otherwise be required had meant that the likely start month has been put back to February 2021.[2][28]

In November 2018, the proposed service from March 2020 was expected to take 91 minutes from Frankton to Papakura, stopping at Rotokauri and Huntly; and transferring at Papakura to another train to take 2 hours 29 minutes total to Britomart.[29]

In 2018 KiwiRail planned that the service would run Monday to Friday (two trains) and Saturday (one train), with a running time of 88 minutes. between Hamilton railway station and Papakura railway station with stops at Rotokauri (a new station near The Base shopping mall on the outskirts of Hamilton and the site of the former Te Rapa railway station) and Huntly railway station (to be upgraded).[30].

In late 2020, Waikato Regional Council published Te Huia's website. The new planned journey time was extended to 98 minutes (Frankton to Papakura), with intermediate stops at Rotokauri and Huntly.[31] The fares are projected to be Adult $12.20 (Hamilton Stations-Papakura) with a Bee Card, or $17.00 without. Cheaper or Free fares are available for Children, Students, SuperGold (Saturdays), and Accessibility.[32]

The indicative timetables are:

According to Te Huia website, AT services to Britomart depart Papakura approximately every 10 minuets (at peak times), the goal is to have a transfer window of 7-11 minuets.[33]

At present the only similar service is by InterCity bus, leaving Hamilton at 5.30am and arriving at Auckland at 8am[34] and returning at 7pm, to reach Hamilton at 8.49pm.[35]

There will be two consists of four refurbished SA and SD carriages, each with capacity for 147 commuters and a café car. The refurbished (by Hutt Workshops) former Auckland Transport SA and SD cars (ten SA and three SD, which became redundant in 2015) will become KiwiRail SR class.[36]

The two consists will have two SR, one SRC and one SRV carriages; with an overall capacity of 300 passengers each way daily, and could increase to two five-carriage consists with a capacity of 400 passengers each way daily.

The three carriage designs are:

• SR carriage: 50 seats & WC
• SRC carriage: 20 seats & facilities (servery) & accessible (wheel-chair) WC.
• SRV carriage: 28 seats & 10 flip-up seats, facility for cycles, generator room, staff office (also a driving cab, though this may be impractical for long-distance work and only used at each end of the journey)

The carriages will retain the modern metro-style doors which are easier for wheelchair users and cyclists to use, so will not have the wide windows as fitted to the Wairarapa Connection carriages which have traditional “quarter” doors (this slightly reduces the number of seats, but the cost of door conversion was prohibitive) .

The service will use overhauled DFB locomotives (two operating and one spare). Initially the empty trains will run to Otahuhu railway station and the Westfield sidings during the day, and will be serviced at a new carriage depot at the Rotokauri station at night.

The service may extend to Puhinui railway station from 2022 and The Strand Station from 2024 or when the third Main Line project is finished.[37]

ATAP, Auckland's 2018–2028 plan provided for Pukekohe electrification, a third line from Westfield to Wiri and further new electric trains,[38] probably part of up to $205m a year proposed by government for 'Transitional rail' spending,[39] which may include a Hamilton service.[40]

In 2019, the New Zealand government approved a review into upgrading the rail line to accommodate a maximum speed of 160 km/h, which would halve the journey times between Auckland and Hamilton.[41][42] And also in 2019, a group made up of local councils and the Ministry of Transport issued a 'Shared Statement of Spatial Intent'. It envisages that suburban electric services may extend to Pokeno within 10 years and that, beyond that, the whole route would be electrified and faster alignments be created via the Bombay Hills, around the Whangamarino wetland and east of Huntly. It also suggests a spur to Hamilton Airport.[43]

An interim business case released by the minister in August 2020 said that "Rapid Rail" could cost between $2.2 billion and $14.4 billion, and said there was a strong case for further investigation. Electrifying the present rail corridor would cost an estimated $2.157 billion with additional operating costs of $725 million, having trains travelling at up to 110 km/h with a travel time between the two centres of 1 hour and 53 minutes. A new standard gauge corridor would cost $14.425 billion; having trains travelling at 250 km/h and taking 69 minutes.

There were two intermediate options, with trains travelling at 160 km/h and taking 1 hour 28 minutes, or at 110 km/h in 1 hour 41 minutes. Previous options included "Tilt Trains". And all four options include a new underground rail station in the Hamilton CBD[44] and all allow 32 minutes for the 35 km (22 mi) between Papakura and Britomart.[45]

• Photos of the coaches being refurbished in 2020:
• Te Huia Website
• Te Huia on Facebook
• Te Huia on Instagram