NZ Transit Buzz

#CRLNews: Auckland Transport has confirmed that all of the rail operator Auckland One Rail's 283 drivers have been trained for City Rail Link operations.

#CRLNews: City Rail Link has shared images of the nearly completed Maungawhau Station.

Access to the station will be from Ruru Street, with walking and cycling links from Mount Eden Road.

*Change the road layout at the bottom of Wellesley Street
*Extend the bus layover on Beaumont Street and install a signalised pedestrian crossing to get to and from Victoria Park.

MORE: at.govt.nz/projects-and...

Proposed changes:
*Introduce a bus lane in each direction along Wellesley Street between Albert Street and Victoria Park
*Consolidate bus stops and install new bus shelters along Wellesley Street

#BusNews: Auckland Transport is proposing changes to Wellesley Street between Albert Street, Victoria Park, and Beaumont Street to improve bus connections, journey times and safety.

Why a Chinese shipyard won the Interislander contract The Chinese shipyard that won the contract to build two new Interislander ferries made a “comprehensive, competitive and compelling commercial offer&rdquo...

#FerryNews:The Chinese shipyard that won the contract to build two new Interislander ferries made a “comprehensive, competitive and compelling commercial offer”, new documents show.

Via BusinessDesk: businessdesk.co.nz/article/infr...

Supply chain issues expected as ferry fault takes Interislander down to one vessel The freight industry warns that ageing ferries leave the vital link increasingly fragile.

#FerryNews: Supply chain disruptions are expected after a mechanical fault reduced KiwiRail’s Interislander fleet to a single ferry during its peak season.

Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellingto...

#CRLNews: Jack Pringle, City Rail Link's Testing, Commissioning and Systems Integration Supervisor, has shared a video showcasing the nearly completed Maungawhau station light up at dusk as seen from the station's ventilation shaft.

Ezibilt™ platform and stair systems with Tuffrail® handrails enhance safety for KiwiRail staff | Architecture & Design Moddex was engaged by long-term client KiwiRail to deliver a service pit safety upgrade at the Westfield Locomotive Depot. The scope involved the design and installation of access and fall protection ...

#RailNews: Moddex was engaged KiwiRail to deliver a service pit safety upgrade at the Westfield Locomotive Depot.

Moddex delivered two continuous 45m raised service platforms and multiple stairs.

Via Architecture & Design: www.architectureanddesign.com.au/editorial/pr...

#BusNews: The trial reopening of the Hairini Street slip lane onto Turret Road to general traffic has been extended until construction of the Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay upgrade gets underway, which is currently scheduled for mid-2027.

MORE: letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/sliplanetrial

#BusNews: GoBay Hawke's Bay are adjusting departure times for two routes from March 16.

1A will now depart Dalton St at 7.30am (previously 7.45am) and arrive at all stops 15 mins earlier.

11 will now depart Dalton St at 7:35am (previously 7.40am) and arrive at all stops 5 mins earlier.

#BusNews: Pete Moth, Head of Public Transport Services at AT has shared that for the week ending 20 February 2026 Route 12 saw its highest patronised week with more than 20,000 boardings.

MORE: www.linkedin.com/posts/peter-...

Te Huia - what comes next? Te Huia, the regional train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been given a one-year life extension. But it needs more bums on seats to ensure it becomes permanent. Read on for more.

#TrainNews: Te Huia, the regional train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been given a one-year life extension. But it needs more bums on seats to ensure it becomes permanent.

By @darrendavis.bsky.social via Adventures in Transitland: adventuresintransitland.substack.com/p/te-huia-wh...

KiwiRail shares 'major progress' at new train stations KiwiRail has shared an update on three new train stations being built between Drury and Paerata in the North Island of New Zealand.

#StationNews: KiwiRail shared an update on three new train stations being built between Drury and Paerata.

Test trains stopped at each platform for the first time to check the clearances between the trains and the new infrastructure.

Via Rail Express: www.railexpress.com.au/kiwirail-sha...

The booking system is expected to go live in early April, with details on pickup hubs, departure times, and the booking process to be published shortly.

Fares will be Early bird $4.80pp and Standard $6.00pp return.

MORE: metro.co.nz/eventdirect

#TransportNews: Metro is gearing up to launch its Event Direct shuttle bus service.

Event Direct is a pre-booked shuttle bus to help customers travel to and from major events at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha from 11 different locations around Christchurch.

#RailNews: Auckland Transport has shared a timelapse video showing the post-CRL East-West line in operation between Manukau and Swanson during a recent test run.

The Hidden Details of AT's CRL Timetable Test - Greater Auckland A close look at the CRL timetable Auckland Transport tested in January reveals some useful insights – and some concerning details for passengers.

#TrainNews: Auckland Transport tested their planned City Rail Link timetable in January, and it wasn’t a success. We know they plan to make some changes before their next test run in April.

Via @greaterauckland.bsky.social: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/03/10/t...

#BusNews: NZ Transit Buzz has spotted several Kinetic buses with Auckland Transport’s ‘Let the bus go first’ stickers applied to the back of the bus.

It is not clear if these will be issued to all operators.

NZTA is consulting on making giving way to buses exiting stops a requirement.

#TransportNews: Palmerston North’s fully electric bus network continues to show signs of success, with patronage growing 69.4% since it was launched.

MORE: www.horizons.govt.nz/news/palmy-b...

The three contract units covering the Auckland Isthmus commence on 11 July 2027, with a fully-electric fleet to be used from day one. These three units have a contract length of 11 years.

Kinetic will begin operating the first of these units (covering East Auckland connector bus services and frequent route 35) on 6 December 2026.

The services will be initially operated by diesel buses with a pathway towards electrification over the 8.6-year contract.

The contract will see Kinetic introducing a fully-electric fleet in mid-2027 to serve 23 different bus routes across the Auckland Isthmus, including the 24B/24R, 25B/25L, 65, 66, 67A/67B, 68 and 68.

The new double-decker buses will be built using aerospace-grade aluminium technology.

#BusNews: Auckland Transport is announcing the award of a $755 million bus services contract to Kinetic.

Services that will connect Auckland’s Eastern suburbs with the Eastern Busway and serve suburbs like Flatbush and East Tāmaki are also included in the contract announced.

#BusNews: Auckland Transport have confirmed there will be some cancellations on Routes 32, 36, 38, 309 and 311 due to bus compliance issues.

NZ Transit Buzz understands the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team have targeted multiple operators, ordering unsafe buses off the road.

#BusNews: @YT_JoshTransit on X has shared images of the Wellesley Street Bus Improvements project.

Recent additions include: Glass panes, PIDs and design installations.

#BusNews: @yt_joshtransit on X has shared an image of a recently installed Driver Safety Screen onboard Kinetic Group's Auckland batch of NB5800 CRRC eT12 MAXs.

This is a part of a wider regional rollout of driver safety screens to keep Auckland Bus Drivers safe while working.

#BusNews: The Otago Regional Council has confirmed that it will not lead the development of an electric bus charging depot in Queenstown.

MORE: www.orc.govt.nz/your-council...