AT and rail transport in Auckland

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kryptonjohn

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#237778 18-Jun-2018 08:29

Went out for dinner in the Britomart area last might at Ortolana - I will post about that elsewhere...

As we're quite close to Orakei train station I figured my wife and I would catch the train in to avoid parking and allow having a few wines. I have a HOP card so easy for me, but wife doesn't so needs a paper ticket. The machine doesn't seem to offer round trip tickets, so have to purchase a ticket each time. Fail #1. The price of a ticket for the 7 minute ride into Britomart from Orakei? $5.50. Are you kidding me? Cheaper to just catch an Uber. Also more convenient, and drier. Fail #2.

On the way in and on the way home, the trains are only 2/hour. Had a near 30 minute wait on the way home. Fail #3.

Using the train was seriously terrible. Over-priced. No security to be seen. Long wait. And this is already being subsidised by rate payers? Never again.

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#2039369 18-Jun-2018 08:37

I was in Taiwan last week and a train ride about the distance from Auckland CBD to Papakura worked out under $1 NZ and the trains came about every 5 / 6 minutes

John

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#2039391 18-Jun-2018 08:52

What's wrong with a half hourly train service? Weekend eveings in Wellington are all hourly services which is what the demand dictates.

Would you be happy if your rates went up to offer more frequent services?

sbiddle

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#2039392 18-Jun-2018 08:55

Linux:

I was in Taiwan last week and a train ride about the distance from Auckland CBD to Papakura worked out under $1 NZ and the trains came about every 5 / 6 minutes

John

And the population is a lot greater than Auckland as well..

kryptonjohn

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#2039394 18-Jun-2018 08:56

Wow. Maybe AT shouldn't have spent so many millions moving themselves into a totally Gucci refurb of the Vodafone building in the swanky Viaduct Harbour precinct. Not sure those beautiful views over the harbour are a requirement for getting our public transport moving. They have an incredible number of staff in the $200k+ salary bracket as well.

Grump, harrumpf and bah-humbug!

Davy

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#2039407 18-Jun-2018 09:08

I agree with you kryptonjohn. Half-hour gaps and excessive fares are the reason so many people in Auckland are pushed into driving everywhere.

It's even worse in other parts of Auckland though, especially North Shore which doesn't even have a single train station. This needs fixing, because it's high time we had a government in NZ that took climate change action seriously.

davidcole

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#2039412 18-Jun-2018 09:12

Davy: I agree with you kryptonjohn. Half-hour gaps and excessive fares are the reason so many people in Auckland are pushed into driving everywhere.

It's even worse in other parts of Auckland though, especially North Shore which doesn't even have a single train station. This needs fixing, because it's high time we had a government in NZ that took climate change action seriously.

As much as I grumble about the Wellington trains (been using them for over 15 years to get into work), I don't think NZ has the population to support more frequent train/bus services even though I'd also like that.

Similar on the pricing I suspect, it does seem high by comparison to overseas....I wonder how that is set (ie how much is pure operating cost and how much is lets see how much profit we can extract).

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Linux

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#2039413 18-Jun-2018 09:15

I have no issue with the 30 minute gap I would of checked the time table before leaving home for the trip home and planned to leave the restaurant 10 minutes before hand

John

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Linux

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#2039415 18-Jun-2018 09:17

sbiddle:

Linux:

I was in Taiwan last week and a train ride about the distance from Auckland CBD to Papakura worked out under $1 NZ and the trains came about every 5 / 6 minutes

John

And the population is a lot greater than Auckland as well..

That is correct but when I got the train home from Shilin night market it had very few people on it at 10pm (ish)

John

kryptonjohn

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#2039416 18-Jun-2018 09:17

sbiddle:

What's wrong with a half hourly train service? Weekend eveings in Wellington are all hourly services which is what the demand dictates.

Would you be happy if your rates went up to offer more frequent services?

Seriously?

It's too long to wait. Can get an Uber in about 5 minutes. I think this just shows that rail is a technology still stuck with limitations from the 1800's.

Rates shouldn't have to go up. Auckland city needs to learn how to budget.

davidcole

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#2039417 18-Jun-2018 09:18

Linux:

I have no issue with the 30 minute gap I would of checked the time table before leaving home for the trip home and planned to leave the restaurant 10 minutes before hand

John

I did this on Friday with a local bus, but after 60 (they're supposed to be 30 mins apart) mins and the ever moving schedule we gave up.....at least trains are generally more reliable than that.

sbiddle

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#2039418 18-Jun-2018 09:21

Davy: I agree with you kryptonjohn. Half-hour gaps and excessive fares are the reason so many people in Auckland are pushed into driving everywhere.

It's even worse in other parts of Auckland though, especially North Shore which doesn't even have a single train station. This needs fixing, because it's high time we had a government in NZ that took climate change action seriously.

Who do you propose pays the estimated (last time I saw a price mentioned) $10 billion for a tunnel or new bridge and train line?

I still don't think fares are expensive. Public transport costs in Auckland based on journey distances are less than Wellington, and I don't consider $3.30 for a 2 zone trip on the train excessive. It's NZTA strategy (nothing to do with AT) to charge premiums for cash payments vs stored value cards. Here in Wellington you can't get discounted fares unless you purchase a 10 trip ticket, so to compare say Wellington to Upper Hutt vs Britomart to Papukura it's $9 in Wellington for a casual trip vs $6.20 in Auckland on HOP.

davidcole

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#2039420 18-Jun-2018 09:21

kryptonjohn:

sbiddle:

What's wrong with a half hourly train service? Weekend eveings in Wellington are all hourly services which is what the demand dictates.

Would you be happy if your rates went up to offer more frequent services?

Seriously?

It's too long to wait. Can get an Uber in about 5 minutes. I think this just shows that rail is a technology still stuck with limitations from the 1800's.

Rates shouldn't have to go up. Auckland city needs to learn how to budget.

So all you're doing is justifying why it should stay at 30 mins, because you'd rather take a car (regardless of whether you're driving it or not), you're filling the roads...if everyone took that attitude then they may as well drop the times to 60 mins as they're not used enough, or reduce the seating.

sbiddle

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#2039422 18-Jun-2018 09:24

kryptonjohn:

sbiddle:

What's wrong with a half hourly train service? Weekend eveings in Wellington are all hourly services which is what the demand dictates.

Would you be happy if your rates went up to offer more frequent services?

Seriously?

It's too long to wait. Can get an Uber in about 5 minutes. I think this just shows that rail is a technology still stuck with limitations from the 1800's.

Rates shouldn't have to go up. Auckland city needs to learn how to budget.

Do you think trains don't cost money to run? How do you propose running more frequent services when public transport is funded by roughly 50% by taxpayers?

Public transport now is largely managed and funded by NZTA with a lot of more changes occurring from the 1st July this year. As dysfunctional as AT are, attacking them seems very narrow minded.

trig42

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#2039430 18-Jun-2018 09:34

kryptonjohn:

sbiddle:

What's wrong with a half hourly train service? Weekend eveings in Wellington are all hourly services which is what the demand dictates.

Would you be happy if your rates went up to offer more frequent services?

Seriously?

It's too long to wait. Can get an Uber in about 5 minutes. I think this just shows that rail is a technology still stuck with limitations from the 1800's.

Rates shouldn't have to go up. Auckland city needs to learn how to budget.

Now that you have done it once, you have learnt.

Next time, get your wife a HOP card, and leave the restaurant a bit later/earlier so that you get to the station on time and don't have to wait as long (check the timetable using their app or website).

I agree there is a way to go to catch up to overseas, but it's not like they aren't trying (the CRL will improve services, and hopefully get more people out of cars). Public transport in Auckland has been neglected for so long, it will take time to fix it. The trains now are multiple time better than they were 10 years ago. They will get better. Hopefully this government gets spades in the ground ASAP for light rail, and a case can be made for Light Rail to and around the shore too.

old3eyes

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#2039434 18-Jun-2018 09:37

kryptonjohn:

Went out for dinner in the Britomart area last might at Ortolana - I will post about that elsewhere...

As we're quite close to Orakei train station I figured my wife and I would catch the train in to avoid parking and allow having a few wines. I have a HOP card so easy for me, but wife doesn't so needs a paper ticket. The machine doesn't seem to offer round trip tickets, so have to purchase a ticket each time. Fail #1. The price of a ticket for the 7 minute ride into Britomart from Orakei? $5.50. Are you kidding me? Cheaper to just catch an Uber. Also more convenient, and drier. Fail #2.

On the way in and on the way home, the trains are only 2/hour. Had a near 30 minute wait on the way home. Fail #3.

Using the train was seriously terrible. Over-priced. No security to be seen. Long wait. And this is already being subsidised by rate payers? Never again.

AT charges a premium for cash fares as they should. Nothing worse that on a bus while people dig in their pocket for the fare or give the driver a $20 bill for a 6Km ride. I assume rail pricing is based on the same. I bought my wife a HOP card even though she may only use it 3 times a year. Maybe you should do the same..

Regards,

Old3eyes

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