Growth continues at double figure percentages
The Mayor made the announcement at the Auckland Conversations event earlier this week which drew a piss weak response from the audience. A real shame considering we just grew another million rail passenger tips in five months.
First from the Mayoral Office then Auckland Transport
Record 13 million trips on Auckland’s trains in past year
Aucklanders have taken more than 13 million trips across the Auckland rail network in the past year, hitting the latest patronage milestone just five months after passing the 12 million trip mark.
Mayor Len Brown says the latest milestone confirms once again that Aucklanders are crying out for better transport choices and that they are taking to the new electric trains in their droves.
Auckland Council’s target was 15 million rail trips annually by 2017, but the Mayor says the 13 million milestone suggests we could reach that target by the end of this year and if we continue the current rate of growth in rail patronage, we will pass the Government’s 20 million trip target in 2017/18.
“Since the rollout of electric trains started less than a year ago, the number of people getting out of their cars and jumping on the train is soaring, and that will continue to increase with the Southern Line roll-out complete by the end of this month and the Western Line roll-out completing the transition to electric trains by the middle of the year.
“Every day, Aucklanders tell me they want better public transport. This latest milestone confirms what we have always said – if we can build it, they will get out of their cars and use it. The issue is now that by the middle of this year, Britomart will have reached capacity and the simple fact is no more trains will be able to fit in.”
Auckland has suffered chronic under-investment in its transport infrastructure for decades. Improving transport is the Auckland Council’s number one investment priority as it drafts its next 10-year budget over the coming months – the Long-term Plan (LTP) 2015-2025. At the top of the list is the $2.4 billion City Rail Link, which will double rail patronage and which the council will begin building early next year.
“At a time when more and more people are choosing to travel by rail, we need to start construction in 2016 if this city is to cope with its rapidly growing population,” says Len Brown. “Aucklanders are behind this, the business and investment community are behind this, we just need to get on and get it done.”
The public have until 4pm on Monday 16 March to have their say on the transport system they want and how they would like to pay for it as part of the public consultation of Auckland Council’s 10-year budget. Aucklanders can give feedback via social media, the shapeauckland.co.nz website, filling in the consultation forms sent to Auckland letter boxes or attending Have Your Say events being held around Auckland.
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Auckland Rail Patronage Milestones
- 1993: 1.123 million trips annually
- July 2003: Britomart opens
- March 2004: 3 million trips
- September 2005: 4 million
- June 2006: 5 million
- November 2007: 6 million
- August 2008: 7 million
- December 2009: 8 million
- November 2010: 9 million
- July 2011: 10 million
- March 2014: 11 million
- April 2014: Electric train rollout begins
- October 2014: 12 million
- March 2015: 13 million
- Mid-2015: Electric Train roll out complete
- 2016: 15 million (projected)
- 2018: 20 million (projected)
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Auckland train numbers hit the lucky 13 million
04/03/2015 10:53 a.m.
Auckland’s trains are now carrying 10,000 more customers on a normal weekday than this time last year.
Auckland Transport’s Group Manager Public Transport Mark Lambert says, “We reached 11 million annual trips in March last year and here we are a year later adding another two million.”
Each weekday in February, on average 51,500 customers used Auckland’s trains including 12,500 during the morning peak (7am to 9am).
Mr Lambert says “Significant growth has been recorded on both the Onehunga and Eastern Lines which now run only electric trains.” The numbers are up 50% for Eastern Line stations (Orakei to Sylvia Park) and Onehunga/Te Papapa.
This week some longer six-car trains have been rolled out on the Eastern Line to help with passenger numbers. There will be more longer trains in the next few weeks.
“We are aiming to have electric trains on most services by the middle of this year and that means extra capacity as well as improved comfort and reliability.”
Mr Lambert says stations which have had major investment are also recording big patronage growth. Passenger numbers have doubled at Panmure in the past year and there’s been a 24% increase at New Lynn.
“The stand-out performer is Manukau station where numbers are up 176% for the year. That ties in with the completion of the MIT campus and an increase in the number of services before Christmas.”
The numbers using the trains on the weekend has also increased significantly. Mr Lambert says this can be put down to more services and the fact that there has been fewer weekend closures.
Overall total public transport boardings have increased by more than 9% for the twelve months to the end of February, an additional 6.6 million boardings taking the annual total to 77 million.
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Source: https://at.govt.nz/about-us/news-events/auckland-train-numbers-hit-the-lucky-13-million/
Excellent news indeed
That said the Manukau and Southern Lines will be truly tested in two weekends time with the large Pasifika Festival moved to Hayman Park – Manukau City Centre. I just hope Auckland Transport have a good transport event management program in place with Pasifika more accessible via bus and road than its original Western Springs home.
Talking Southern Auckland 
Keep up the excellent work.