Tag: Auckland Transport

First New EMU Unveiled

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Our First Electric Train Unveiled

 

Yesterday Mayor Len Brown and Auckland Transport head Dr Lester Levy unveiled our brand new first Electric train at the new Wiri Depot.

I will let Matt from Auckland Transport Blog do all the “speaking” from his experience yesterday at the event: Our First Electric Train.

 

What I will make mention of is the planned roll out of the new EMU’s across the Auckland network over the next two-year period. From ATB who got it from Auckland Transport:

Essentially from what I have learnt (and this can change so Auckland Transport if I do have this next bit wrong can you let me know and I shall correct it ASAP) this will be the roll out plan Line by Line:

The roll out of the EMU’s is the following:
1) Onehunga Line 
2) Manukau Line 
3) Southern Line and Eastern Line 
4) Western Line 
5) Pukekohe (this is dependent on when Pukekohe gets electrified (if it is done by the end of next year then Pukekohe will join the Southern and Eastern Lines at number 3)

The Onehunga Line was chosen first as it is the shortest line to test the new EMUs on. Then the Manukau Line is next soon after that.

The reason those two lines were chosen first was two-fold:
1) Retire the ADK class DMUs from the fleet first up
2) Free up the ADL DMU’s for Pukekohe runs and extra Southern Line runs

The West is last as they have the DFT 6-car sets which hold the most passengers in the diesel fleet. As more EMU’s come on stream the DC-4 (and 5) car sets will be sent west to add more frequency until all the EMU’s are here to replace them.

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Of course with Pukekohe due to be electrified (and two new stations added in that area (Drury and Paerata), the City Rail Link on its way, the Mt Roskill Spur Line under active consideration, and the Manukau Rail South Link due to be reported on in November I think Auckland might want to be taking another option of 15 more EMU’s to give some residual capacity (especially if we start top-and-tailing the consists to get EMU-6 car sets). But I suppose we will have to wait and see what “options” Auckland Transport take on more EMU’s.

 

In any case, can not wait to ride on these new machines once they are in operation from Papakura.

 

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Updates and Coming Ups

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All Go as we march towards September 5

 

Things are “quiet” at the moment as we head towards September 5 – the day when the Governing Body (Council) either: sets a date for formal notification for the Unitary Plan or sends it back to the Auckland Plan Committee for more refinement after the elections (October 12).

Prior to September 5 though we have the final Auckland Plan Committee meetings to be held 28-30 August. These meetings will formally decide what from the 7000 pages of “tracked changes” made to the Unitary Plan goes into the next version of the UP that will be decided for notification. Of course I will be at the Auckland Plan Committee meetings running live commentary as the proceedings happen. Also once I receive a copy of the tracked changes I will see if I can upload it for those who wish to view it.

 

While we wait for all this to occur, feel free to brush up on the latest in the run up to September 5. As we call for level heads as the Councillors make these big decisions, a reminder what is at stake can be seen in these two posts:

 

The Congestion Free Network

Mayor Len Brown has met with representatives from Generation Zero and Auckland Transport Blog to discuss the overall narrative of the Congestion Free Network alternative (to the 2012 Integrated Transport Program). You can read ATB’s report on it here: Len Brown and the Congestion Free Network

Talking Auckland is supportive of this move and will be keeping a close eye on this as preparations are made for the 2015 Integrated Transport Program. Of course I wonder if they should be adding a line to Manukau from the south as the South Link continues to build momentum. The report on the South Link is due around November and I will be keeping tabs with Auckland Transport as time draws nearer.

 

Manukau Super Metropolitan Centre

Work continues to advance on restoring the love in Manukau. TotaRim and stakeholders are working together in preparing to draw up plans to present to Council on both the “theory” and “practical” fronts.

The theory front is getting the Super Metropolitan Centre definition inserted into the Unitary Plan. This is important for two reasons. First reason is that the SMC definition has wider implications to the city and allows Albany to be upgraded to that definition when they are ready to do so. The second reason is that the definition gives weight to the emphasis on social planning as well as physical planning. No point building a grand physical city centre if people identify it negatively now is there.

As for practical, this mean getting an Area Plan drawn up for Manukau and to be executed through the life of the Unitary Plan.

Updates will be posted as they occur with this being the most recent: Continued Advancement with Manukau and Southern Auckland

 

This brings to a close this round of updates. Talking Auckland will post the tracked changes of the Unitary Plan if possible to do so as soon as I receive a copy.

 

 

Update on Manukau Interchange

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Going to have to force a redesign

 

Council has just endorsed the Lot 59-Concept on the Manukau Interchange and future subsequent developments in the area. Having read the Auckland Transport Blog comments (and they are for the most part educated comments so I take them with a measure of seriousness), reviewed feedback I got back after I posted on the issue yesterday and today, and compare it to what is being looked in the Manukau Super Metropolitan Centre work that is slowly starting, I am rejecting the endorsement given.

Thus I will have a discussion with clients TotaRim has in the Manukau area and decide whether to lobby council to get the interchange redesigned better.

Because to be honest it is a poor standard design and will be both asking for trouble and not serve Manukau and wider South Auckland as it should! I am sorry but it is a design and reinforces 1970s planning that makes Manukau currently unloved and so needing much love.

We can do better and Council and AT need to be shown that.

I will seek advice on whether I can speak against the Concept at the next Auckland Plan Committee meeting…

 

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Heavy Auckland Plan Committee Agenda

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Going to be a long and contentious day

 

August 13 is going to be a very long and contentious day in Town Hall starting at 10am sharp.

While the agenda is not as long as the Transport Committee agenda’s (and that is only due to the Auckland Transport monthly report from its respective Board being added) it does stand at 200 odd pages long and has five heavy items in there. They being:

  1. Unitary Plan Update
  2. Port Zone decision
  3. Lot 59 (The Manukau Bus Interchange opposite the MIT being built in Manukau)
  4. Mill Road/Redoubt Road Corridor
  5. Iwi Management Plan

 

You can see the main agenda and the addendum agenda below

 

The Main Agenda

 

The Addendum Agenda including the Unitary Plan and Port of Auckland

 

Of course I will be in attendance at that Committee meeting and Tweeting live as the updates and moves occur. Also an update on the Congestion Free Network should also arrive on Tuesday (the 13th as well).

 

As I said in the beginning, it will be a long and contentious day as the heavy stuff progresses through.

 

 

Retraction and Apologies

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When Wrong – One Apologies Promptly

 

I caught the update to the train incident that was reported in the NZ Herald on Monday and subsequent reaction in Talking Auckland soon afterwards.

This is the update from Stuff:

Rail operator backtracks for mum

 

After Transdev and Auckland Transport viewed Colour CCTV footage there was more to the saga than meets the eye originally when reported from the black and white CCTV footage at Takanini Station.

As a result of this update and the respective Talking Auckland Post on Monday (now fully retracted) I do offer a full and utter apology to Ms Johnson and her children.

In light of the issue, further measures will be put into place to make sure this kind of incident does not occur again at Talking Auckland. In saying that there is always a risk when doing “second-hand” reporting from a Main Stream Media source into a blog post. However, utmost professionalism will occur when running commentary on such emotive issues.

 

In saying this I need not remind Auckland that the rail network is a very dangerous place and can kill. The case of the dad running to the train as it was departing from Ranui Station last year resulting in the accident and eventual death as he slipped from the platform, underneath the train and was effectively run over in front of his family and other passengers is that STARK reminder of what happens when something can go so utterly wrong.

So please in light of all of this: Please be at the platform 5 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train with your ticket ready or AT-HOP card tagged on.

 

As for Te Mahia Station – lobbying continues for it to be fully closed!

 

 

The Last Year on Auckland’s Transport

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Information Dump on the Previous 12 Months with Auckland‘s Transport

 

Will all the noise at the moment around The Congestion Free Network proposal AND the national transport issues thanks to Campbell Live last night, it might be a good idea to do an information dump on the 2012/2013 (July-June) cycle in regards to Auckland’s transport.

That is all transport in Auckland that is dealt with by Auckland Transport which excludes the State Highway network which is looked after by NZTA. So before anyone decides to have a moan about State Highway’s One and 16 and how much AT sucks there – err go learn something and actually bug NZTA. Auckland Transport have no jurisdiction over our State Highways…

 

The Information Dump

I have four attachments from the June 2013 Auckland Transport Board papers that the AT Board met over yesterday. You can find the agenda and full list of attachments HERE. What is embedded below were the relevant issues around Auckland’s transport especially in light of Campbell Live’s piece last night

Public Transport Monthly Patronage – June 2013

 

Monthly Transport Indicators

 

Auckland Transport Monthly Transport Indicators (Chart Form)

Just a note on two points in that document from previous enquiries I have made on two particular topics:

  • Glenora Road Station: Requires a Business Case Study to be conducted on the station before 2015. If Business Case study is good and Te Mahia Station is closed, then the station will be advocated to be brought into the 2015 Integrated Transport Program. Depending on the 2015 Long Term Plan funding the station could be operational by end of 2018.
  • Manukau South Link: Business Case and Operations Study under way with an estimate report back due late this year. In light of enquiries made AT see no particular reason why the South Link should not be built and operated at a set frequency from Pukekohe to Manukau via that link. In regards to POAL‘s Wiri Facility, no major issue per se but, I did make enquiries about the feasibility of shifting the facility down the road. POAL are looking into this.

 

Statistics Report –  June 2013

 

And so lets see what the 2013-2014 year brings in regards to Auckland’s Transport system and its users.