30 comments

  1. Good Ads, but I do think they probably needed a name, “electric trains” does sound very utilitarian, heck if they can name a TBM and a gantry crane on waterview, surely they could have spent sometime to think up something better than “electric train” , oh well too late now..

    Although the statement in the long ad of “tinted windows to protect your skin” is a stretch, given that they are double glazed to start with most of the UV is already removed….

    1. I too saw the “tinting” bit as a bit of a stretch, but a nice bit of humour, taking the mickey out of all those hair-swirling beauty ads. Hope the tinting is better done than in NZ Bus’s nasty new little ADL buses, though – well-nigh impossible to see out of on a dark or wet night (and worse when plastered with logos and adverts).

      1. AT have plastered their logo over some windows. But it did come across a bit strange showing a red head and sun protection. Is that really their message?

  2. Their careful shot didn’t manage to block out that ghastly wall that runs along the whole side of Newmarket Station from the neighbouring apartment block.

  3. I remember this ad – it was a spot for CityRail (Sydney NSW) ages ago…

    Well, it had the same motifs anyway – but it works quite well as a teaser!

  4. I wonder when they’ll be releasing the new Onehunga line timetable? I’m sure these can shave a couple of minutes off the journey time, but more importantly will there be an increase in service frequency from the get-go?

    1. I thought the Onehunga line frequency is the only one NOT increasing, due to the length of time it takes one train to get in/out of the single track section?

      1. The best Onehunga in its current configuration could offer is a service every 20 minutes, and that would be leaving little room for error. Even if the EMUs cut it down to a 10-minute return journey, allowing for headway through the Penrose sections still cuts it very fine.

        Better frequencies off-peak is pretty important, Rail is an ideal way to get to Dressmart, but hourly trains just don’t cut it. Later services on weeknights would be an improvement too. There’s a theatre five minutes’ walk from the station, but most shows finish after the last train has run.

        1. Yes the issues at Newmarket and Britomart won’t go away until the CRL is open but a section of double track on the O-Line itself would make higher frequencies there function fine until full double tracking.

          How about with the Western and Southern Lines at 6tph each running the O-Line as a 4 tph shuttle between Onehunga and NM? Every 5 mins there would be a train to transfer to for Parnell and Britomart and every 10 one heading West…. efficient high frequency and pressure off Britomart so it could take more trains from the Eastern or the other two up to whatever limit NM can function well with? [A number I can never find out- I guess because it depends so much on what configuration of trains you try to run both through the platforms and the junction of the Western and Southern Lines].

      2. I got an answer from Auckland Transport on this via Twitter. The answer is that off-peak and weekend frequencies will change in September. I think this will be at the same time Manukau services go electric.

  5. Will passengers really have to push the door open button if they want to get on on?

    Bikes welcome. They might regret that one day. Bike parks at train stations are one thing but on the train?

    1. Much more efficient to have doors opening manually rather than automatically. My memory of communting on Southwest Trains in London for several years was that it was better to have doors open only when someone pressed a button. You only pause for a couple of seconds so it was never a problem. It meant the doors didn’t open unnecessarily so kept the cold rain out during winter and contained cool air-con air in the summer. Nothing worse that standing on a full train close to an open door with rain or cold air blasting in when the door didn’t need to be open (which is what happens to you on a tube carriage once above ground – they are all open and close automatically by the driver). Probably a tiny power saving as well. Bikes on trains was only a problem during peak times when commuters were crushed into carriages like sardines.

    2. Yes it’s very common overseas, and once you see it in action you’ll understand why. As for the bikes welcome part, I think they should have specified at off peak only

      1. It’s very simple to have a policy of no bikes on crowded trains. Cyclists will naturally avoid crush loaded trains anyway. No need to say off peak only, because a bike on a peak train going against the main flow is just fine, likewise with bikes on the outer parts of the network.

    3. Realistically, it’s not much more provision for bikes than what’s there at the moment – the main difference is the level boarding. Bikes are already allowed on board.

      Having lots of bikes taking up space on full trains is a bad idea, but there’s not actually very many people taking bikes on the train at all, right now. If it becomes a problem later on, well, you can always change the rules – like introducing explicit hours when bikes are allowed, or charging a supplementary fare.

    4. I wish they could implement a better system for actually taking the bike on the train and making it easier, even during off-peak times. I don’t don’t do it often, nor as Steve D says, see many bikes on trains, but if you have anything other than a small BMX style bike, they take a up a lot of room. Wouldn’t it be helpful to have vertical stands in the end carriage, then bikes could be put here and out of the way through the journey.

  6. Guess push button door operation makes sense for the reasons GMC mentioned . A bit like getting on a lift.

    Might confuse visitors though. Most trains, buses and shops for that matter have auto doors these days.

    1. I’ve been to several systems overseas that use push button doors as a visitor, and wasn’t confusing at all. Once you see all the locals doing it, you click on fairly quickly that’s what you need to do.

    2. Every train, tram and bus I have ridden on in German and Switzerland have had doors that only open when you push the button. The only ‘visitors’ who’ll be confused by these trains are ones who’ve never been on a train and come from NZ.

  7. Many, if not most, trains in NZ already have passenger-operated doors – Matangi, Wairarapa, Capital Connection – as do many overseas.

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