Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel and a director of Greater Auckland

In 2003, after much argument, including the election of a Mayor in 2001 who ran on stopping it, Britomart train station in downtown Auckland opened. A mere 1km twin track terminating branch with a subsurface station, it nonetheless led the transformation of the whole run down Auckland waterfront area and supercharged the revival of passenger train services in Auckland. Now rebuilt to enable through-running, and rechristened Waitematā, it is plainly obvious what a hugely valuable investment this was and continues to be for our city. This investment, itself building on the very cheap and clever earlier revival of passenger rail in Auckland, led a massive urban regeneration programme all along the city’s neglected waterfront and city centre in general. It also made network electrification a no brainer, further encouraging private investment in the revival of Auckland’s relatively weak city centre. The value of this modest investment led a massive shift in the city’s pattern, culminating in the much bigger and much more ambitious City Rail Link. The country’s biggest ever infrastructure project, now spreading its city shaping all through the Auckland region, and even, I argue, way beyond it. A project unthinkable without the preceding much more modest Britomart one, which has very much turned out to be a small pebble in the pond creating massively outsized ripples. Below I argue there is a similar opportunity hiding in plain sight in Hamilton.

This is a follow up to this Te Huia post which sets out the value and opportunity of this service which ideally should be read first.

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The similarities of the railway stories in the centres of both cities are striking. Hamilton, just like Auckland, also once had a city centre railway station. Hamilton, like Auckland, had its city centre station closed in favour of one on the urban periphery, more convenient for the movement of trains, but way less useful for passengers. Hamilton, like Auckland, saw a rapid decline in passenger volumes, and then services. Hamilton, like Auckland only requires a short and inexpensive spur and new subsurface station to bring back passengers to an ideal location in the city centre.

So could the return of a people focused dedicated city centre station be successful in Hamilton, as it has been in Auckland? Add a short spur and a subsurface station to bring reviving services back into the city centre to both grow the utility and demand for the use of the service, and spark new investment in an undervalued urban area? In this case the services would be a primarily intercity ones rather than intra-city, which makes sense as it is the scale and gravitational pull of the much bigger city that makes the mode viable. But I wouldn’t underplay the opportunity this presents for journeys to the already existing second Hamilton station at Rotokuri/The Base, and, later on, potential new ones in East Hamilton. With further possiblities eastwards to Morrinsville, Cambridge, Tauranga, and Rotorua. But here let’s look at the much more modest first step.

Auckland Queen St Station. 1904
Hamilton City Station, Victoria St 1961

This is not a new idea. Back in 2021 Stuff reported:

This plan is to use the single track East Coast Main and never-used platform that current exists under this block. This line was moved below grade in 1964 in order to grade separate the north-south city streets and is pretty heavily used by Kiwi Rail diesel freight services. At first Hamilton Station remained on this alignment in a trench, here are some pics from the Hamilton Libraries collection showing the old station building stranded up above with its redundant platform. But now this block has been considerably built on (see the red line in the aerial pic below) :

Hamilton Station 1965
Hamilton Station 1965

Here’s the never used ‘Hamilton Central’ – the country’s first underground station, but just enjoys fumey freight trains blasting through:

Here is an urban explorer’s 5 min youtube on showing the current state of it, in its full graffito-glory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvcqnrkz0Vk

I believe the platform is towards the north-eastern end of the Centre Place block outlined in green on map below with the existing ECMT in red:

Hamilton city centre

While the enthusiasm of the private sector and Tainui to help deliver a city centre station in Hamilton, and a station entrance directly onto Victoria St as shown in the render, is very welcome indeed, it is likely we can get both a better outcome and less complicated and cheaper process by separating the station project from the ECMT from the start. Better because separating freight and passenger services as much as possible, especially at stations, simplifies everything, especially safety and ventilation. Lowering conflict, complexity, and cost. To add the amount of platform space and safe separation from ongoing diesel freight services below existing buildings looks very expensive and complicated even with the owners support. And would be disruptive to freight services between the port of Tauranga and Auckland.

Happily too there is another opportunity. By adding a dedicated passenger branch just a bit to the north under Bryce St (in blue on the aerial). We can leave the freight line be, while integrating the new rail station with the existing bus interchange (in orange above), while still delivering the passenger volume to support private and Iwi led urban renewal on surrounding city sites. All under publicly owned streets, without the costs and complications of land acquisition and alteration of existing buildings.

Because the ECMT is already in a trench duplicating and extending it via the cut and cover method under the street is a pretty simple project. Above I have stopped it short of the Bus Interchange as this is a lower cost, least disruptive option. It could have entrances at either end one directly into the Bus Station and the other into the park. Of course instead it could be continued as far along Bryce St as desired, delivering passengers closer to the city centre including to the Centre Place site. These are options with various trade-offs to be studied.

But considering the ideal longer term form would be a through-running multi-platform station with track below the full length of Bryce St to a new bridge over the river and onto stations in East Hamilton (say at Peachgrove and Ruakura/uni, before heading to Morrinsville and Tauranga), below, it might be best to build the shorter cheaper version first up, to leave future options more open.

Hamilton Central Stage II

As described in the previous post, the opportunity here, with new bi-mode battery/overhead electric trains, is to enable the service to terminate at stations in the heart of each city centre and at each city’s highest concentration of other transit services. From Waitematā (Britomart) in downtown Auckland to Kirikiriroa Central in downtown Hamilton is a transformative upgrade for the service. It is such fantastic good fortune that Hamilton’s existing transit interchange is already right there. As is the proximity of both the cricket and rugby grounds, both in easy walkable reach from this station, and the bars and restaurants of the city centre.

Hamilton Bus map, note the convergence on the Transport Centre, directly above our station location.

Dedicated game day trains would move Auckland’s huge sports fan base within easier reach for Hamilton events, great for international fixtures and derby matches between the teams representing each region.

For arts fans too, the soon-to-open regional theatre complex and long established Waikato Museum and Art Gallery are also within the catchment.

Hamilton city centre has suffered the common disinvestment fate of city centres everywhere through the post-war sprawl era, and so, also like city centres everywhere, is ready to be rediscovered for its natural advantages: Its centrality to a growing population, existing physical and cultural infrastructure, and undervalued developable land.

Perhaps counterintuitively to some, the completion of the Waikato Expressway is actually supportive of this plan. At last through traffic can now fully bypass the city, freeing city arterials from any interregional carriage role, and demanding of the city to develop its intrinsic value as a place to be, work, study, and visit on its own terms.

A walk around this part of the city centre and it is easy to see that the recent development pattern is of the ex-urban strip mall form; fully focused on car borne trade. This is true of much of the recent development in the city, though the surviving pre-war shops and offices still hold their pedestrian orientation, just waiting for people to return in greater numbers. This is also a common story, and will change again over time, as more place based infrastructure and services return to attract them. So many surface car parks just waiting to be built on. This station would be a great lead in that direction.

Proposed station area

I would love to see this project in the Waikato RLTP, and some real technical feasibility and cost work undertaken. However like Britomart 1.0, this is a transport project that’s also an urban renewal one, and our planning processes are not well set up for ideas that involve multiple agencies and have multiple benefits. This is an idea that would never be generated by the generally unimaginative minds at Kiwi Rail, and conversely, because it has rail at the core, it is the type of idea that other planning agencies will ignore or believe to be out of their scope. Britomart 1.0 was driven by the City and Regional Council, not the rail agency, and certainly not transport agency.

Note the very first building the ECMT goes under, to the right of the rail trench, with the white roof in the pic above. That’s the offices of the Waikato Regional Council at the Ward St end, this area is clearly at the very heart of the Waikato region, just screaming out for both better regional connectivity and way better place quality and vitality, and who might be best placed to explore this idea further…?

Waikato Regional Council
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87 comments

  1. Great article. One comment though: that underground station *has* been used for passengers. I caught trains from it in the mid-1990s. The old transport centre used to be on top of it (now Warehouse), while the new transport centre is across the road.

    1. I didn’t know it was used then. It must have been dreadful waiting there. Hamilton Station at least has fresh air and some surveillance. Even the previous Frankton Junction had amenities like a tea room and somewhere to be dropped off.

      1. Was definitely used. For about 18 months or so. The entrance was through the old NZR bus services building (now The Warehouse) and HCC has ensured that the title to that access point remains in public hands, and is designated for public access to the rail corridor, should passenger rail be restored to the EVMT route, or an adjoining spur, as in this article; although a better access would be on the north side of Bryce St directly into the current Transport Centre precinct.

        1. I think the station under the warehouse in Hamilton CBD needs a huge revamp and put a second track instead of 1 under the city entrances to underground I agree at the transport centre and one in centre place

    2. I knew I wasn’t old and dreaming! Lol..ny son tried to tell me I was wrong but I distinctly remembered coming in to that Hamilton station – and now the bus station is pretty much on top of it!

      1. Was still in use in the late 90s when it was still the main Intercity, NZ Rail and local bus station. Used it a few times as a teenager. Plus platforms stretch towards K Mart, not the bridge.

    1. The BeeCard fare between Pukekoke, Puhinui and The Strand is 2 Zones – $3.60 for an adult, $1.80 for Community Connect and Youth (5-15yrs traveling on Te Huia only) per person one way journey.

      BeeCard fare for Supergold card holder’s is $3.60 per one way journey during peak and free in off peak.

      Cash fare for 2 Zones is $6.00 per one way journey per person. Child under 5 years is free.

      Cash fares can be purchased on Te Huia at the Cafe carriage using cash or eftpos.

      The Waikato Regional Council is currently reviewing the cash for travel between Pukekoke, Puhinui and Strand, as Auckland regional rate payers do not subsidise Te Huia.

      AT Hop card can not be used on Te Huia. This will change when Auckland and Waikato regions switch over to Motu Move – the national contactless payment system late 2026/early 2027.

        1. I think it is reasonable to stop at the first station on the Auckland network, means anyone heading to a station between Pukekohe and Puhinui doesn’t need to back track.

        2. KLK – The reasons why Te Huia will be stopping at Pukekohe, it is a ‘boarder’ station for both Auckland and Auckland regions and population catchments for Pokeno and Tuakau (Waikato region), Buchland and Pukekoke (Auckland region) plus Te Huia will have a have a ‘cleared path’ slots between Pukekohe and Puhinui allowing for quicker journey times.

          Local ‘Busit’ bus timetables between Pokeno, Tuakau. Buckland and Pukekohe will be amended for the new Te Huia timetable.

      1. Thanks, but nothing compelling about Pukekohe in those responses.

        Pukekohe will be electrified very soon. Commuters driving from the northern Waikato towns to that station to grab the next train that turns up will more than likely get an AT metro service, as they are more regular. Remember, we always say that in a good network, frequency trumps speed?

        I think if commuters in the northern waikato are the concern/goal, then out a station in Pokeno. Surely that’s more convenient. But if we add one and keep Pukekohe, this thing starts to stretch out in terms of timing.

        And as for people having to get off at Puhinui and double back; its a service which says its about getting people between Hamiton and Auckland, but transfers use the network effect to get people to other places, which should be the case here. And really, how many people will be in this situation?

        1. KLK – The general feed back from those who live in Pokeno and Pukekohe done by the Waikato District Council, the Franklin Community Board and the Waikato Regional Council, said they would use Te Huia, as the services would be ‘express’ non stop services between Pukekohe and Puhinui and less extent to The Stand.

          It would be similar to what is happening with the Capital Connection train between Palmerston North and Wellington, which is ‘express’ non stop from Paraparaumu to Wellington. Approximately 60% of Capital Connection passengers board or disembark at Paraparumu and Waikanae because it is quicker and more comfortable than traveling traveling on the Capital Connection train than traveling on a Metlink train plus you have wifi, can get a coffee in the morning and a wine or beer in the afternoon on the Capital Connection.

          Auckland Metro trains will start operating from Pukekohe on 3 Feb 25 and Te Huia from 10 Feb 25.

          In the future, Pokeno and Tuakau will have their own stations.

        2. Frequency trumps speed is an idea which is to be applied to situations where adding frequency compensates for the lack of speed. No need to get a direct train to Manukau because you only have to wait five, ten, fifteen minutes for your transfer.

          Trying to apply it to a situation where you’ve been travelling for ages and then are asked to wait up to twenty minutes and then have to travel 35 minutes back the way you came. Absolutely no one will ever do that and it’s insane to suggest that they would. Adding more frequency will reduce the waiting involved but it will always require the same basic problem of a monstrously long trip north followed by a long trip south reversing part of the northwards journey.

          Frequency similarly doesn’t solve crosstown journeys. It turns out the inefficient sideways movement doesn’t actually work for passengers. That’s the case here where busses are only so frequent to start with but also in London. And probably everywhere but I only watch YouTube videos about London transport. Personally I think you can count crossrail as a crosstown investment but I think reasonable people can disagree about that. The super loop bus scheme on the other hand definitely is. It’s not actually a loop btw, loops are bad, but a bunch of linear bus routes that connect with each other to form a loop.

          For similar reasons, this is why Mill Road needs a bus lane. Well, it needs a bus to start with. I don’t think GA understands Mill Road very well. Yes, you take the motorway if you’re driving from Papakura to Manukau but the Mill Road traffic the Mill Road project is meant to solve (obviously it won’t) isn’t caused by Papakura to Manukau traffic, it’s caused by Papakura to East Auckland traffic. The reason for that is that you can drive north on the motorway and then go sideways but for the most part you can just hop on Mill Road and drive directly. Expecting PT users to get to the Southern Line and then transfer East via A2B is just never going to be popular. There’s altogether too much detouring involved. There’s already a strange detour out East. That could be solved by having a Mill Road bus which people wanting to travel to Flat Bush and Ormiston connect to rather than having a one seat ride that has to do a tiki tour off its overall direction to get to. Flat Bush isn’t in the wrong place, it’s in the perfect place for a bus route that should exist but doesn’t.

          Good route design is what matters. Sometimes that means more frequency but sometimes it requires speed. As a general rule, I suggest any route that maintains a constant direction can be improved more through frequency and transfers, but a route that involves a change in direction — such as trying to do a crosstown journey on our rail lines — and especially one which involves a u turn (such as Hamilton to Pukekohe via Puhinui) needs speed. The New Network was able to eliminate so many on seaters and replace them with frequent connections because it was replacing a centre-commuter oriented network with another centre-orienter commuter network, not because frequency is always best.

          Besides this is a frequency over speed proposal. The one seat ride idea would have everyone get a stop at Papakura and Pukekohe, and probably also Manurewa, Homai, Takanini etc. Having the transfer at Puke means Te Huia is relying on good frequency in Auckland to serve Hamiltonians trying to go to places between Puke and Puhinui.

  2. Thanks for the post Patrick
    *Here is link to map of options for rail through Hamilton Central, this is just one of many maps on rail through Hamilton that I have drawn.
    https://hamiltonurbanblog.substack.com/p/hamilton-central-three-rail-routes?utm_source=publication-search
    * The other thing to consider is the need to grade separate rail crossings of Grey St & Peachgrove Rd. As rail traffic increases, the barrier arms will be down more than they are up.
    * Lastly please have a look at distance between Frankton’s High St – Commerce St to rail platform. It is like a dozen metres away as the crow flies, yet to walk it is hundreds of metres away, also can you have a think about moving Metro bus route through Kent St.

    1. Thanks Peter, useful info.

      As you can see from my post I do think sub-Bryce St is the most optimal option for a dedicated pax station. And that separating pax and freight should always be pursued whenever it is feasible.

      Yes grade separating urban crossings is also best practice.

  3. Indeed – it was open until 1994. The Geyserland and Kaimai Expresses continued to use the line until 2001, but the then recently privatised NZ Rail Ltd closed this station because of concerns about vandalism and passenger safety (which could have been addressed while keeping the station open).

    1. > passenger safety (which could have been addressed while keeping the station open)

      Kiwirail and it’s predecessors went on a real health and safety run with the tunnel. There were a couple of major concerns:
      1. If a train breaks down in the tunnel there is no way to get radio comms out, the driver has to leave the tunnel to get a signal. Also it is not uncommon for there to be no engines left at Frankton to pull the disabled train out of the tunnel and there is a lot of paperwork required to take a shunting engine out of the yard to do the job. All of that has happened before (in a single incident).
      2. The freight train drivers have to carry gas masks with them in case a fire breaks out in the tunnel because the ventilation is not great, having passengers down on the platform when this happens will not be fun.

      1. If people return to using the station, modern ventilation systems will be installed to sort the diesel particulate pollutant issue out. Also, our locomotive fleet is a lot greener now then when the station was last used in the 90s thankfully.

        1. Unfortunately we have new rules in place around liability following pike river the which effectively means Kiwirail has a policy of no diesel trains (“anything with a fuel tank”) in underground passengers stations.

        2. I expect it will be ditto ditto for Lithium batteries. Which means we will probably be stuck with using the Strand and Frankton.

        3. Why Royce?

          What makes Hamilton which is a far shorter tunnel then Auckland or Wellington any different.

          Wellington will be getting battery DMUs, the likes of which should also be used elsewhere in NZ (Waikato, BoP, Canterbury etc).

        4. Diesel is over. The social licence for burning the stuff, especially in urban areas, is vanishing, regardless of HVAC systems.
          Battery fire concern is not based in fact. There are very good cost effective batteries which pass all fire risk tests available now, eg LFP and Sodium Ion chemistries.

        5. Martin is correct. The Wellington tunnels, Remutuka and the two at Tawa are way longer than this proposal or the Britomart approach, so are therefore way more of a safety concern for regulators. That Wellington is getting battery equipped Intercity trains shows this is not the concern the fossil fuel industry would like you to believe.

    1. Yes, The Warehouse was built where the old transport centre was located. There are doors in the Warehouse building to access the station where the previous connection between the station and transport centre used to be.

    1. Good to see you on here Mario – Auckland is forever in your debt. Can we get Hamilton to see the possibilities?

  4. Interesting proposition. Having a central station would be a game changer, especially if it was on top of improvements to the tracks between Akl and Ham so that the trains could run at a reasonable speed.

    When it comes to development in Hamilton (especially so in the inner city & university areas) Tainui pretty much holds the whole deck of cards.

    1. Yes – the single-track swamp section of the NIMT really is pretty pathetic. An upgrade for this section is long overdue. Repurpose the swamp section for a nature trail or somesuch?

  5. It’d be great if someone could make that YouTube video into a hyperlink if not an embed.

    The $50 million question is probably, how much earthquake strengthening would it need. May be cheaper to build a new one.

  6. Hamilton city centre has good bones, many destinations and is more appealing than many people realise. The proposed city centre would make a big difference. Britomart is the correct precedent – just look how well the area has developed since 2003. Separating freight and passenger rail is a good idea. Any stub-station near the bus interchange should be designed as if it say: “Come on! Let’s extend the line over the river”.

    In the meantime, it’d be nice if Auckland Transport could start being a bit more supportive of Te Huia in terms of stabling and timetables. I’d very much like to take a day trip to Hamilton on Saturdays, but I can’t because there are only two trains leaving Auckland in the morning. The timetable does not allow a trip from Hamilton back to Auckland in the afternoon.

    This service pattern is so unbalanced; it’s like trying to ride a bicycle with only one leg.

  7. There is some merit in Patrick’s opinion but it doesn’t allow for future growth of passenger rail in the Waikato region.

    The Waikato Passenger Rail Initiative is Waikato regional passenger rail services between Pukekohe and Te Kuiti (Line 1) and between Pukekohe and Tokoroa (Line 2) with connecting bus services between Tokoroa and Taupo, inter-regional passenger rail between Tauranga, Rotorua, Hamilton (Frankton/Rotokauri) and Auckland and between Hamilton (Frankton) and Palmerston North.

    The proposed passenger rolling stock would be bi-directional, 4-5 carriage, bi-mode (electric/battery) with fast charging train sets based on the train sets being purchased for the Wairarapa/Wellington/Palmerston North passenger rail services.

    Since Hamilton is a major rail hub for rail services north to Auckland, east to Tauranga, Rotorua and Tokoroa and south to Palmerston North and Wellington, Hamilton would the main workshop for heavy maintenance, stabling and crew base, with overnight maintenance, stabling and crew bases at Auckland, Mercer, Te Kuiti, Putaruru and Palmerston North.

      1. Jezza – I am not sure what you mean.

        I was referring to Patrick’s ‘spur’ line going underground terminating at the Transport Centre or continuing with a new bridge across the Waikato river rejoining the ECMT at the rebuilt Claudelands station. It would expensive to build as would it require additional land purchase and building demolition between Lake Road Bridge and Seddon Road bridges, cut and cover construction along Bryce Street, a bridge over the river and land purchase and building demolition from the east side of the river to Brooklyn and Claudelands Roads.

        Frankton Station will still be the major railway station for Hamilton’s central city area, especially passenger rail services south of Hamilton to Te Kuiti and Palmerston North.

        What Patrick didn’t mention was this going to single or doubled tracked and who was going to pay for it.

        1. Appreciate the cost and construction scale arguments, but you underestimate the value of a station within easy walking distance of a city centre and all its amenities. The article literally opened with Britomart/Waitemata’s success compared to the old Auckland Beach Rd station as proof of that. Has that inhibited growth of the Auckland rail network?

        2. Burrower – I am fully aware of the current Hamilton Central station and its location. Nothing is going to happen with it, until Kiwirail electrifiies the ECMT and installs high capacity train control system. Once that happens, then Hamilton Central station can re-open, as it will be part of Waikato regional passenger line 2 (Pukekohe/Tokoroa) services and Auckland, Hamilton Tauranga and Rotorua inter-regional passenger rail services.

          With regards to Te Huia using Hamilton Central station, it will not happen, as Te Huia is not licenced to operate that that section of the ECMT in a push/pull configuration plus the line is almost at capacity in regards to train movements.

        3. Kris – I don’t believe I was arguing for Te Huia as is to use Hamilton central; at any rate not until it gets multiple unit rolling stock hopefully like Wellington’s future trimode stock

        4. Frankton is a terrible location just as the old Beach Rd station was for Auckland, even if it had more platforms than Britomart.

          Rail in the Waikato will only really grow with a central station, in my view Frankton would likely close as the Beach Rd station did with the opening of a new station.

        5. I agree with most of what you say Kris, but Frankton should never be anything more then a suburban station and place where railway worker alight for work. It’s a travesty that it is seen as Hamilton’s main station.

          AKL-WLG trains should pull up to a reopened/rebuilt Hamilton central and then go back out on a reinstated Y junction at Frankton to head south as happens many times a day in Bristol on a rail network far busier then ours. All other trains should be through running West-East.

        6. +1

          Like, no offense, but can we please get it into old railfans’ heads that the relationship between transit and urban density is so so vital?

  8. I am a strong supporter of Te Huia it’s a little surprising yhat it has done as well as it has given the location of the Strand and Frankton station. While I can see the benifit of a central station I am not convinced a station on the East Coast main line is necessary or even desirable. I would suggest a modest upgrade for Frankton station with an overhead across the track to Frankton town center. There is an excellent bike and walkway to the bus station and the city center anyway. I would prefer any money should be spent on a bi and tri modal train fleet and increased services. And think about this the electric overhead exist at both Frankton and the Strand for trains to sit under and recharge there batteries between service. There is also an unused siding and platform on the east coast main trunk which could be used if it was decided to extend services in the future. Rotukauri provides good bus connections. A shuttle could meet every train at Frankton to take passengers to and ftpm the bus station. Let’s use and upgrade the existing infrastructure before embarking on another mega project.

    1. Thanks Royce – Frankton town center needs more foot traffic. The moving of Frankton station a few hundred metres south in the 1970s isolated it from local business, for a long time there was always a hole cut in the fence, showing people did want to travel through the station to and from Frankton from the Lake area.

      1. Maybe but this is a bit different as it’s for a regional train and Frankton station has parking especially for passengers on early morning trains. Also I recall that the old Strand Station wasn’t completely hopeless you just got off the train walked across the platform and onto the bus which then dropped you off at any stop all the way up K Road. Also you may recall immediately after Britomart opened trains started running late that extra kilometre and new signalling made a difference. My advice is keep the train running simple Kiwirail just seems to be a le to tie itself up in knots when it’s required to do something new and whenever it is required to plan a new project you can guarantee it will be completely over top like 500 million to build 3 stations between Papakura and Pukekohe. So don’t try and fix something that is working reasonably well.

        1. Irrespective of any memories of catching a bus from the Beach Rd station, the relatively small investment in Britomart has transformed the rail network in Auckland.

          There is plenty of evidence in Europe of the benefit of having a station in the centre of a smaller city or town, even if it is only regional trains calling. It’s the ability to get from Te Awamutu, Huntly, Morrinsville and Matamata into the region’s centre.

          Rotokauri has parking for people on early morning trains covered, no need for another station to serve this purpose.

        2. So we let Kiwirail build a city centre monstocity meanwhile we still need Frankton because the shiney new Station is on the wrong line. Okay so we build the third leg at Frankton so main trunk trains can use it as well. But then it should also be a through station so we need another city tunnel and bridge. Once you start going down that track it never ends. We should just learn to use our railway the way it’s us. So beside the new bi or tri modal trains the priority should be for new stations in Pokeno and Tuakau not a Hamilton version of Aucklands CRL.

        3. Agree that they should be the top priority, however I think getting a central station in the city that has the greatest rail potential should also be a priority.

          I don’t see Frankton station surviving a new central station. The one main trunk passenger service could either stop at Rotokauri instead or by then be a multiple unit that could easily come into the central station and head back out in reverse.

          A never ending stream of upgrades is a good thing if it means there have been the patronage increases to justify them.

        4. Jezza – Frankton is and will be the main railway station for Hamilton being the junction of the ECMT and NIMT, as Platform 1 caters for NIMT traffic and Platform 2 caters for ECMT traffic.

          The original Frankton station with located north of the current station site.

          In the early days, there where bus services between Hamilton city and Frankton. A submission has been made to Waikato Regional Council and Hamilton City City Council to introduce a ‘shuttle’ bus service between the Transport Centre and Frankton Station for key Te Huia services, as there are standby buses and drivers at the Transport Centre.

        5. We’ll have to agree to disagree on that, I can’t see two stations 600m apart both being used, just as the former main stations in Auckland and Christchurch are no more. Things change.

        6. Jezza – Under the Waikato Passenger Rail Initiative, Line 2 Pukekohe-Hamilton-Tokoroa regional services and inter-regional services between Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Rotorua would stop at Rotokauri, Frankton Station (Platform 2) , Hamilton Central, Claudelands and Ruakura.

          Line 2 Pukekohe-Hamilton-Te Kuiti regional services, inter-regional ‘Central Connector’ services between Hamilton and Palmerston North, the concept Auckland to Wellington day time ‘Northern Connector’ services and proposed night train would stop at Rotokauri, Frankton Station (Platform 1) and possibility the rebuilt Ohaupo station (for the proposed air, road and rail inland freight terminal and branch line).

          These services would make Frankton Station a centralised bus/rail interchange station, due to historical short time planning not allowing Line 2 regional services, inter-regional ‘Central Connector’ services, Auckland to Wellington day time ‘Northern Connector’ services and proposed night train stopping at Hamilton Central station. without major land purchases and redevelopment of the Frankton Station site and Hamilton’s CBD.

        7. Jezza – Correction: ‘Line 2 Pukekohe-Hamilton-Te Kuiti regional services’ should be Line 1 Pukekohe-Hamilton-Te Kuiti regional services.

        8. Kris – that’s just a document. Plenty of documents said the Beach Rd station would stay but when a realistic viable option for a central station in Auckland was finally built Beach Rd closed.

        9. Jezza – Having a Hamilton Central station as per Patrick’s opinion will not happen under the current business model of Kiwirail (Kiwirail Holdings Ltd) operating a ‘closed access’ national rail network for its ‘own’ freight and 3 ‘scenic’ passenger train services under the Great Journeys New Zealand’ brand.

          Until this business model changes to an ‘open access’ network and the ‘ownership’ of the national rail network is transferred to the existing land holding ‘not for profit’ state own entity – NZ Railways Corporation for future state and private development along the network, with Kiwirail being a train operator and possibly ferry operator only.

          If this did happen, the cost of developing a ‘new’ Hamilton Central Station will be expensive due to land purchase, demolition of buildings, tunneling, building at least 3 platform, terminal and/or through underground station and major reconfiguration of track layout at the Frankton for north bound regional and inter-regional passenger trains to access the ‘new’ central station.

          What are you going to do with the Auckland/Wellington day time ‘Northern Connector’ train and a night train, as they would have to go into the station then back out of the station to conitnue travel north Auckland and south to Palmerston North and Wellington.

          This is why Frankton will be Hamilton’s major bus/rail interchange station.

          By the way, there is still no commitment that Platforms 2 and 3 at Britomart/Waitemata station will be used for termination of inter-regional and long distance passenger trains.

    2. Royce that’s such a scarcity mindset. This is a plan to make an investment that transforms the utility and effectiveness of the mode here, so the (anyway relatively small) cost is of way higher value. As opposed to measuring it against current performance/usage. That’s the Britomart model.

      1. Ok let’s see how the CRL and the Pukekohe electrification and new stations work out before we race into anymore grand schemes. Meanwhile we can carry on with new trains and stations for Te Huia as I have suggested above.

        1. The problem I see is that when we add those northern Waikato stops (as we should), it’s really going to stretch out the journey to/from Auckland and we may lose some passengers back to the car or push them towards the bus. At least without any corresponding speed improvements.

          I still think more people would be going south in the morning, so new sets to provide the intra-Waikato service should be a focus as well.

      2. I think Royce has some good points.

        First I do not think the station location is overly important. For a day tourist it’s nice to be in immediately in the city center. For frequent train users it is important to have good connections to get to everywhere in the city, as most people will need to catch a bus anyway. A a good integration with local public transport and integrated fares are more important!

        Now a big shout out for Hamilton, which put their train station on its map! On the other side Auckland’s Strand station is absent from the CRL2 map! Luckily Puhinui and Pukekohe made it on the map! How did this happen, usually central stations are the biggest transport hubs?? I`ll answer the question, while the CRL2 map gets fixed: there are nowadays just too few trains and passengers going through the Strand!

        To grow ridership a reliable, frequent (2-hourly, later on hourly) service should come first! That worked nicely for Auckland switching from a infrequent commuter train system to a metro system (10 times increase in ridership). Given that a service between Hamilton an Auckland takes around two and a half hours, a return trip can be achieved in six hours. So with only 3 train sets, KiwiRail could provide a 2 hourly service! And for the start I would go for a cheap and simple diesel powered push-pull trains. There are 2 main advantages: coaches can be build in New Zealand and more important such a service can pretty much start tomorrow, if there is the political will to do so.
        Some of these services, maybe 2 daily and a night service, can also provided by trains between Auckland and Wellington. Again integrated ticketing is essential! When Auckland to Hamilton is electrified one can switch the locomotives to electric ones and operate the diesel on other lines.

        And yes, a central located station in Hamilton is nice to have, but it will take at least 10 years to build. So it can be done together with the electrification and double tracking between Hamilton to Tauranga / Rotoroa! This way there will be no problem with fumes in the station!

        Greetings from Austria!

      3. On further reflection I think what I am trying to say is that the success of Te Huia depends on the success of the Auckland metro network. If the CRL and the newly electrified section to Pukekohe with its new stations attract a significant modal shift, then I can see a bright future for extra services and route expansion for Te Huia. I will be particularly watching uptake from Pukekohe when the trains start running in February. At the moment I would say as a regular 394 bus passenger that the use of public transport from the town is abysmal. Which is to be expected given the closures and the regular rail buses from Papakura. So, my theory is if its good enough for Pukekohe and good enough for passengers from the semi urban sprawl between Papakura and Pukekohe then it will be good enough for residents all the way to Hamilton and beyond. All of you who advocated for the CRL and rail electrification this is your ownership moment. I think all involved understand this even Simeon Brown which is why we have the concerted effort to finish the CRL and get the rest of the Auckland network up to speed. Rail usage is in the doldrums brought about principally because of delays and cancellation caused by endless upgrades to the network. A period of stability is desperately needed. Take note of how the three new stations between Pukekohe and Papakura are being built. First put in the platforms then fence them in so work can proceed without disruption to trains. This will be a good model for new stations between Pukekohe and Hamilton. Perhaps there will not be the need for elaborate roading and park n rides for any new stations in the first instance. Wouldn’t it be good if the same companies and crews who have just built Pukekohe and are building the three new stations could just carry on southwards when they finish. A bit of stimulus could also help us get out of the currant govt induced recession or at least stop it getting any worse. At the same time watch how the purchase of Wellington new train proceeds. In my view these are the priorities. We understand that any network will need to have transfers. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

      4. Royce is stuck in 1970s thinking like many kiwis. Am so glad I left that behind and moved to a place where rail is valued and where big money is being sunk to create high speed railways.

        Sadly the NZ mentality is to do it cheap the “No.9 wire” way, which means everything back home is poorly planned, low quality, benefits no one and often ends up expensive then if done right first time.

        The ferry decisions, the Waikato Express way, Te Huia and many other decisions highlight this.

  9. If you look at the big picture, Hamilton has a problem. In some ways similar to Auckland, the city has grown, expanded and spread out with NO expansion of the railway. Many suburbs are not serviced by rail, and it would be prohibitively expensive now to acquire the land to bring a line into those areas, if even possible. What would be the point of having a fancy city station if people from these outer suburban areas aren’t able to use it?
    What should have been built is a ring-route around the peripheral of the city with buses feeding into that from the very outer areas. Suburbs like Rototuna, Pukete, Rotokauri, Dinsdale, Melville, Hillcrest etc could have all been linked in, and this should have been done before these areas started to be built or grow outwards.
    As for the city station, Hamilton had the perfect arrangement for an integrated transport centre – the old Road Services depot.
    It had the rail platform below it, and if they had rebuilt the depot on the same site, they could have taken advantage of it. Adding to the building in a westerly direction to incorporate Burger King and where K-Mart is now they could have turned that into the Intercity bus depot with parking below and created a far better central bus terminal than what exists now across the road.
    Again it is this failure to think ahead and build the necessary infrastructure at the right time.
    Hamilton Council, like many other councils deem buses on roads to be the complete answer to public transport. It’s crazy. Why are there no people on the council who have a vision for rail and the ability to push these things through?
    As for the Frankton station, what was wrong with where the original station was by High St? There was even a pedestrian bridge which allowed passengers to get to and from the station and right into Frankton.

    1. Thanks Stu – direct access to High St from rail station platform will increase foot traffic through Commerce St. Even through it is a nice walk to the city from the existing station, it would be better for business to have people walk through Frankton town.

    2. I don’t think it is as bad as you state. Hamilton has 3 lines running towards the centre, which isn’t bad for a city of it’s size. The most important thing is to ensure any future sprawl occurs along these lines and intensification occurs near the rail corridor within the existing urban area.

      If the city grows to a sufficient size then light rail into one or more of the areas not covered is probably the way to go. Ideally it would designed to be able to run on the rail network as well to run through to Cambridge.

      1. Like Auckland, Hamilton will rely on buses to serve many areas. This is not a proposal to serve all of Hamilton with rail, but a low cost/high value to add the great benefit of an effective intercity rail service to what will remain a bus dominant PT system (as Akl has too).

        The opportunity to connect these two systems at relatively low capital cost is key here. This is a plan to improve the future, to tilt the modal options somewhat from its current unbalanced trajectory.

        While not inaccurate, I prefer to focus on what can be done from here, rather than dwelling overly on what was not done in the past.

        Reminds me of the old joke, on a rural road in Ireland a traveller asks how to get to Dublin, the rely comes; “well I wouldn’t be starting from here”.

        Here is where we have to start.

        1. Agree. At a maximum the edge of Hamilton is 9km from the City Centre, in places it is only 4km. The idea of suburban lines that would only have a couple of stations on them is fanciful, this isn’t a 35km suburban line to Papakura.

          The justification is inter-city and regional trains.

        2. “Hamilton has 3 lines running towards the centre”

          Exactly. I count 12 towns on those three lines where stations currently exist (if not used). The potential is immense for trains to service the province, with buses servicing the city suburbs.

        3. Giving it a second look, some of those towns might technically be in BoP and King Country, but you get the point…

          There may also be housing developments in the Waikato that have sprung up between those towns and near the lines, that justify new PnR stops too.

  10. “This is an idea that would never be generated by the generally unimaginative minds at Kiwi Rail”

    It’s not that KiwiRail is unimaginative, it’s that its remit as an SEO is purely and only to use rail to make as much money as possible. Under this structure, passenger rail will always miss out because it’s never as profitable as freight, no matter where you go in the world.

    We need to reimagine KiwiRail as an entity with public good as it’s number one priority.

    1. Yes. We need to separate the freight SOE from the asset and the public good passenger services.

      I’m fine with a rail freight SOE logistics company, but it has shown, again and again, that

      1. It is a disaster encumbering that SOE’s balance sheet with the huge public asset. Which should be held, like the State Highway network, in a public agency (no trucking company has to maintain a single metre of road). In fact in my view that could well be the very same state agency: Waka Kotahi NZTA.

      2. Intercity rail has economic costs and benefits that also need to be separated out from this SOE. We need an intercity PT agency (also could/should be within Waka Kotahi, if well structured and funded).

      3. The two existing urban networks (below the wheel) could be devolved to their respective cities, or be managed by an OnTrack-like org, charging access fees.

      1. So you support the following concepts –

        a. It is time for a national public transport network – https://www.publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/national-public-transport-network-07-06-2022/

        b. Time for a new regional passenger rail network – https://www.publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/new-zealands-regional-passenger-rail-network-20-08-2022/

        With regards to the future of rail in New Zealand, you might be interested in this discussion concept – https://www.publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/it-is-time-to-reform-rail-in-new-zealand-08-01-2023/

  11. While I am personally not a huge fan of Hamilton, I am a huge fan of train travel, and if our entire country became a rail accessible nation, I would happily take my kids to places I may or may not have had personally unpleasant experiences.

    Trains, particularly the electric variety we now have in Auckland, are an incredibly comfortable way to travel, and my children already know that when there are no trains, Auckland’s public transport network is vastly diminished, and they are are only five and almost eight years old respectively.

    I have lived in cities with intense subway and train solutions to real city problems, and experienced intercity travel in foreign lands. And like most of us, never understood why NZ INC is so pathetically unambitious towards our own population.

    If only we could stop losing this ambition in translation and travel in style, comfort and class around our own country.

    Hamilton Central Station must be an important piece of this rail renaissance!

  12. A railcar service between Hamilton Central Station and Auckland did briefly operate in 1968. The railcar came out of the Claudelands siding to sit at the underground station at 8.25am before 8.30am departure. There was a short stop at Frankton and then direct to Auckland (2 hours). The service was reviewed in the May 1968 edition of Footplate, newsletter of Hamilton Model Railroaders.

    Top speed of 65mph… “At times it sways a bit, makes noises, often air-drag whistlely ones, but always such troubles are at an acceptable level. To do better would require probably a wider gauge.”

  13. Brothers and Sisters, The Lords work is always needing to be done and i believe that means the passenger train services in the Waikato need to be extended. Have Te Huia depart from Taumarunui on the first Te Huia to Auckland and the last return service from Auckland to terminate at Taumarunui and thus cater for that main centre of the King Country which falls under Waikato Region. This would provide a secondary rail service into a key location in the Central North Island whilst also serving Te Kuiti, Otorohonga and Te Awamutu; This extended Te Huia would enable rerouting or abandonment of the Taumarunui-Hamilton Bus service. Another idea i had is that the Waikato Region should purchase old Diesel Multiple Unit trains and run them from a Park and Ride at Hautapu, yet to be built i might add, to Huntly West and stopping at Claudelands, Hamilton Central, Frankton, Rototokauri, Ngaruawahia, Taupiri and Huntly. If the powers that be did that, then imagine all the people, old, disabled, students, unemployed and, of particular interest, all the ladies that would benefit from such train services. Hells it might even help them to get to Church on Sunday. Now that’s what i call doing the Lords work. Hallelujah, the Lord be Praised, Thank you Jesus!

  14. Haven’t read through all the comments sorry, but fully agree with the idea of a central station and suburban trains in Hamilton, reaching beyond.

    And that’s where this comment comes in. If Auckland would just heavy rail the few kms to the airport, then Hamilton (Rotorua/Tauranga) could have a rail service straight to international flights. In addition electrify from Auckland to Hamilton to use the existing EMUs.

    1. Where exactly is this “few extra kms” and if its via Puhinui, that’s already provided for via bus-priority which will eventually be part of the Busway runnung through the east.

      1. Exactly. People have to used to the idea that you have transfer in a modern transport system. The old idea of a one seat ride is long gone.

        1. changing at Puhinui to a BRT every 10 minutes or better >>>>>>>> a one-seat ride from Hamilton to the airport that’s maybe hourly at best

  15. I remember seeing the entrance to the station before they built The Warehouse all those years ago.

    I really hope they go ahead with this and open the Old Station up again.

    Having recently travelled to Seoul and seeing there Transport system and riding there Subway, I would love to see Hamilton and the wider Waikato/Auckland region move in that direction. Services linking Hamilton to satellite towns like Cambridge and Te Awamutu. Would be really terrific to be able catch a train to Auckland Airport and then head off on an overseas trip.

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