The Next Two Years – 2024 to 2026

Following funding decisions from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and Waikato Regional Council (WRC), Te Huia is now funded until 30 June 2026.  The service pattern will remain as it is now:

  • Two daily return services (Monday to Wednesday).
  • Three daily return services (Thursday and Friday).
  • Two daily return services (Saturday).

Whilst there is no guarantee of any further funding beyond June 2026, there are plans to make Te Huia permanent.  Any Government and Council funding decisions for a permanent service will be based on value for money – costs versus benefits (including passenger revenue).  Therefore, the more people who use Te Huia, the greater the chance of Te Huia continuing.

Auckland Metro Network Improvements

Various essential rail network improvement projects in Auckland are coming to an end, and this means that there may be opportunities to speed up Te Huia services and tackle issues of punctuality.  We will be working closely with colleagues in Auckland to understand what improvements could be made, starting later in 2024 and into 2025.

New Trains

If Te Huia becomes a permanent service, we will need new trains.  The existing carriages are ex-British Rail and date from the 1970s.  They have performed very well but will need to retire by the end of this decade.

The Council is working on a business case for investment in new trains which could be a combination of electric and battery, and this will be submitted to the government later in 2024.  If successful, we will need to place an order in either 2025 or 2026.  Again, it is important that Te Huia continues to attract more people to use the service, so that the best possible case can be made for new trains.

New Stations

Waikato District Council completed an indicative business case for railway stations in the northern Waikato in August 2023 focussed on Tuakau, Pookeno and Te Kauwhata. 

The next step is to progress a detailed business case for which there is currently no funding (this will need to be explored through the 2025-2034 LTP).  There is no guarantee that funding for a DBC will be allocated in the current fiscally constrained environment. 

Ngaruawahia and Horotiu communities are served by the Rotokauri and Huntly stations, while any new stations for the North Waikato are subject to local and central government funding.

KiwiRail has announced three new South Auckland stations will be built by 2026 - one in Paerata and two in Drury.  You can view more information on these projects here: Drury Rail Stations | KiwiRail