In any case, the question of which is better will become a lot clearer after the CRL and associated track work rollout - Auckland's network has had real momentum over the past 10 years while Wellington's is still trying to get past paper ticketing. Wellington's network has been properly maintained and expected to be maintained well through the 90s, whereas Auckland's has been largely neglected by KiwiRail after privatisation and the dark ages in the 80s/90s - hence the closures in the past couple years. With the CRL, the entire track network is being upgraded to modern spec to support 15-min frequencies all-day, 7-days a week. The AM class units are also getting interior swap-outs, mainly to fire-rate them for underground tunnel use, but a good opportunity to install some comfier seating. Auckland has a better station facilities - will get even better with the underground additions, and also a much much better feeder bus network. AT just needs to speed up level crossing removals on the Western Line and third/fourth track construction.
Wellington’s network was in a pretty dire state in 2008. Many of station buildings and the rotting 1950s timber overhead catenary looked almost ready to fall over and the rolling stock was creaking and often broke down or had door failures. But the Wellington Regional council have invested in improving the facilities, in coordination with Kiwirail. The Auckland council has often not cooperated with Kiwirail, and bought electric multiple units with strange rigid swivels that wear the tracks out faster, and adopted an odd operating model where the trains go very slow and stop at every station (instead of having staggered express services) due to never implementing and switchbacks at a midway station. But maybe the Auckland services will improve once this trackbed renewal is finished. They really should have a project of installing a switchback at New Lynn and Puhinui, to allow for staggered services so commuters from Papakura or Henderson don’t have to stop at every bloody station.
Thank you for making this video. I'm not from NZ, I'm from Australia, but it's fascinating seeing your systems over there and contrasting them to ours. I must admit, Auckland not electrifying until 2014 is pretty mind blowing, but I believe Adelaide still isn't fully electric. Hopefully your cities go down the same path as Perth which has continually invested and built a great system that is all government owned. The new underground rail link in Auckland will really change things, I imagine.
Auckland's rail network was electrified but had the system ripped out in favour of diesel units sometime ago, which is indeed mind blowing but it was a different time when gas was cheaper than electricity. So it was 're-electrified' as it were.
Parts of the Auckland network are impressive. I really like the electric buses running from Auckland airport to Puhinui & the train to Britomart. Puhinui Station looks amazing. And Britomart to Newmarket is a smooth experience & the Newmarket Station is really modern. I haven't used the Wellington trains much & in general the stations seem to be a lot older. For example Wellington & Petone stations, & their ticketing systems are antiquated compared to Auckland. Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney are light years ahead of Wellington.
The quality of a service doesn’t depend upon the ticketing system. What’s important is that the trains are reliable and punctual. The second most important thing is that the trains are quick and comfortable. And of course it is important that the stations and are are in the right place. In those regards; Wellington has a good system and service.
I remember visiting Auckland in 2014 and standing on a pedestrian bridge watching a train leave Britomart. I got blasted with diesel exhaust, so I for one am happy the station is now all electric.
I live in Auckland and although the trains in theory run 7 days a week in reality they only run Monday to Friday. Almost every weekend at least some parts of each line is not running because of track maintenance. Also the Onehunga line will no longer run to Britomart soon because of ongoing construction to the CRL. The train services in Auckland have become substantially worse since about 2021 due to constant shutdowns because of track issues
I figure once the city rail link is finished, much of it will become easier since the lines will have an increased capacity which means they will have more time available for maintenance
I'm a Welly local and have been on both systems and noticed that Wellington's trains are a lot narrower in width due to having to fit through the multiple tunnels (especially on the Johnsonville and Porirua lines). Auckland trains are more spacious
I agree I like the trains in Wellys too but, maybe thats just because Wellingtonians use public transport regularly and we're use to it cos finding a car park in town is expensive and not always available near where you'd like one. I'm off to Auckland this week so I'm catching a train into Britomart just so I can say I've been on the train in Auckland as it has been years since I last gotta train up there, looking forward to it :)
Good one, thanks. Interesting common feature of all NZ rail is 1067 mm gauge. That ex-UK carriages can be used show just how small the UK loading gauge is for 1435 mm gauge track. Wellington tickets were pre-printed on cardboard until recently at least. A system that did not need computers at all. So modern technology left Welington trains well behind. About to change I hear.
Yes Wellington still has carboard tickets but is slowly rolling out electronic ticketing. Hardly a biggie though, aside from having the guard still clip everyone’s ticket.
@@danieleyre8913 That they are still using the same ticketing system after 80 years suggests that they have not thought about ticketing systems much during the life of the system. I think it is not very reliable to depend on the guard getting to every passenger. Ticket selling in stations is expensive if you do not use machines, so you depend on guards to sell tickets too. You need zealous guards who are hard to find...
@@keacoq Well the system has worked and it’s only been the last 20 years at most systems in the world got rid of paper and cardboard tickets so nobody in Metlink cares what you think.
Haven't been on a train in Wellington for over 10 years, but was in Auckland last month, and the AT card was seamless regardless of mode - just need mobile payment options without a card.
My preference is traveling the Wellington network, with most of the reasons being exactly what you mention in your video. The Kāpiti Line for the coastal section between Pukerua Bay and Paekākāriki alone does it for me! Also, I've always found the Johnsonville Line a neat little journey with all the tight curves, tunnels and stations that seem to come out of nowhere. A good balance of commuter, intercity and freight traffic always keeping it interesting.
Yes..the JVL is like a cute little mystery tour and a real delight. The Plimmerton to P'kak is wonderful in good weather, especially heading south then you can see the South Island before Pukerua Bay.... the WRL frpm the north end of the tunnel on is a relaxing cruise through the countryside. Your video approved by LeviNZ...and probably Jago.....
Can a Kiwi explain why Wellington has pretty decent commuter rail service for a city it's size, especially in the anglosphere, whereas Christchurch has no service at all?
1) It's the capital 2) It has perfect geography for rail. It's densely populated (at least by nz standards), and most of the population lives in narrow long 'valleys' between mountains, and convenuently thats where the rail lines are. Wellington feels much bigger than its population suggests. Its rail network is pretty good for small size and its patronage was higher than Auckland's until pretty recently, and still has more trips per capita. It used to be waaaay better than Auckland's, but auckland has caught up and will surpass it soon. Auckland is/was quite sprawly compared to wellington, and was neglected for decades. Christchurch is more like a large country town in the way it functions, and is extremely sprawled
@@shaunmckenzie5509 Is there anything Wellington could do to connect the rest of the city with rail? It looks like the network functions quite well but then stops about 1000m short of being very effective at serving the city, and then a good light rail line from the south and airport across the city would complete the package right? Obviously difficult to justify for such a small city and the rail network that is there is, as you say, really good but it could be *great*
Because the Christchurch regional council and the provincial council before it allowed their old railway services to be lost and has has never come up with any feasible plan to bring it back. To bring railway back to Christchurch will require some big investment. But maybe one day it will happen…
The Auckland EMUs are far superior. Higher capacity, larger units so more spacious, better design, sound better, etc. Add in better stations across the network, the HOP card, plus the City Rail Loop and many other upgrades happening currently across the network. I would say Wellington's network is pretty decent given the city's size.
Rolling out the Snapper system across the network had been in the planning stages for a long time. Then the government came along during the latter part of it and announced a nationwide ticketing system.
I think that a national system is a nice idea in principle. But in practice the systems have little shared ridership and there is nobody nationally in charge. Auckland has a big established system, but who will want to have to copy Auckland? Wellington is having enough trouble getting snapper to work throughout Wellington, even though the trains have no existing electronic system. From what I've seen in the world, most cities have their own ticketing system, altough most are I imagine built from a small number of technologies. I like the contactless system used in London. You just use your contactless credit card..... Here in Bordeaux, there is a flat fare electronic system for buses and trams. But for short train trip you have to use the national ticketing system, so the same process for going two stops or across France by TGV. They are talking of a unified system for local train/tram/bus trips, but it is still in the future. And then the cheapest ticketing system used more and more often for local transport - free travel.
I prefer Wellington’s network for similar reasons that you do. I also do plan to make a tribute to the ADL Class DMU’s but I won’t be doing it until the end of the year/start of next year.
Wellington trains only go north from the north east edge of the central area. No trains south. No service to the airport. Auckland doesn't have direct service to the airport, but there is a train/express bus setup now, with train planned. Wellington is getting people to Wellington from suburbs. Auckland gets people around from south to west, east to central. Just missing north. Both are limited by the rails laid by Kiwirail.
It's too hard to get to airport in wellington without making it elevated or using tunnels, and it was only built in 1959. Aucklands bus service can be unreliable as the only ones that half work are school buses. And the Light rail system will probably go on to 2050. (wow that was long)
It should but Auckland and Wellington commuter trains are run by both city councils independently from one another. So it’ll be a whole process trying to connect the two I guess
After long experience of Dunedin and Wellington suburban trains, on which I could and often did buy a ticket on board, imagine my surprise in 2007, when I had to change trains at Arnhem during the station's long redevelopment. Unable to find the temporary ticket office, and pressed for time, I discovered that in the Netherlands you can't buy a ticket on the train, or at least not without paying a 25 Euro surcharge/fine on top of the fare. I couldn't even fall back on being a visitor to the country because the guard had heard me talking to other passengers.
Purchasing a ticket on board implies handling cash and as we move toward a completely cashless economy this would be a decidedly backward step. Few train managers or guards these days would welcome the hassle and associated security risks.
Thanks for an excellent video. Years ago, during the 1970's, I visited New Zealand and rode the trains both in Wellington and Auckland. Back then, Wellington had the old red electric suburban trains and Auckland only had suburban diesel trains, with the main railway station being out near Parnell. From what you mentioned,. not only the trains have improved, but also the frequency of services. I remember some Auckland suburban lines were two hours between trains back in the 1970's. I am not exactly sure of the frequency of Wellington trains back then, but I think it may have been about an hour between trains. I remember that the scenery while on the Wellington trains was quite spectacular, especially just out of the city.
Before electrification (but after the decision to electrify), the station moved from Parnell to Britomart. Now, Parnell is still an operational station, but for diesel only. I don't think any freight stops there, but the train from Auckland to Wellington starts/ends there. Britomart had a relatively brief period as the diesel hub, then was electrified, then has been under construction ever since. When electrification hit, the southern most point of the network moved to Papakura, if it wasn't there already, and the "northernmost" point (in quotes because it was on the west line) dropped back to Swanson, because AT and Kiwirail can't figure out how to electrify past there. There is a bridge too short to electrify under, and AT won't raise the bridge and Kiwirail won't lower the tracks, so it's stuck forever in political limbo due to funding blame. I think before electrification it went to Helensville, or maybe just beyond. No movement has been made towards rail to the North Shore. Still 30+ years away, unless a drastic change in policy happens.
@9:05 I honestly could never understand why the Auckland network doesn’t also go for express services along the southern and western lines. Yes it would cost a bit of money to install a switch-back track at some stations halfway along the network (I would personally choose Puhinui station and New Lynn, once the trench is cleared). But it would be so much more attractive for commuters living in somewhere like Papakura or Swanson to not have to stop at every single station and get to Auckland’s cbd quicker. As someone who lived in near Wallaceville station for a couple of years and used to commute into Wellington; I can honestly say that I preferred faster trip times with fewer stops over service frequency. It’s what happens on most suburban railway systems in the world. Auckland transport are hopeless and run by clowns. I will be riding both systems in a week’s time, the first time for me for both the AM’s and the FP/FT’s. I’ll finally, after many years away from NZ, be able to get my own assessment of both systems and the units. From merely the looks of things; the AM’s have long seemed a bit sterile inside to me. I am also surprised that neither new EMU class have internal advertisements along the roof corners like the old GANZ EM/ET had. Seems like an opportunity to make a few extra dollars lost…
Well I’ve taken a ride on both systems (Auckland on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday and Wellington yesterday) and my assessment is: *Wellington has an overall better service.* The FP/FT Matangi units are noticeably better than Auckland’s AM units, they are much more cosy & comfortable and they have a much smoother ride, especially in their acceleration and deceleration. Aside from some odd service panels on the floor making an uneven surface near one set of doors; the Matangi’s are clearly marvellously designed and were fabricated to a very high standard, and I expect they’ll be giving at least another 30 years of iconic service. The AM units are more roomy with their larger loading gauge to work within, but they have less cushioned seats with a strange hard rubber that become a bit uncomfortable after about 20 minutes. They don’t feel as cosy and warm inside. And they’re definitely not as smooth, they often make strange grinding noises and shake or vibrate on some sections of track. And furthermore; the AM’s look a lot more worn than the Matangi’s, despite the units being 3-5 years newer, so they’ve very probably been constructed with inferior quality materials and components. The seat covers in the Matangi units are clearly made of a high quality durable wool moquette carpet, but the covers on the AM units feel like some cheap & nasty nylon polymer. Given the outstanding job that Hyundai-Rotem did with the Matangi’s; It baffles me that Auckland Transport awarded the tender for the AM units to CAF over them and paid more money. I also have to chuckle now remembering a lot of morons who 10-15 years ago were knocking the Matangi’s online over their Korean manufacture and their “broken nose” frontal appearance (as if that makes any difference), who were mostly Aucklanders with a chip on their shoulder’s towards Wellington. I expect that Hyundai-Rotem will have an advantage if they put in a tender for the tender for the upcoming new 4-unit rolling stock for the Wairarapa and Manawatu services given the excellent job they did with he Matangi’s. Auckland’s network however does generally have much better station facilities; with better covering and higher-quality shelters, better quality service display information (over Wellington’s basic dot matrix), gated entry & hop card top up’s, and public announcements for every train (albeit; initially in Te Reo Maori that almost nobody understands, and voiced by a really fruity sounding guy with a horrible accent). Finally: There seems to be something odd with the Auckland services and them running strangely and frustratingly slow on many sections of track. The western line in particular sees the trains potting along at a low velocity that’s far below the possible speed of the AM units or the track alignments and far from attractive to anyone needing or wanting to use the services, but it also seems to happen on the Southern/eastern line especially around Penrose and Otahuhu. Why on earth?! I would honestly rather have speed of service over service frequency. I’m left concluding that Auckland transport must employ some morons (and who probably listen to morons).
@@DC4260Productions Yes I saw that in one section on one carriage, where there is no overhead baggage storage; they have advert panels. Once side was taken upon with adverts for the Chemist warehouse, the other side hade 3 different panels for three different products/services.
@@danieleyre8913, they are probably having to coast so that a train up ahead can get out of their way. Many of the lines are at capacity due to terminating at Britomart. The city rail link makes it into a loop which will double the train capacity.
@@benharris7358 I hope you’re correct. But I suspect you’re unfortunately not, and that the slow speed is due to AT’s (probably ridiculous) safety protocols in dealing with level crossings, which the tunnel will not alleviate. Especially given that the train services I took were also on a Saturday and that frequencies and general traffic levels weren’t that high. And that the only way this will be remedied will be when AT pulls its head of out its bottom and adopts less stringent and more pragmatic protocols.
You forgot to mention the Capital Connection between Palmerston North and Wellington (Mornings) and Wellington and Palmerston North (Evenings) Weekdays days only.
Most people do. It's like this secret train route that no one likes to talk about. I think it's because we don't like to think about people coming from Palmy, an odd bunch up there.
It would be awesome to see the AM class EMU's running south of Auckland to Pukekohe and under the city between Britomart and Westfield when the electrification the Papakura-Pukekohe section of the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) and the City Rail Link (CRL) project are finished. But, I would still personally prefer that they extend the electrification on the North Auckland Line from Swanson to Whangarei, so the AM's can run from the Britomart to Whangarei. And as for Wellington, new rolling stock will be introduced for the Greater Wellington region, EMU's compatible with voltages ranging from 1500V DC to 25,000V (25kV) AC with more capacity for passengers traveling from Wellington to Masterton or Palmerston North, I believe those EMU's will be built by Stadler, the same company who are building the new DM class diesel locomotives. However, the existing FP/FT class Matangi units can still run from Wellington to Masterton or Palmertson North, when the Hutt Valley lines are once extended to Masterton and the Kapiti lines to Palmerston North.
Very enjoyable video. It would be great if Wellington's network had also used 25kVac as that might have led to the main trunk line being electrified throughout.
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It would cost a bomb to do, and would offer no improvement on the status quo. So "great" how?
@11:45 Wellington station doesn’t suffer Britomart’s eyesore ugly concourse. But the Britomart terminus once you’re up the escalators and in the old post office part I found really very good. Wellington station is lovely on a good day when the sun is beating down and there’s a light breeze on the harbour. But it is a nightmare when the encirclement weather that Wellington gets at least a week of every winter hits. After living in London; I think that if I ever become a billionaire I would donate some millions to building a canopy roof for Wellington station like they have in European Terminuses to keep the commuters waiting for their train home sheltered.
Im a regular on Aucklands western line with my bike,its a great service ,nice and clean cars ,seats are good ,staff are great if you ask them questions,the run mostly on time ,i can remember back when the old station in the city was used with diesel engines and the old red cars that ran from when i was a kid in the 70s right up to the early 2000s with shabby stations dating back to the 30s lol now its much better but lost that adventure feel of the old diesels and red cars and the old stations ,pity they do not go out west to Waitakere and Kumeu seems satrange since theres a lot of people living out that way now .I remember in the 1980s catching the Northerner from Waiouru to Auckland and back on leave from the Army ,with the bar car and double brown beer and mixs were those little miniture bottles lol
Matangis sound like Class 700s and Class 717s on overhead mode, with the AMs sounding like Class 331s and Class 197s as well as Class 365s to add into the mix
Yes, that's the only remaining passenger service that still covers the full North Island Main Trunk. It's unfortunate, because the tickets are too expensive (in my opinion) and the service is bent so far in favour of rich tourists that it has little to no benefit for the less well-off locals.
Having lived in Auckland and Wellington and traveled extensively on both networks, I think the Wellington Matangis have the edge over the Auckland units. The Matangis have pocket doors which open and close quickly and quietly, whereas the CAF units have doors which swing out and along, and when they close they do so with a very loud CLUNK. The seats in the CAF units aren't as comfortable as the ones in the old ex-BR MK2 coaches, and the seats in the Matangis are marginally better than the CAF ones.
Yeah the Matangi’s are pretty ace. I remember when they were new and all of these loser railfans in Auckland mocked them for being ugly. But they are much better than the ADK class being used in Auckland at that time and better than the CAF’s. They’re so smooth and cosy.
Cool story Bro ... thanks for the vid. I have lived in both cities, and like yourself, prefer Wellington to Auckland. Having said that, I now live in Christchurch =)
What other cities in NZ had commuter rail other than Auckland, wellington and now closed Christchurch. You make it sound like lots of cities in NZ had commuter rail.
Just got back from Wellington and rode all the lines except the Wairarapa, frequency is better on the Kapiti and Hutt Valley lines and on par with Johnsonville compared to Brisbane where I live, the Matangi trains look nice and the non-disabled seats are comfortable but I dislike that the non-disabled entrance requires you to walk up a step I think that's a bad design and half the train being slightly elevated inside seems very unnecessary, the Snapper Card system sucks changing trains for example I went from Melling to Upper Hutt and had to touch off and back on at Petone just to change trains otherwise I would have been charged a penalty that seems like a bad design not to mention Snapper can only be used on Trains and Buses if you want to use the local Ferry or Cable Car and only have a Snapper your shit out of luck, the Wellington Train Network is very scenic especially the Kapiti and Johnsonville lines, next time I'm in Wellington and there will be a next time I will ride the Wairarapa line.
Masterton boy here. I can tell you from plenty of personal experience that the Wairarapa line is defo worth a go, there's one hell of a view as you come off the Remutakas and head towards the flats, and vice-versa. Can't really compare it to the other Wellington line, as I've never actually taken any, which is kinda odd considering I've lived almost my whole life in Greater Wellington.
Both get delays. I like the look of AM class but sometimes random stuff can get stuck on seats. Wellington train station is also bigger than Britomart and is probably more effective than auckland. (maybe government will make Christchurch next)?
Probably of comparable size. Wellington has about 8 platforms but theyre squished together tightly. I think Britomart has wider space on each platform.
Christchurch regional council has no feasible plan for railways so they’re unlikely to get any help from the central government. Christchurch would need a lot of investment, such as building a proper terminus station close to the town centre, grade separation of some crossings and the restoration of the chord north to west at Addington. Maybe one day…
The AM interiors are bland bc they're designed primarily for accessibility, where u sit and what u hold onto are highly contrasted against a dull background for better visibility for people with impaired vision. One aspect about trains and accessibility that I don't think is given enough credit
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As a Wellingtonian; I don't fathom why Auckland Transport doesn't make some extra money by offering that bland white space inside their EMU's to advertisers...
Really exciting to see a video on the few train services NZ has. The media and the 2024 Govt stooges have very little positive or even good things to say about rail, they actually defunded rail 97% and reverted to outmoded 1960’s motorways madness, basically putting the country back one hundred years. $Billions for the fragile roading liability, crumbs for the robust (often neglected) rail system which is corporately exploited for maximum profits. NZ must move out of being the world’s worst rail laggard and massively increase implementation of 21st Century rail technologies
Auckland has half a rail network. It was pretty much abandoned from 1950 to 2005. Now we are seeing significant investment. The city rail link will double the capacity of all rail lines feeding into Britomart. Proposed two light rail lines Orewa-Airport and Waimauku-Takapuna would complete the rail segment of the network leaving the remainder to be fed by dedicated bus ways. Its important to note that Aucklands public transport network includes buses and trains as a part of the same network since you can use the AT hop tag on/off card on all AT services, and the services are being designed to integrate.
In my opinion; Auckland’s train services are overall pretty good. But I just think overall Wellington’s is better. Auckland’s system has _some_ things over Wellington though; such as the general line stations and the facilities. Wellington has better trains with more comfort and the trains go faster.
Eh, grass is greener. 2024 had the rails go pop a few times due to heat and cold. It's been a few years since I've been in Auckland but AT ain't so bad.
Ah no. Auckland generally has better station facilities. But Wellington has better trains, and they go faster and don’t creak and shake. “Light years ahead”…
In any case, the question of which is better will become a lot clearer after the CRL and associated track work rollout - Auckland's network has had real momentum over the past 10 years while Wellington's is still trying to get past paper ticketing. Wellington's network has been properly maintained and expected to be maintained well through the 90s, whereas Auckland's has been largely neglected by KiwiRail after privatisation and the dark ages in the 80s/90s - hence the closures in the past couple years. With the CRL, the entire track network is being upgraded to modern spec to support 15-min frequencies all-day, 7-days a week. The AM class units are also getting interior swap-outs, mainly to fire-rate them for underground tunnel use, but a good opportunity to install some comfier seating. Auckland has a better station facilities - will get even better with the underground additions, and also a much much better feeder bus network. AT just needs to speed up level crossing removals on the Western Line and third/fourth track construction.
Wellington’s network was in a pretty dire state in 2008. Many of station buildings and the rotting 1950s timber overhead catenary looked almost ready to fall over and the rolling stock was creaking and often broke down or had door failures. But the Wellington Regional council have invested in improving the facilities, in coordination with Kiwirail.
The Auckland council has often not cooperated with Kiwirail, and bought electric multiple units with strange rigid swivels that wear the tracks out faster, and adopted an odd operating model where the trains go very slow and stop at every station (instead of having staggered express services) due to never implementing and switchbacks at a midway station.
But maybe the Auckland services will improve once this trackbed renewal is finished. They really should have a project of installing a switchback at New Lynn and Puhinui, to allow for staggered services so commuters from Papakura or Henderson don’t have to stop at every bloody station.
Auckland definitely seems to have better trains but then it is a bigger city.
@@sovietonion72Nope the Matangi trains are better.
It's genuinely impressive that a city as small as Wellington that is not in Europe or Asia has a rail network of anykind
Thank you for making this video. I'm not from NZ, I'm from Australia, but it's fascinating seeing your systems over there and contrasting them to ours. I must admit, Auckland not electrifying until 2014 is pretty mind blowing, but I believe Adelaide still isn't fully electric. Hopefully your cities go down the same path as Perth which has continually invested and built a great system that is all government owned. The new underground rail link in Auckland will really change things, I imagine.
Auckland's rail network was electrified but had the system ripped out in favour of diesel units sometime ago, which is indeed mind blowing but it was a different time when gas was cheaper than electricity. So it was 're-electrified' as it were.
@@alexn6060 Auckland never had electrified rail
Parts of the Auckland network are impressive. I really like the electric buses running from Auckland airport to Puhinui & the train to Britomart. Puhinui Station looks amazing. And Britomart to Newmarket is a smooth experience & the Newmarket Station is really modern. I haven't used the Wellington trains much & in general the stations seem to be a lot older. For example Wellington & Petone stations, & their ticketing systems are antiquated compared to Auckland. Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney are light years ahead of Wellington.
The quality of a service doesn’t depend upon the ticketing system.
What’s important is that the trains are reliable and punctual. The second most important thing is that the trains are quick and comfortable. And of course it is important that the stations and are are in the right place.
In those regards; Wellington has a good system and service.
Unfortunity NZTA got ride of a great dedicated cycle way from great south road to the airport to make the bus service happen which is a backward step.
I remember visiting Auckland in 2014 and standing on a pedestrian bridge watching a train leave Britomart. I got blasted with diesel exhaust, so I for one am happy the station is now all electric.
I live in Auckland and although the trains in theory run 7 days a week in reality they only run Monday to Friday. Almost every weekend at least some parts of each line is not running because of track maintenance. Also the Onehunga line will no longer run to Britomart soon because of ongoing construction to the CRL. The train services in Auckland have become substantially worse since about 2021 due to constant shutdowns because of track issues
I figure once the city rail link is finished, much of it will become easier since the lines will have an increased capacity which means they will have more time available for maintenance
I'm a Welly local and have been on both systems and noticed that Wellington's trains are a lot narrower in width due to having to fit through the multiple tunnels (especially on the Johnsonville and Porirua lines). Auckland trains are more spacious
Yes Wellington has a smaller loading gauge in general but especially due to the Johnsonville line.
Snapper has been rolled out since this video for all Wellington trains managed by Metlink.
Also, the fares have increased on the Wellington trains.
I agree I like the trains in Wellys too but, maybe thats just because Wellingtonians use public
transport regularly and we're use to it cos finding a car park in town is expensive and not
always available near where you'd like one. I'm off to Auckland this week so I'm catching a
train into Britomart just so I can say I've been on the train in Auckland as it has been years
since I last gotta train up there, looking forward to it :)
The wellington network is the best been on all lines except Palmerston north. Matangi so reliable
Good one, thanks. Interesting common feature of all NZ rail is 1067 mm gauge. That ex-UK carriages can be used show just how small the UK loading gauge is for 1435 mm gauge track. Wellington tickets were pre-printed on cardboard until recently at least. A system that did not need computers at all. So modern technology left Welington trains well behind. About to change I hear.
Yes Wellington still has carboard tickets but is slowly rolling out electronic ticketing. Hardly a biggie though, aside from having the guard still clip everyone’s ticket.
@@danieleyre8913 That they are still using the same ticketing system after 80 years suggests that they have not thought about ticketing systems much during the life of the system. I think it is not very reliable to depend on the guard getting to every passenger. Ticket selling in stations is expensive if you do not use machines, so you depend on guards to sell tickets too. You need zealous guards who are hard to find...
@@keacoq Well the system has worked and it’s only been the last 20 years at most systems in the world got rid of paper and cardboard tickets so nobody in Metlink cares what you think.
Haven't been on a train in Wellington for over 10 years, but was in Auckland last month, and the AT card was seamless regardless of mode - just need mobile payment options without a card.
My preference is traveling the Wellington network, with most of the reasons being exactly what you mention in your video. The Kāpiti Line for the coastal section between Pukerua Bay and Paekākāriki alone does it for me! Also, I've always found the Johnsonville Line a neat little journey with all the tight curves, tunnels and stations that seem to come out of nowhere. A good balance of commuter, intercity and freight traffic always keeping it interesting.
Yes..the JVL is like a cute little mystery tour and a real delight. The Plimmerton to P'kak is wonderful in good weather, especially heading south then you can see the South Island before Pukerua Bay.... the WRL frpm the north end of the tunnel on is a relaxing cruise through the countryside.
Your video approved by LeviNZ...and probably Jago.....
Can a Kiwi explain why Wellington has pretty decent commuter rail service for a city it's size, especially in the anglosphere, whereas Christchurch has no service at all?
1) It's the capital
2) It has perfect geography for rail. It's densely populated (at least by nz standards), and most of the population lives in narrow long 'valleys' between mountains, and convenuently thats where the rail lines are. Wellington feels much bigger than its population suggests. Its rail network is pretty good for small size and its patronage was higher than Auckland's until pretty recently, and still has more trips per capita.
It used to be waaaay better than Auckland's, but auckland has caught up and will surpass it soon. Auckland is/was quite sprawly compared to wellington, and was neglected for decades.
Christchurch is more like a large country town in the way it functions, and is extremely sprawled
@@shaunmckenzie5509 Is there anything Wellington could do to connect the rest of the city with rail? It looks like the network functions quite well but then stops about 1000m short of being very effective at serving the city, and then a good light rail line from the south and airport across the city would complete the package right? Obviously difficult to justify for such a small city and the rail network that is there is, as you say, really good but it could be *great*
Because the Christchurch regional council and the provincial council before it allowed their old railway services to be lost and has has never come up with any feasible plan to bring it back.
To bring railway back to Christchurch will require some big investment. But maybe one day it will happen…
@@BigBlueMan118They could go underground… …into that reclaimed soil in an earthquake prone city.
The Auckland EMUs are far superior. Higher capacity, larger units so more spacious, better design, sound better, etc. Add in better stations across the network, the HOP card, plus the City Rail Loop and many other upgrades happening currently across the network. I would say Wellington's network is pretty decent given the city's size.
Hahahaha nope Wellington’s units are much better. No creaking, smoother ride, better air conditioning, don’t crawl along as slowly.
Interested as to why they would roll out Snapper card system when in a matter of two or so years there will be a nationwide single card system?
Rolling out the Snapper system across the network had been in the planning stages for a long time. Then the government came along during the latter part of it and announced a nationwide ticketing system.
I think that a national system is a nice idea in principle. But in practice the systems have little shared ridership and there is nobody nationally in charge. Auckland has a big established system, but who will want to have to copy Auckland? Wellington is having enough trouble getting snapper to work throughout Wellington, even though the trains have no existing electronic system. From what I've seen in the world, most cities have their own ticketing system, altough most are I imagine built from a small number of technologies.
I like the contactless system used in London. You just use your contactless credit card.....
Here in Bordeaux, there is a flat fare electronic system for buses and trams. But for short train trip you have to use the national ticketing system, so the same process for going two stops or across France by TGV. They are talking of a unified system for local train/tram/bus trips, but it is still in the future.
And then the cheapest ticketing system used more and more often for local transport - free travel.
I prefer Wellington’s network for similar reasons that you do. I also do plan to make a tribute to the ADL Class DMU’s but I won’t be doing it until the end of the year/start of next year.
Wellington trains only go north from the north east edge of the central area. No trains south. No service to the airport. Auckland doesn't have direct service to the airport, but there is a train/express bus setup now, with train planned.
Wellington is getting people to Wellington from suburbs. Auckland gets people around from south to west, east to central. Just missing north.
Both are limited by the rails laid by Kiwirail.
It's too hard to get to airport in wellington without making it elevated or using tunnels, and it was only built in 1959. Aucklands bus service can be unreliable as the only ones that half work are school buses. And the Light rail system will probably go on to 2050. (wow that was long)
Surely with modern technology the same card could be used for all these transport systems throughout NZ
It should but Auckland and Wellington commuter trains are run by both city councils independently from one another. So it’ll be a whole process trying to connect the two I guess
@@ronranger29yeah and don't forget the other councils with their bee cards so they've got to make a machine that'll collection all 3 of them
Awesome videos. I work for KR here in NZ so good to see some vids on our train network :)
After long experience of Dunedin and Wellington suburban trains, on which I could and often did buy a ticket on board, imagine my surprise in 2007, when I had to change trains at Arnhem during the station's long redevelopment. Unable to find the temporary ticket office, and pressed for time, I discovered that in the Netherlands you can't buy a ticket on the train, or at least not without paying a 25 Euro surcharge/fine on top of the fare. I couldn't even fall back on being a visitor to the country because the guard had heard me talking to other passengers.
Purchasing a ticket on board implies handling cash and as we move toward a completely cashless economy this would be a decidedly backward step. Few train managers or guards these days would welcome the hassle and associated security risks.
Thanks for an excellent video. Years ago, during the 1970's, I visited New Zealand and rode the trains both in Wellington and Auckland. Back then, Wellington had the old red electric suburban trains and Auckland only had suburban diesel trains, with the main railway station being out near Parnell. From what you mentioned,. not only the trains have improved, but also the frequency of services. I remember some Auckland suburban lines were two hours between trains back in the 1970's. I am not exactly sure of the frequency of Wellington trains back then, but I think it may have been about an hour between trains. I remember that the scenery while on the Wellington trains was quite spectacular, especially just out of the city.
The Wellington rail system had 30 minute off peak and 15 minute peak services between the 1960s and about 5 years ago.
Before electrification (but after the decision to electrify), the station moved from Parnell to Britomart. Now, Parnell is still an operational station, but for diesel only. I don't think any freight stops there, but the train from Auckland to Wellington starts/ends there.
Britomart had a relatively brief period as the diesel hub, then was electrified, then has been under construction ever since.
When electrification hit, the southern most point of the network moved to Papakura, if it wasn't there already, and the "northernmost" point (in quotes because it was on the west line) dropped back to Swanson, because AT and Kiwirail can't figure out how to electrify past there. There is a bridge too short to electrify under, and AT won't raise the bridge and Kiwirail won't lower the tracks, so it's stuck forever in political limbo due to funding blame. I think before electrification it went to Helensville, or maybe just beyond.
No movement has been made towards rail to the North Shore. Still 30+ years away, unless a drastic change in policy happens.
Another difference is the IGBT-VVVF inverter and asynchronous traction motor sounds.
CAF AMA/AMP class: CAF converter/inverter powering eight (4/end carriage) Mitsubishi MB-5146-A (190 kW) asynchronous motors
Hyundai Rotem/Mitsui FP class: Hyundai Rotem inverter powering four *model/make temporarily unknown* (170 kW) asynchronous motors
@9:05
I honestly could never understand why the Auckland network doesn’t also go for express services along the southern and western lines. Yes it would cost a bit of money to install a switch-back track at some stations halfway along the network (I would personally choose Puhinui station and New Lynn, once the trench is cleared). But it would be so much more attractive for commuters living in somewhere like Papakura or Swanson to not have to stop at every single station and get to Auckland’s cbd quicker. As someone who lived in near Wallaceville station for a couple of years and used to commute into Wellington; I can honestly say that I preferred faster trip times with fewer stops over service frequency. It’s what happens on most suburban railway systems in the world. Auckland transport are hopeless and run by clowns.
I will be riding both systems in a week’s time, the first time for me for both the AM’s and the FP/FT’s. I’ll finally, after many years away from NZ, be able to get my own assessment of both systems and the units. From merely the looks of things; the AM’s have long seemed a bit sterile inside to me. I am also surprised that neither new EMU class have internal advertisements along the roof corners like the old GANZ EM/ET had. Seems like an opportunity to make a few extra dollars lost…
Some of the Matangi units do indeed have internal adverts.
Well I’ve taken a ride on both systems (Auckland on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday and Wellington yesterday) and my assessment is:
*Wellington has an overall better service.*
The FP/FT Matangi units are noticeably better than Auckland’s AM units, they are much more cosy & comfortable and they have a much smoother ride, especially in their acceleration and deceleration. Aside from some odd service panels on the floor making an uneven surface near one set of doors; the Matangi’s are clearly marvellously designed and were fabricated to a very high standard, and I expect they’ll be giving at least another 30 years of iconic service. The AM units are more roomy with their larger loading gauge to work within, but they have less cushioned seats with a strange hard rubber that become a bit uncomfortable after about 20 minutes. They don’t feel as cosy and warm inside. And they’re definitely not as smooth, they often make strange grinding noises and shake or vibrate on some sections of track. And furthermore; the AM’s look a lot more worn than the Matangi’s, despite the units being 3-5 years newer, so they’ve very probably been constructed with inferior quality materials and components. The seat covers in the Matangi units are clearly made of a high quality durable wool moquette carpet, but the covers on the AM units feel like some cheap & nasty nylon polymer. Given the outstanding job that Hyundai-Rotem did with the Matangi’s; It baffles me that Auckland Transport awarded the tender for the AM units to CAF over them and paid more money. I also have to chuckle now remembering a lot of morons who 10-15 years ago were knocking the Matangi’s online over their Korean manufacture and their “broken nose” frontal appearance (as if that makes any difference), who were mostly Aucklanders with a chip on their shoulder’s towards Wellington. I expect that Hyundai-Rotem will have an advantage if they put in a tender for the tender for the upcoming new 4-unit rolling stock for the Wairarapa and Manawatu services given the excellent job they did with he Matangi’s.
Auckland’s network however does generally have much better station facilities; with better covering and higher-quality shelters, better quality service display information (over Wellington’s basic dot matrix), gated entry & hop card top up’s, and public announcements for every train (albeit; initially in Te Reo Maori that almost nobody understands, and voiced by a really fruity sounding guy with a horrible accent).
Finally: There seems to be something odd with the Auckland services and them running strangely and frustratingly slow on many sections of track. The western line in particular sees the trains potting along at a low velocity that’s far below the possible speed of the AM units or the track alignments and far from attractive to anyone needing or wanting to use the services, but it also seems to happen on the Southern/eastern line especially around Penrose and Otahuhu. Why on earth?! I would honestly rather have speed of service over service frequency. I’m left concluding that Auckland transport must employ some morons (and who probably listen to morons).
@@DC4260Productions Yes I saw that in one section on one carriage, where there is no overhead baggage storage; they have advert panels. Once side was taken upon with adverts for the Chemist warehouse, the other side hade 3 different panels for three different products/services.
@@danieleyre8913, they are probably having to coast so that a train up ahead can get out of their way. Many of the lines are at capacity due to terminating at Britomart. The city rail link makes it into a loop which will double the train capacity.
@@benharris7358 I hope you’re correct.
But I suspect you’re unfortunately not, and that the slow speed is due to AT’s (probably ridiculous) safety protocols in dealing with level crossings, which the tunnel will not alleviate. Especially given that the train services I took were also on a Saturday and that frequencies and general traffic levels weren’t that high.
And that the only way this will be remedied will be when AT pulls its head of out its bottom and adopts less stringent and more pragmatic protocols.
You forgot to mention the Capital Connection between Palmerston North and Wellington (Mornings) and Wellington and Palmerston North (Evenings) Weekdays days only.
At 10:46 you for got to mention the capital connection
Most people do. It's like this secret train route that no one likes to talk about. I think it's because we don't like to think about people coming from Palmy, an odd bunch up there.
It would be awesome to see the AM class EMU's running south of Auckland to Pukekohe and under the city between Britomart and Westfield when the electrification the Papakura-Pukekohe section of the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) and the City Rail Link (CRL) project are finished. But, I would still personally prefer that they extend the electrification on the North Auckland Line from Swanson to Whangarei, so the AM's can run from the Britomart to Whangarei. And as for Wellington, new rolling stock will be introduced for the Greater Wellington region, EMU's compatible with voltages ranging from 1500V DC to 25,000V (25kV) AC with more capacity for passengers traveling from Wellington to Masterton or Palmerston North, I believe those EMU's will be built by Stadler, the same company who are building the new DM class diesel locomotives. However, the existing FP/FT class Matangi units can still run from Wellington to Masterton or Palmertson North, when the Hutt Valley lines are once extended to Masterton and the Kapiti lines to Palmerston North.
I like them both equally, they’re really sick
Very enjoyable video. It would be great if Wellington's network had also used 25kVac as that might have led to the main trunk line being electrified throughout.
It would cost a bomb to do, and would offer no improvement on the status quo. So "great" how?
@11:45 Wellington station doesn’t suffer Britomart’s eyesore ugly concourse. But the Britomart terminus once you’re up the escalators and in the old post office part I found really very good.
Wellington station is lovely on a good day when the sun is beating down and there’s a light breeze on the harbour. But it is a nightmare when the encirclement weather that Wellington gets at least a week of every winter hits. After living in London; I think that if I ever become a billionaire I would donate some millions to building a canopy roof for Wellington station like they have in European Terminuses to keep the commuters waiting for their train home sheltered.
I like the look of Britomart including the concourse. Looks cool and unique.
Im a regular on Aucklands western line with my bike,its a great service ,nice and clean cars ,seats are good ,staff are great if you ask them questions,the run mostly on time ,i can remember back when the old station in the city was used with diesel engines and the old red cars that ran from when i was a kid in the 70s right up to the early 2000s with shabby stations dating back to the 30s lol now its much better but lost that adventure feel of the old diesels and red cars and the old stations ,pity they do not go out west to Waitakere and Kumeu seems satrange since theres a lot of people living out that way now .I remember in the 1980s catching the Northerner from Waiouru to Auckland and back on leave from the Army ,with the bar car and double brown beer and mixs were those little miniture bottles lol
Going back to the early to mid 1970s I recall they were still using wooden sided carriages with open verandahs.
I'm biased, but I love Wellingtons system better. I like the trains and the system.
Matangis sound like Class 700s and Class 717s on overhead mode, with the AMs sounding like Class 331s and Class 197s as well as Class 365s to add into the mix
Is the Northern Explorer the only way to get from Auckland to Wellington via rail?
Yes, that's the only remaining passenger service that still covers the full North Island Main Trunk. It's unfortunate, because the tickets are too expensive (in my opinion) and the service is bent so far in favour of rich tourists that it has little to no benefit for the less well-off locals.
I like the ones in Wellington best.
Having lived in Auckland and Wellington and traveled extensively on both networks, I think the Wellington Matangis have the edge over the Auckland units.
The Matangis have pocket doors which open and close quickly and quietly, whereas the CAF units have doors which swing out and along, and when they close they do so with a very loud CLUNK.
The seats in the CAF units aren't as comfortable as the ones in the old ex-BR MK2 coaches, and the seats in the Matangis are marginally better than the CAF ones.
Yeah the Matangi’s are pretty ace. I remember when they were new and all of these loser railfans in Auckland mocked them for being ugly. But they are much better than the ADK class being used in Auckland at that time and better than the CAF’s. They’re so smooth and cosy.
Wellington has better trains, but auckland wins with nicer infrastructure, ie nicer stations
0:32 East Richmond?
Snapper starts on the kapiti line in a few weeks if they get the machines In place soon
Wellington's trains have a much higher per capita patronage than Auckland's.
about 2.4x
@@azbgames6827 That's because it has better coverage.
The ratio should decrease over the next few years when the CRL is open and becomes ingrained.
Cool story Bro ... thanks for the vid. I have lived in both cities, and like yourself, prefer Wellington to Auckland. Having said that, I now live in Christchurch =)
Chch is where all the cool kids hang our.
I would like to know the cost differences between the 2. Plus the usage ratio per train. This would be a more inclusive assessment.
as much as i dislike wellingtons commuters as its just matangis im still glad we have them
Now if only they’d connect their rail networks to their airports
12:30 forget to mention DBR?
That was a mistake on my part. Incidentally I never rode on the SX set.
@@DC4260Productions we all make mistakes, i rode on them once, theyre nice, my aussie friend can say the same as he rides them on standard gauge
11:05 i wonder what’s the story behind that South African steam loco?
Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere ;)
Mainline Steam (I think it is) they have several ex-SAR locos on strength.
What other cities in NZ had commuter rail other than Auckland, wellington and now closed Christchurch. You make it sound like lots of cities in NZ had commuter rail.
Dunedin and Hamilton did.
And I think the electrification to Pukekohe is due to open in 2024
Well done kiwis well done not bad for a small country
Just got back from Wellington and rode all the lines except the Wairarapa, frequency is better on the Kapiti and Hutt Valley lines and on par with Johnsonville compared to Brisbane where I live, the Matangi trains look nice and the non-disabled seats are comfortable but I dislike that the non-disabled entrance requires you to walk up a step I think that's a bad design and half the train being slightly elevated inside seems very unnecessary, the Snapper Card system sucks changing trains for example I went from Melling to Upper Hutt and had to touch off and back on at Petone just to change trains otherwise I would have been charged a penalty that seems like a bad design not to mention Snapper can only be used on Trains and Buses if you want to use the local Ferry or Cable Car and only have a Snapper your shit out of luck, the Wellington Train Network is very scenic especially the Kapiti and Johnsonville lines, next time I'm in Wellington and there will be a next time I will ride the Wairarapa line.
Masterton boy here.
I can tell you from plenty of personal experience that the Wairarapa line is defo worth a go, there's one hell of a view as you come off the Remutakas and head towards the flats, and vice-versa.
Can't really compare it to the other Wellington line, as I've never actually taken any, which is kinda odd considering I've lived almost my whole life in Greater Wellington.
Both get delays. I like the look of AM class but sometimes random stuff can get stuck on seats. Wellington train station is also bigger than Britomart and is probably more effective than auckland. (maybe government will make Christchurch next)?
Probably of comparable size. Wellington has about 8 platforms but theyre squished together tightly. I think Britomart has wider space on each platform.
Christchurch regional council has no feasible plan for railways so they’re unlikely to get any help from the central government.
Christchurch would need a lot of investment, such as building a proper terminus station close to the town centre, grade separation of some crossings and the restoration of the chord north to west at Addington. Maybe one day…
The AM interiors are bland bc they're designed primarily for accessibility, where u sit and what u hold onto are highly contrasted against a dull background for better visibility for people with impaired vision. One aspect about trains and accessibility that I don't think is given enough credit
As a Wellingtonian; I don't fathom why Auckland Transport doesn't make some extra money by offering that bland white space inside their EMU's to advertisers...
Makes you wonder why there can't be national ticketing system that you could use all over the country.
They are actually working on that
In Auckland trains are called AT, whereas in Wellington they're called Metlink
They need the lower barriers on the road crossings so you can't jump underneath.
Really exciting to see a video on the few train services NZ has. The media and the 2024 Govt stooges have very little positive or even good things to say about rail, they actually defunded rail 97% and reverted to outmoded 1960’s motorways madness, basically putting the country back one hundred years. $Billions for the fragile roading liability, crumbs for the robust (often neglected) rail system which is corporately exploited for maximum profits. NZ must move out of being the world’s worst rail laggard and massively increase implementation of 21st Century rail technologies
Lovely woods.
Does that mean Auckland is a bad rail network?
That's a matter of opinion, as far as I'm concerned.
Auckland has half a rail network. It was pretty much abandoned from 1950 to 2005. Now we are seeing significant investment. The city rail link will double the capacity of all rail lines feeding into Britomart. Proposed two light rail lines Orewa-Airport and Waimauku-Takapuna would complete the rail segment of the network leaving the remainder to be fed by dedicated bus ways. Its important to note that Aucklands public transport network includes buses and trains as a part of the same network since you can use the AT hop tag on/off card on all AT services, and the services are being designed to integrate.
In my opinion; Auckland’s train services are overall pretty good.
But I just think overall Wellington’s is better. Auckland’s system has _some_ things over Wellington though; such as the general line stations and the facilities. Wellington has better trains with more comfort and the trains go faster.
@@danieleyre8913 How fast?
@@benharris7358 and dont forget the ferries that are now apart of the AT network
The difference is Wellington's trains probably work
Eh, grass is greener. 2024 had the rails go pop a few times due to heat and cold. It's been a few years since I've been in Auckland but AT ain't so bad.
That comment hasn't aged well
The *_Completely Automatic Faults_* interior is furnished without soul or creativity unlike in wellington
Aucklands is light years ahead. With all the new stations and upgrades! This is not a real match. 🤣🤦🏻♂️
Agreed lol. Especially with all the upgrades happening right now as well
Aucklands rail is a joke compared to wellington
Ah no. Auckland generally has better station facilities.
But Wellington has better trains, and they go faster and don’t creak and shake. “Light years ahead”…
go to europe,check thier rail networks,far superior,we need to learn from them,they also maintain them 24/7 none of this worksafe nonsense
Tickets can also be braught at dariys
Auckland trains are SO unreliable