Palmerston North as a regional train and bus hub- Part 2

If you want to travel from Wellington to Whanganui, New Plymouth or Napier, and do not want to fly or drive, the only other option is a bus all the way. For many this is not an attractive option.

In Part 1 of our exploration of whether Palmerston North could become a regional transport hub, we looked at possible train and bus combinations based around greater use of the current Capital Connection.

Here we look further into the future.

We hope that one day modern trains will operate again to these regional destinations. But an interim solution of extending the reach of rail, using buses north of Palmerston North, could make travel a bit more attractive, enjoyable, and potentially more frequent. Core rail services linked to guaranteed bus connections works well in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. This could open up opportunities for locals and visitors, better connecting Taranaki and the Hawkes Bay and helping to rejuvenate regional communities.

New Zealand can be a much better-connected country – all it takes is the vision, political will and diverting investment from the very expensive RoNS.

Lower North Island Passenger Rail Improvements

A programme to modernise track infrastructure, signalling and some station improvements in the lower North Island is underway. Alongside this a fleet of brand-new electric-battery hybrid Tuhono class trains will arrive in 2029-30. This investment will deliver a modern, reliable and more frequent lower North Island passenger rail network. New trains will be faster, operate more frequently and are built for comfort with modern features such as Wi-Fi, toilets, bike racks, comfortable long distance style seating, vending machines, they will be fully accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

New trains will operate an integrated timetable between Palmerston North and Masterton to Wellington, sharing equipment and potentially staff which will provide better flexibility around timetable planning, and increased frequency, lending to easy integration with other modes.

According to media reports, services to Palmerston North are said to increase, including more weekday peak services, at least two return weekday off peak trains, and a number of return services on both Saturday and Sundays. Masterton service frequency is set to double on both weekdays and weekends. The new trains will use overhead electrified lines as far as Waikanae and Upper Hutt, then battery powered north of there. The battery operating range is roughly 80-90km at present. Battery technology is advancing quickly and Tuhono trains have been designed to easily upgrade to newer battery technology as this improves, so in the future it is likely that Tuhono class trains will be able to travel longer distances under battery power. The off-peak return trip to Wellington will require a rapid charge at Palmerston North and Masterton, which takes around 20 to 30 minutes. Other than vending machines there is no onboard catering, although provision of a nice cafe and waiting room at Palmerston North would make sense as part of the station facilities upgrade.

Weekday Train-Bus Connections

New off-peak trains to Palmerston North provide the opportunity to enhance inter-regional public transport to Whanganui, New Plymouth and to Napier, by using modern rail services combined with a guaranteed connection with buses. No firm timetable proposals have yet been presented. However, media reports have indicated introduction of two new off-peak services to Palmerston North, it is reasonable to assume one of these will be a morning north bound train, with a second later service following. Expanded weekday off peak services to Masterton may also be helpful to connect other regions, although to a lesser degree. Advantages of bus connections include enhanced use of off-peak trains by tapping into inter-regional travel needs, and better use of buses as one bus can make multiple trips per day. Greater passenger comfort and more travel choices will help to grow public transport travel over these extended routes, making better use of the rail investment in the lower North Island.

Some different possibilities:

1. Buses could depart New Plymouth (passing through Whanganui) and also from Napier in the morning, these buses could then connect with the arrival of north bound off peak trains at Palmerston North. Passengers travelling either south by train or north by bus would have an opportunity to enjoy a coffee and rest break at the new Palmerston North station cafe, while trains undergo a rapid recharge for the return trip south. This also allows train and bus crews time to observe their mandatory rest breaks.

2. The north bound morning off peak train could be made up of two sets (perhaps after the arrival of a peak service from Masterton or Palmerston North). Upon arrival into Palmerston North these sets could be rapid charged and split, making up two separate trains:

• · One train forming a southbound service, including bus connection passengers from Napier

• · A second train forming a service to Whanganui, this is where bus connections for New Plymouth could be made.

3. Both morning off peak trains heading north to Palmerston North and Masterton could be made up of two sets. These could both rapid charge and split at Palmerston North and Masterton, with respective southbound services operating as normal.

The second set at Palmerston North could continue through to Masterton (via Ashurst, Woodville, Pahiatua, and Eketahuna), this will need a second rapid charge at Masterton and could then proceed through to Wellington, as an additional south bound service.

The second set at Masterton could do the same in the opposite direction, this set could then form an additional south bound service from Palmerston North to Wellington.

Using the North Wairarapa line will require some investment to upgrading rail infrastructure. However, this should occur in any case. This line is a strategic resilience asset which could be used in case of infrastructure issues (thinking of North-South Junction in particular), planned maintenance, or other serious operational issues on the Main Trunk Line south of Palmerston North. Also, this line would be handy for repositioning sets to the Tuhono central maintenance facility at Masterton, or if there was a need to build up sets for events etc.

4. Perhaps an early afternoon south bound Napier to Masterton bus could connect to an afternoon off peak train service south, although this will miss the higher population catchment of Palmerston North and western communities south to Wellington.

5. Modern night trains between Wellington-Palmerston North-Hamilton-Auckland have been proposed by the Green Party. This is an excellent idea, as well as providing later off peak (evening) departure options from Wellington to Palmerston North the service will provide proper public transport options extending through to Hamilton and Auckland.

Weekends

Travel demand is not necessarily reduced over weekends. It is simply different.

Weekend leisure travel preferences will free up equipment for expanding routes, a period that could be seen as spanning Friday nights and blending through into Monday mornings.

The availability of equipment which is not used as peak trains makes it possible to operate weekend through trains to Napier, Whanganui and possibly New Plymouth.

• · For Napier a second rapid charge stop north of Palmerston North will need to be programmed into the timetable, the Waipukurau station is about the right distance and luckily this stop has a nice and established cafe in the station building.

• · Wanganui can be reached after a charge at Palmerston North.

• · New Plymouth would need a second and third charge (Whanganui and Hawera), not impossible, but there will be an inevitable trade off regarding travel time until battery technology has advanced.

It might be that the first afternoon peak train from Wellington could continue through to Napier on Friday evenings, with the second peak service from Wellington continuing through to Whanganui.

Saturday mornings could include services south from Napier and from Whanganui, with northbound services departing Wellington for Whanganui, New Plymouth and Napier etc.

Sunday services could shuttle north and south between New Plymouth and Napier to Wellington with sets finally being positioned Sunday evening ready for the weekday Palmerston North and Wellington operation.

Palmerston North Station – Transport Hub

In the not too recent past Palmerston North station was a thriving modern transport hub. It once had a café and a booking office. Now it looks run down. The recent painting of murals is a welcome change, but more is needed. The InterCity bus hub, well away from the station in the centre of town, consists of open sided bus shelters.

Station facilities should be upgraded as part of the lower North Island passenger rail improvements program, complimenting introduction of the swish new Tuhono trains and the expanded timetable. Palmerston North station has the bones of a nice passenger transfer facility, and could be greatly enhanced by providing: a nice cafe, waiting room, CCTV, improved park and ride facilities, bookable rented bikes and scooters, luggage storage lockers, for hire showers, a painted footpath guide into the CBD for walkers and scooter / bike users (there is a series of alleys and suburban streets that make for a pleasant route to the Square), a general tidy up, painting and new gardens.

A dedicated bus service should be provided connecting every train to Massey University via the Square and city bus depot, picking up and dropping passengers along the way. Already a local bus runs from the airport to Massey University.

At the station there needs to be a covered transfer area between trains and buses. Rapid charge facilities should be designed to facilitate the fastest possible turnaround of trains, perhaps the current AC overhead section at the station itself could be isolated from the main system and converted to DC for the purpose of rapid charging Tuhono trains? After all electric freight trains depart from the main freight yard north of the passenger station.

Extending North to Feilding

Extending the Capital Connection corridor to Feilding was one of the recommendations of the 2023 Government Enquiry into Inter-regional passenger rail.

New stations north of Palmerston North could include:

• · Palmerston North Airport – this is close to the rail line and could easily be connected to rail services helping to integrate modes, as well as serve as a north of city station. We have explored the train to plane link in A flight of fancy: Linking rail to a regional airport in the lower North Island.

• · Bunnythorpe – there are plans to build a large-scale rail-freight transfer hub and inland port, this location would also make an excellent park-and-ride station for Ashurst, Woodville and surrounding areas with State Highway 3 onto Ashurst Road providing a direct northern bypass avoiding city streets.

• · Feilding – possible new terminus, could perhaps relocated the New Plymouth bus transfer and train stabling location.

Levin

Soon to achieve city status due to planned large scale housing development, it would be ideal if a new central station were to be built at Levin to access the CBD shopping area, as well as the current station being upgraded as a park-and-ride station.

Shannon station, serving a much smaller community, is an example of a well-cared for facility.

Foxton

Shuttle bus services should connect Foxton to every train service via either the new Levin Central station or via Shannon.

Stations North to Whanganui, New Plymouth and Napier

Many stations on both the New Plymouth and Napier routes remain, although there will need to be some new stations built, this provides an opportunity to site them at the best location for modern day operation. New stations don’t necessarily need full length platforms as boarding can take place via the low-level centre carriages of Tuhono class trains, they can be a prefabricated design and need not be overly expensive.

Low level boarding cars also help to mitigate using the existing older low-level platforms, in any case steps and portable ramps can be used at these stations if wheelchair access is an issue. All stations can be upgraded over time as part of planned continuous improvements which will spread costs over a number of years.

Station platforms and, in some cases, buildings exist at: Fielding, Marton, Waverley, Hawera, Stratford, Inglewood, Ashurst (very low level), Woodville, Dannevirke, Waipukurau, Hastings, Napier, Eketahuna, Pahiatua and Mangatainoka.

Station platforms currently no longer exist at Whanganui and New Plymouth.

Ideally, station upgrades should be both for rail and buses. If initially servicing just buses they could then transition to serving train passengers. We have explored what facilities stations, bus stops and transport hubs should ideally have in a previous blog.

Illustrated below is the substandard bus stop in Taihape. The train station, where trains no longer stop, is basically a bus shelter. At least it is near public toilets. They could be combined to create a better structure that served both purposes when trains once again stop in Taihape.

Full Extended Rail Service – Future (phase two)

Ideally a battery-diesel version of Tuhono with some form of onboard catering will be developed for other parts of the country as part of an inter-regional public transport improvements programme – routes such as Christchurch to Dunedin and Invercargill. These (possible future) trains could also be used on improved Whanganui, New Plymouth and Napier routes, they would reduce travel times on these routes by eliminating the need to spend time recharging batteries and passenger catering needs.

Displaced transfer buses could be redeployed for rail service connections from Napier to Gisborne, and other destinations.

Modern night trains between Wellington-Palmerston North-Hamilton-Auckland would be a meaningful way to join up the North Island. We explore this idea in separate blogs.

The Future Is Rail.

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