Don't let them take our train away.
Te Huia has been a success, but its days could be numbered. We need to act now to save Te Huia.
Protect Te Huia
Te Huia is a success. It’s seen increased patronage to such an extent that new services have been added to cater for demand.
Yet the Government is sending signals that it won’t continue to fund Te Huia and is using anecdotes and old financial data from the pandemic to justify this. It’s not good enough.
Funding for Te Huia should be extended beyond June and long-term investment should be made to ensure:
Faster speeds
Hybrid electric trains
Termination at Britomart
Stations at Pokeno, Tuakau, and Te Kauwhata
We have time to change this. Get involved. Have your say.
What can you do?
Join the hundreds of people that have signed the petition that calls for the funding to be continued.
Email the Transport Minister and local Waikato MPs and tell them how much you value the Te Huia service. Click the link for our easy email guide
Share the petition with your friends and whanau
Extra action
Sign another petition calling for long distance passenger trains across all of Aotearoa NZ - almost at 15,000 signatures!
Stay in the loop
Join the TRON Facebook page for updates on Te Huia - TRON helped set up Te Huia
Subscribe or join The Future is Rail for all things passenger rail in Aotearoa New Zealand
Te Huia Explainer
What is Te Huia?
Te Huia is the passenger train between Auckland and Hamilton. It launched in 2021 to help connect the two growing cities. It is part way through a 5-year trial period.
Why is there an issue now?
Te Huia is operating as a trial until mid-2026, but there is no funding certainty from central government beyond the end of June 2024. The NZTA Waka Kotahi Board is due to meet in May to consider the findings of the two-year review of the service. The Board will determine at this point whether it will continue funding the trial service to mid-2026, and how much. The most important short-term objective is to secure funding.
Is Te Huia popular?
The service is popular and is exceeding its weekday patronage targets. It’s popularity also resulted in adding extra services and a Saturday service. There’s also plans to add further stations in North Waikato to cater for increased demand.
What are we asking for?
Secure funding for Te Huia - We’re asking MPs Simeon Brown, Tama Potaka, Ryan Hamilton, and Tim van de Molen to not let an asset like this go to waste.
At the very least, provide funding to complete or extend the trial period. Given that Covid lockdowns occurred in the middle of the trial, Te Huia deserves a fair trial period.
Why should I care about passenger rail?
Rail is a low carbon way to travel. It provides significant economic and social benefits for connecting regions. It’s safe, provides co-benefits for freight, and provides alternative options for when weather events affect our roads. It can be an efficient and affordable way for people to move, and many New Zealanders want rail options. Tour www.thefutureisrail.org for more information.
Who is organising this campaign?
Three organisations came together to support this campaign - the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA), The Campaign for Better Transport, and The Future Is Rail. They've since been joined by other organisations like TRON, Generation Zero and GoEco and a large group of individuals in the Waikato Region who want to protect their train. If you want to contact us email protecttehuia@gmail.com or phone 022 154 9119.
Get involved.
