Carriages to 'Stand in Black' for Lions Tour

Carriages to 'Stand in Black' for Lions Tour

The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) and adidas' Stand in Black promotion hit the rails with the unveiling of Auckland bound rail carriages decked out in images from the campaign.

The carriages, which are part of the Auckland Regional Transport Authorities' (ARTA) ongoing SA train fleet expansion, are being brought into Auckland to accommodate increased capacity during the Lions Tour, were officially unveiled yesterday by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Helen Clark at Hillside in Dunedin.

ARTA's General Manager - Rail, Elena Trout, says the carriages were decked out with Stand in Black transfers, in preparation for the Auckland component of the Lion's Tour. The Lions will play Auckland on 5 July and the All Blacks on 9 July at Eden Park.

Ms Trout says, "ARTA is doing its bit and getting behind our All Blacks, as they go head-to-head with the Lions."

She says fans heading by rail to Eden Park would now be able to arrive at the newly refurbished Kingsland station in true kiwi style.

"A special return fare of $2.00 from Britomart to Kingsland will also apply for the games and additional services will also be laid on for rail travellers to and from the games," says Ms Trout.

The unveiling of the carriages comes at a time when increasing numbers of Aucklanders are switching onto the benefits of travelling by rail, she says.

"We are experiencing huge growth in passenger numbers, an increase of 28% has seen over the past three months compared to the same period last year."

Stage 1 of the Western line double tracking between Boston Road in Mount Eden and New North Road in Morningside was completed in May. Stage 2 of the project recently entered the detailed design phase.

"In line with that growth, ARTA is continuing to reassess, in conjunction with key partners Connex, Ontrack and Toll Rail, the existing rail service to ensure that we continue to effectively meet the increasing needs of Auckland's rail commuters," Ms Trout says.

ENDS

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