Matangi trains important step for Wellington metro rail

Transport Minister Steven Joyce says Wellington’s new Matangi trains will make for a more reliable, comfortable journey for commuters in the capital.

The first of the 48 new trains have now arrived and will be in operation from October.

Mr Joyce says Wellingtonians have been waiting a long time for the new trains which will go some way towards easing the frustration commuters have experienced recently.

“While the Matangi trains are not a silver bullet solution, they will make a considerable difference.”

The government has committed $258 million through a Crown appropriation to the Greater Wellington Regional Council for the upgrade of Wellington’s commuter rail, with further sums directed to KiwiRail.

“The new trains will, over time, replace trains purchased in 1982, some of which were built in the 1950s and were brought back into service from museums to meet demand.”

“Improving the rolling stock is equally as important as the rail upgrade and that’s been underway over the past two years.”

“The rail upgrade has caused its share of pain because KiwiRail has been upgrading the network in the limited windows of opportunities when trains aren’t running. Inevitably that puts pressure on infrastructure that is in some cases more than fifty years old.”

“One of the most recent milestones has been the introduction of a third line into Wellington station which has reduced delays as trains queue up to get into platforms in the morning – or wait to get out at night.”

The Wellington commuter network is very important to the region, with almost thirty thousand people passing through the railway station each weekday.

ENDS

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