Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Transport

Wellington commuters will benefit from a $137.2 million funding boost that will deliver long overdue upgrades to substations on the city’s metro rail network and improve the reliability of services, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.

“Our Government is committed to delivering infrastructure that reduces congestion, boosts productivity to support economic growth, and enables Kiwis to get where they want to go, quickly and safely.

“The amount of travel on Wellington’s metro rail network is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, and upgrading the network’s substations will enable this growth and provide Wellingtonians confidence in the reliability of their services.

“Some of Wellington’s existing substations are between 60 and 90 years old. Our significant investment in upgrading, repairing and replacing these critical substations will keeps Wellington’s trains running and manage electrical capacity across the network to ensure consistent, efficient, and uninterrupted service for commuters.

“When the substations go down, so do the trains. Delivering five additional substations for Wellington will provide enough electricity supply to power new Wairarapa and Manawatū trains and enable additional 15-minute timetables on existing lines. Upgrading our substations will also strengthen resilience when the network is faced with severe weather events, such as storms, heavy rainfall, and high winds.”

The Government is continuing to invest in critical network upgrades and is prioritising the Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility (LNIRIM) project as a major public transport project.

“Our substation upgrades will also be complemented by the investment announced as part of Budget 2024 to upgrade and repair critical infrastructure across Wellington’s metro rail network. This includes upgrading tracks, signals, bridges, retaining walls, culverts, train platforms and urgent repairs to a seawall alongside Porirua Harbour.

“Delivering reliable, effective, and efficient public transport is a top priority for our Government. We are targeting investment towards projects that will improve service reliability, as we know this is key to enabling commuters in our main cities to choose public transport as a travel option and reduce congestion on our roads.”

Notes:

• Work on Wellington’s substations is expected to be carried out over a five-year timeframe, to coincide with Greater Wellington Regional Council adding new services from 2029. Substation detailed design work will begin this year with physical works expected to be completed in the 2028 financial year.
• While this work is carried out, the impact on services is expected to be minimal as much of the work will be undertaken off-line, with the new substations being pre-fabricated and craned into place.
• In June, the Government announced it was investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines to double peak services and improve reliability. As part of Budget 2024, the Government announced $52.9 million to address the maintenance backlog on Wellington’s metro rail network.
• Alongside the investment being made into Wellington’s metro rail network, the Government is continuing to review the Metropolitan Rail Operating Model (MROM) to develop a more sustainable funding model for metropolitan rail, including who pays for what, and ensure the services and infrastructure is focused on prioritising passenger movements in an efficient and reliable way.

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