22 January 2020
Tim Dare
[FYI request #11778 email]
REF: OIA-6178
Dear Tim
Requests made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency of 2 December 2019,
requesting the following information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
Part One:
I am requesting information about the trial of a Hamilton to Papakura rail service. Please
provide information about the trial design and what advice was given about the trial
design. I am particularly interested in:
1. The criteria which will used to determine whether the trial is a success or a failure.
2. Whether the NZTA has a position on the significance of the outcome of the trial.
3. On what basis it was decided to include the stops included in the trial.
4. Whether consideration was given to including stops at any or all of Te Kauwhata,
Mercer, Pokeno, or Tuakau, and if so why those stops were excluded and if not why
consideration was not given to including any or all of those stops in the trial.
5. Whether consideration was given to extending the service being trialled to a stop of
stops north of Papakura.
Part Two:
I am requesting information on the current status of the proposal to extend electric trains
from Papakura to Pukekohe. Please include information about expected start and
completion dates.
The Transport Agency’s response to Parts One and Two of your request can be found under
the headings below.
Part One: Hamilton to Papakura Rail Service
Three documents have been identified as falling within the scope of Part One of your
request. As all three documents are already publicly available, your request has been
refused under section 18(d) of the Act. Links to the publicly available documents can be
found in the attached document schedule.
If you would like to discuss the reply to this part of your request with the Transport Agency,
please contact Philip King, NZTA Programme Manager: Hamilton to Auckland Rail, by email
t
o [email address] or by phone on 020 4069 9894.
Part Two: Papakura to Pukekohe Electrification
Auckland Transport has submitted a full funding request to the Transport Agency for
implementation of the project to electrify the line between Papakura and Pukekohe, which
would allow electric trains to run to Pukekohe. This funding request is currently being evaluated
by the Transport Agency.
KiwiRail established a project team at the beginning of 2019 to develop the design for the
Papakura to Pukekohe rail electrification. The forecast project completion date of the
electrification programme is April 2023.
If you would like to discuss this part of your request with the NZ Transport Agency, please
contact Brian Blackwell, Technical Rail Advisor, by email t
o [email address] or
by phone on 021 578 218.
Under section 28 of the Act you have the right to request that the Ombudsman investigate and
review this response. You can contact the Office of the Ombudsman through its website at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by telephone on 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Kevin Reid
Chief Advisor, System Design
Document Schedule
Ref Document
Date
Description
1.
Single Stage
Nov 2018
This document can be found online at
Business Case
www.hamilton.govt.nz/our-
Hamilton to
services/transport/Documents/Single%20Stag
Auckland Start up
e%20BC%20Report%20FINAL-web.pdf
Passenger Rail
Service
2.
Minutes of NZTA
14 Dec 2018
This document can be found online at
Board meeting
www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/About-us-
December 2018
2/docs/board-meeting-minutes-2017/minutes-
(from page 28).
20181214.pdf
3.
Minutes of NZTA
23 Aug 2019
This document can be found online at
Board meeting
www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/About-us-
August 2019 (from
2/docs/board-meeting-minutes-2019/minutes-
page 14)
20190823.pdf
