Todd Niall is the senior Auckland affairs reporter for Stuff.
OPINION: It is hard to know where to begin in exploring the baffling elements of the 2023 rail disruption unveiled without warning on Tuesday, plunging Auckland commuters into despair.
Was it that the track operator KiwiRail told Stuff that it knew by 2020, that the ancient foundations of some lines would have to be dug up, but Auckland Transport (AT) said it found out “months” ago?
Was it that the two agencies who spent months on the detail of how to shut down the lines, only told the city’s politicians several days before the council goes into a month-long, post-election political hiatus?
Was it that councillors were briefed on the months-long shutdowns hours AFTER the public was told in the managed release of information by AT and Kiwirail?
Was it that not only was there no mayor at the helm, four days out from election day, nor was there a chief executive at AT, after Shane Ellison’s June departure, with no replacement in sight?
If you missed the bombshell: After two years of shutdowns and disruptive speed reductions due to the replacement of steel rails and sleepers, so badly worn that there was a safety concern – a new round of more invasive, disruptive work will begin at Christmas, on the very foundations that the earlier work was carried out on.
KiwiRail said it had the funding to do the foundation work for 2020/21, but the unexpected, safety-driven track wear fix scuttled that, and that planning and a new round of funding had to be sought to reinstate it.
There is no question the work must be done, and done before the 2025 likely opening of the $4.4 billion (and rising) City Rail Link (CRL) which will transform the network.
However, the constant surprises from KiwiRail which owns and maintains the track on which AT’s services run, raise question about who, if anyone, is responsible and at-the-wheel of Auckland’s rail network.
This was the Transport Minister Michael Wood in July, after Stuff sought comment on the adequacy of the governance of the Auckland network, which involves a pot-pourri of public agencies.
“I’m pleased with the progress being made by all parties involved in the delivery of the Auckland metropolitan rail network,” said Wood.
“The key agencies are working well together, with a new Governance group established between KiwiRail and Auckland Transport with representation from central government.”
This was the Minister on Wednesday, nine weeks later: “As a regular public transport user I acknowledge Aucklanders’ frustration at hearing there will be further disruption to their commute.”
AT on Wednesday was bravely explaining the measures it would take to try to minimise the impact of the loss of the multi-billion dollar spines of the city’s public transport network.
At a time when a shortage of bus drivers is so acute that in the previous week, near-record cancellation levels occurred on four days, AT hoped to find new operators, buses and drivers to plug the rail gaps.
Auckland’s first three-month shutdown block will still be in place as the nuts and bolts of the city’s Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway continue to be worked on.
A key element of the goal of cutting transport emissions by 64% by 2030, is a nine-fold increase in public transport patronage from current levels. Pre-2023 rail disruption levels that is.
The Minister, like the agencies, is urging Aucklanders to keep their chins up. Short term pain, long term gain, and he’s told all concerned what he expects the future to look like post the 2025 CRL commissioning.
“I expect that there should be a ‘breather’ in non-urgent maintenance to allow for commuters to experience the integrated network without significant disruption,” said Wood.
The chair of the outgoing council’s Environment and Climate Change committee, Richard Hills has called for an all-in roundtable even before the next council is sworn in at the start of November.
It seems the least that Aucklanders, looking for a reason to believe in their public transport system, should demand.
Correction: The original version of this column said the Auckland’s Transport Emissions Reduction Plan would go out for public consultation. It will not go out for public consultation. Last updated 11:12am, October 5, 2022.