Pukekohe is leading the charge on taking the train.
Boardings in the area increased 21 per cent in the year to August 2019 – an increase of 43,000 on the previous year.
That means boardings are at almost a quarter of a million.
Overall Auckland figures show that last year public transport use totalled 103.2 million boardings, with train services carrying more than 22 million passengers – the highest rate ever.
Franklin Local Board chair Andy Baker says the continuing improvements to public transport services appear to be paying off.
“Electrification of the Pukekohe-Papakura line is on its way. When that happens, with more stations and hopefully good-sized park and ride facilities, and bus services connecting to the stations, trains are going to be even more important to our transport needs.”
Baker is a regular train user himself. “I still hear occasionally the trains are unreliable and inconvenient, but I wouldn’t drive to the city when I can park for a whole day, catch a bus or walk to the station and hop on a train. I have far fewer disruptions on the train than I did when I was driving.”
Three new trains have arrived and are being tested and certified so that Auckland Transport will be able to run larger trains during the morning and afternoon peak. Twelve more will arrive before the end of the year, bringing the fleet to 72.
But it’s not only train use that is growing. Last year bus patronage grew at almost 9 per cent and ferry passenger numbers by 2 per cent.
