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The future of Te Huia
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The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has
been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is
only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to
a five-year trial, through to April 2026. However, that was subject to
Waikato Regional Council and Waka Kotahi continuing their funding, and
this is currently being decided as part of the council's Long Term
Plan process - and under a new government that repeatedly opposed and
mocked the service while in opposition.
The Regional Council's Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee last
week received a report about the service's performance. Despite the
first few years being hit by COVID lockdowns, and more recently having
to navigate the various unreliability issues on the Auckland network,
the service is indeed performing:
> A two-year review of Te Huia, the Waikato to Auckland passenger rail
> service, shows it has delivered or is close to delivering all the
> targets set by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Board (NZTA).
>
> The interim performance assessment completed by Waikato Regional
> Council, is due to be discussed at this week's Future Proof Public
> Transport Subcommittee and will go to an NZTA Board meeting later in
> May for a decision on continuation of the five-year trial based on
> current rates of subsidy.
>
> The review of the service is based on the January 2022 to December
> 2023 period, due to Te Huia being impacted by the extended COVID-19
> lockdown in Auckland in its first year of operation.
>
> The report found that patronage growth is strong, with average
> demand targets of 250 passengers per weekday and 100 passengers on
> Saturdays being exceeded every month.
>
> The farebox recovery target of 15 per cent is close to being
> achieved, noting the national average is 11 per cent and Te Huia has
> a 25 per cent lower subsidy per passenger kilometre than the
> Auckland metro network.
>
> Evidence provided in the assessment shows that rail provides a more
> consistent journey time than the road for passengers between the two
> metropolitan centres. Transferring trips to rail also reduces the
> number of car trips in both regions.
>
> Based on Ministry for the Environment emissions data, once there are
> 55 passengers on board, Te Huia services have a net emissions
> reduction effect. This is now achieved on around 80 per cent of all
> trips per month.
That's pretty good. A lot of fuss was made by National and others
about the size of the subsidy on a per-trip basis, which forgets that
the trips are also very long. It's useful to note that the subsidy per
passenger kilometre is similar to - or better than - other public
transport services. The only reason Te Huia has to be treated so
differently to other public transport in the first place is because of
weird rules that dictate public transport should only be funded
_within_ a region and not across arbitrary regional boundaries.
However, if you were only to read the headline from Radio NZ, you'd
think the service was failing badly:
> **Te Huia on track to miss targets for passenger numbers**
As the saying goes, the devil is in the detail - and this particular
devil goes by the name of NZTA.
> But there was a fat red line through the summary of targets.
>
> In 2022, NZTA said instead of aiming for an average of 250
> passengers travelling on a weekday, there should be 400.
>
> Waikato regional councillor Angela Strange said those targets were
> set by NZTA staff, not the NZTA board.
>
> "Our understanding is that the board approved the 2018 numbers. The
> amended targets did not actually go to the board so we are basing
> our figures on the initial targets," she said.
>
> When the new targets were set, Waikato Regional Council said they
> would be difficult to meet without extra investment, which could
> have come from the budget which was not spent during Covid-19
> shutdowns.
>
> But NZTA said no.
>
> Strange said it was a chicken-and-egg situation.
>
> "We know we wanted more services to prove the case, they said 'you
> have to prove the case without extra services'."
We know many within the agency have never liked Te Huia, but changing
the targets part way through the trial - while also denying the use of
previously approved funding - is just underhanded. It certainly sounds
like the kinds of trickery that highway planners have played for
decades.
Even so, Te Huia is starting to see usage approaching the new target:
Weekend ridership is looking good too, highlighting that this is far
more than just a commuter service.
I wonder how much higher usage would be if the service hadn't been
disrupted for so much of its existence.
There have been quite a few other articles recently too, some
paywalled:
> **Supporters, doubter make calls over continued Te Huia cash**
>
> Waikato political heavyweights have lined up to support continued
> funding for the five-year Hamilton-Auckland Te Huia passenger rail
> service trial ahead of a key meeting this month over its future.
and
> **Hundreds meet to save Te Huia as decision day looms**
>
> Hamilton's Te Huia rail service may not have much time left, but its
> supporters were out in force to remind officials it's not just about
> commuting to and from Auckland.
>
> More than 200 people, the vast majority of whom support the service,
> turned out in Hamilton on the weekend to discuss its future at a
> meeting held by the Save Te Huia organisation.
There are still plenty who don't support it, such as the Waikato
Chamber of Commerce, who seem to think that the Waikato Expressway is
all that's needed. This position is backed up by some pretty dodgy
analysis, and is seemingly unaware that even if you can and do want to
drive to Hamilton, you still have to get through Auckland first.
InterCity buses also seem likely to be hoping Te Huia gets cancelled:
> **InterCity buses poised to pick up Te Huia passengers**
>
> InterCity buses says it's well-placed to bump up services between
> Hamilton and Auckland if Government funding is pulled for the Te
> Huia rail service trial.
* * *
Te Huia is far from perfect, but it has steadily improved since it
began, despite many (and ongoing) disruptions such as the rail network
rebuild. It should be given till the end of its five-year trial. And
longer term, it should really be treated the same as any other public
transport service - rather than as an anomaly, like it is today.
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