OPINION: On Sunday 1 February, 250 people packed into Frankton Station to show their support for a one-year extension of the trial of the Te Huia rail service between Auckland and Hamilton.
Organiser from The Future is Rail Lindsey Horne said: āThese Hamiltonians love their trains!ā Minister Tama Potaka , MP for Hamilton West, and Ryan Hamilton, MP for Hamilton East, said they will āadvocate for itā. Potaka said he has been supporting the extension to his ministerial colleagues, and called for Hamilton City Councillors to provide for intensification of housing around the Rotokauri train station.
On Thursday 19 February, chair Simon Bridges and Board Members of New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Waka Kotahi will be making a critical decision on the future of the Te Huia passenger train service connecting HamiltonĀ andĀ Auckland.
The service is a five-year trial with subsidies from NZTA, and Waikato Regional Council and local councils. The service trial began on 6 April 2021 after delays including Covid-19. It is currently funded until 30 June 2026, with future funding and plans to be decided on.
On 18 November 2025, the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) endorsed a letter from its chairperson Warren Maher to NZTA chair Simon Bridges which said: āCouncil is very grateful to NZTA for its continued support for Te Huia and hopes that this request for a one-year trial extension at 60% FAR (Financial Assistance Rate) will be considered at your Board meeting in February 2026ā.
The Future is Rail supports the request by WRC for a one-year trial extension, for the following reasons:
Te Huia has not had a fair chance to fully achieve its targets within the five-year trial due to the adverse effects of Aucklandās rail network track rebuild, which caused 96 days of full or partial closure in 2025. With the opening of the City Rail Link in the second half of 2026, Te Huia will gain uninterrupted access to the Auckland rail network and allow the service to grow.
An independent review, conducted by consultant Heriot-Edievale was submitted to WRCās Future Proof Public Transport Committee in August 2024, and subsequently provided to NZTA. It was commissioned to identify opportunities for reducing operating costs, increasing revenue, improving farebox recovery, and reducing taxpayer subsidy. The review recommended several actions, with Waikato Regional Council noting from the review that: āwhilst there are several challenges, Te Huia has significant potential to be a high-performing, long-term train serviceā.
We support the original vision established at the commencement of the five-year Te Huia trial (2021ā2026): to become a permanent, expanded regional rail service connecting Waikato and Auckland, potentially expanding to Tauranga, offering more frequent services (up to hourly), faster journeys, with CBD access (Hamilton Station), and integrating with Aucklandās City Rail Link, aiming for increased ridership, lower emissions, and greater economic benefits beyond its current trial period ( 2021-2026)ā.
The vision recognises that the āGolden Triangleā including Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga is the fastest growing region and will increasingly be the economic engine of New Zealand. This vision applies just as strongly today ā and more so.
There are three sources of funding to pay for the extension of the Te Huia trial for one year: farebox recovery, financial contributions through NZTA, and financial contributions by WRC and local councils. The total operating cost of Te Huia for one more year, less the farebox recovery, is approximately $5m. That is very modest compared to other transport projects currently under consideration. Waikato Regional Council has asked NZTA to extend the current subsidy paid by Government of 60% for the final year, recognising that the need for extension has been circumstances beyond control of councils.
There are compelling reasons, in the regional and national interest, for the NZTA Board to support a one-year extension of the Te Huia trial until the end of June 2027, at the current 60% Financial Assistance Rate.
Aļ»æn opinion by Dr Roger Blakeley is the chairperson of The Future is Rail, a New Zealand-wide public interest group with a shared vision for rebuilding inter-regional and long-distance passenger rail services.
Published in the Waikato Times on 9 February 2026
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