KiwiRail's Te Huia passenger trains will be allowed to enter Central Auckland again after regulator Waka Kotahi NZTA lifted a safety ban it imposed two weeks ago.
Waikato Regional Council and KiwiRail have announced that travel will be free on the week of August 7, when the service resumes to the Strand station in Auckland's Parnell.
The prohibition notice on the train was imposed after two red light running incidents in July and June.
NZTA land transport director Neil Cook said there were two new safety measures that gave his agency the "assurance" for the notice to be lifted.
One included additional training for KiwiRail engineers who drove Te Huia, and "additional support to navigate the complexities of the Auckland metro rail network".
A new electronic train protection system would also be required for the train service to operate in the city.
Cook said: "We are pleased that KiwiRail is taking the urgent action required to prevent further incidents, and have provided us with satisfactory evidence of the measures being taken to ensure that the safety risks have been adequately mitigated."
The train service has been banned from going further than Papakura. (Source: 1News)
Regional councillor Angela Strange said she was optimistic passenger numbers would climb after the setback for the daily inter-regional train service.
“I want to acknowledge the loyal passengers who've continued to travel with us through this interruption to our full service, and am optimistic that our passenger numbers will continue to steadily climb again off the back of today’s news," she said in a media release.
"I’m excited to announce free travel for all passengers for a week from the date of the re-launch of the full service.
"It's been really heartening to hear just how much Te Huia is valued by our communities, as well as nationally as a symbol of the potential for regional passenger rail.
KiwiRail's operations executive manager Paul Ashton said he "thanked" the transport regulator for its "engagement and consideration" and working "constructively".
He said Waka Kotahi's earlier requirement for a new system, ETCS, to be installed on Te Huia trains would have "taken years to achieve". The manager said the system would now be installed "if its running rights are extended beyond its current five-year contract".
The National leader reiterated his sentiment that the train service is an example of wasted Government spending when asked about it in Ashburton on Friday. (Source: 1News)
“We are also planning to install this technology on all our mainline freight trains operating in Auckland, but this will take time," Ashton said.
“We have installed Electronic Train Protection on Te Huia, which automatically stops the train if it passes a red signal.
"This safety measure is bolstered by a very safe rail system design, which causes other signals to turn red if one is passed, to stop all trains in the area. ETCS is a predictive system, which slows a train as it approaches a red signal."
The service normally runs between Hamilton and the Strand in Auckland's Parnell, but had been consigned to the outskirts of the city as a result of the prohibition notice.
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