A new train control centre has opened in Auckland today, which KiwiRail says will help rail services better communicate with each other and the public.
Located in Ellerslie, the new office would bring teams from Auckland Transport, KiwiRail and Auckland One Rail to work in the same space.
Opening the centre today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown noted the frequent frustration Aucklanders reported in regards to the train network.
He told 1News the centre would have an immediate benefit, delivering a more reliable service and help diagnose problems more clearly.
"Aucklanders are sick and tired of the blame game when anything goes wrong with our rail network," Brown said.
"This is about bringing those agencies together so they speak with one voice, solve problems and put the customer front and centre of the decisions they are making when operating the public transport network in Auckland."
The Transport Minister added he expected the three rail agencies to work collaboratively, rather than remain three separate teams in the same building.
KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy said the new centre would enable teams to better manage any disruptions for the benefit of commuters.
"It will combine our train control and infrastructure planning teams, [Auckland One Rail] stations’ control centre, train crewing and customer communications teams and AT’s transport coordinators, who link into Auckland’s bus and ferry services."
Auckland One Rail chief executive Dean Kimpton said the centre was a "major step forward" in improving the systems and processes used to communicate with the public and with each other.
Auckland One Rail chief executive Martin Kearney has worked for public transport in the UK and Australia with similar rail operations. He said the new facility was "world-class" and is the gold standard in terms of rail operations.
"It’s a major step forward in improving the systems and processes used to communicate with the public and with each other. We’re excited to be part of this kind of progress in Auckland as it will make a measurable difference in the long-term for our customers."
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said operation centres worked best when teams worked together.
"The centre is one of a suite of projects going on across Auckland at the moment, all part of a wider picture to create a modern rail network like we see overseas," said Brown.
The Auckland Rail Operations Centre has been built to a one in a thousand-year level of earthquake resilience; with 31km of cabling, around 1500 power points and two backup generators; and was a lifeline utility that could link in with Auckland emergency management.
It also replicated the systems of KiwiRail’s Wellington Rail Operations Centre, creating an important backup and minimising disruption in a natural disaster.
This meant if the Auckland centre went offline, Wellington could take over running Auckland’s trains. If Wellington went offline, Auckland could run trains across the rest of the country.
Teams would officially start using the new space on March 23.
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