Woman 'poked' with hunting knife on Auckland train and spat at

A woman is disappointed with a train manager's response after she was "poked" with a large hunting knife by a woman who threatened and spat on her while on a train to Papakura on Wednesday night.

The 32-year-old passenger, who asked to remain anonymous, relies on public transport for the daily commute between her home in Pukekohe and her job in Newmarket.

She had just boarded a Southern Line service from Newmarket Station at 5.20pm on Wednesday when a woman sat on the commuter's bag in the seat next to her — an action the passenger said made her feel "unusual".

"You just feel awkward the whole time because the train is not too busy. You have empty seats, you can sit somewhere else," she told 1News.

A few minutes later, the woman inched closer to the passenger while she was on the phone to her mother. She began to feel something pinching her on her back "right side, towards my hip".

At first, the passenger said she was unsure what the sensation was, hanging up the call so she could see what was causing it.

"I wanted to see what was pinching, it was definitely not her hand. I could just feel something sharp," she said.

Looking down, she saw that the woman had been poking her with the tip of a hunting knife, concealed in the sleeve of her hoodie.

"I screamed, and I said 'just get up and move away', and I was loud. I said it maybe four or five times, and then she actually stood up and sat on the other row, one seat behind me diagonally," she said.

The passenger tried to raise the alarm, shouting that the woman had a knife, causing the offender to start abusing her.

The woman with the knife asked a nearby train manager what the next station was and then stood up and blocked the passenger in her seat.

"I got scared. I was thinking whatever she wants to do, she might just do it and run away," the passenger said.

Putting her bag in front of her to protect herself, should the knife-wielding woman attack her, the passenger called out to the train manager for help. She said he looked at her and then looked away.

"It was like I was seeing some kind of nightmare where nobody was reacting."

As the train pulled into Penrose Station, the offender spat on the woman's bag and disembarked the train, then started to bang on the window next to the passenger.

"She started showing me the complete knife and kept doing it for a good 20 seconds. It was the size of your forearm."

Footage seen by 1News shows the woman brandishing the knife and spitting on the window of the train.

The passenger approached the train manager two or three stations down the line and asked if he would report what happened.

"He just said 'we do report this, but nothing happens'," she said.

The train manager, who the passenger spoke to as they both left the station, reportedly described the offender as a "girl who was being playful".

He told her the offender would have become "more aggressive" if he had gone over.

The commuter told 1News she felt like she was on her own during the incident and that "no one was going to help".

"You just have to depend on yourself because nobody is going to come for you."

The incident has been reported to both Auckland Transport and police.

Auckland Transport said it had been made aware of a "threatening" incident which rail operator Auckland One Rail was investigating and would support police as needed.

"We encourage all incidents to be reported as soon as they occur and we work closely with police in their efforts to deter anti-social behaviour," a spokesperson said.

"We also encourage customers to let us know anything they observe or experience on the public transport network and can contact us anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 4030, or via the AT website or contact centre."

Police confirmed it is making inquiries into a report of an assault on a train near Penrose on Wednesday.

"We are now in the very early stages to understand the full circumstances of what has occurred," a spokesperson said.

"One person was reported to have received minor injuries, however did not require medical attention, and is now being provided support.

"Our inquiries into the incident remain ongoing."