South Auckland's newest railway stations have officially opened, with passenger services returning to Drury and Paerātā tomorrow for the first time in more than 50 years.
The two new stations were formally opened by Rail Minister Winston Peters and Transport Minister Chris Bishop this afternoon, and would serve commuters across Franklin and the wider South Auckland region.
Weekday peak services were set to run from the stations every 10 minutes from Monday, with each station featuring two platforms, 350 car parks and bus connections.
"Around 130,000 more people are expected in this part of Auckland over coming decades, and infrastructure must come before growth – not years afterwards, as too often happens in this country," Peters said.
“These stations are here because we funded them when last responsible for rail, as part of our wider commitments to unlock capacity, lift train frequencies, invest more than $500 million to get the network up to standard, and enable electric trains from Britomart right down to Pukekohe.
"While others say nice words about rail, we fund it, deliver it, and on this happy occasion are still here to open it."
The projects were among the final projects completed as a part of the Government's $2.4 billion investment in Auckland's rail network, Bishop said.
"The Auckland Rail Network Rebuild has been completed in time for the City Rail Link (CRL) to open soon. We’re also replacing level crossings across the network to support more frequent train services," he said.
"The Third Main Line is now open, separating freight and passenger rail services, while the rail line to Pukekohe has been electrified.
He added that the investment was aimed at supporting Auckland's expansion, "while giving people better transport choices".
The first passenger train was set to depart Pukekohe at 6.11am on Sunday, stopping at Paerātā at 6.17am and Drury at 6.25am before arriving in the city centre at 7.24am, according to Auckland Transport's timetable.
The stations restored passenger rail services to both communities for the first time since 1972, when the original stations closed.
They were also the first two of three new stations being built between Papakura and Pukekohe, with a station at Ngākōroa scheduled to open in 2027.
Two new Auckland Transport bus services would also begin operating on Sunday, connecting Paerātā Rise and Ramarama with the rail network.
The stations will serve Drury, Paerātā, Franklin and South Auckland, with each station providing two platforms, 350 car parks and bus connections. (Source: 1News)
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