Easter and Anzac Day rail upgrades to temporarily replace trains with buses
Wellington rail network upgrades continue over the upcoming Easter and Anzac Day long weekends, with buses to replace train services on the Kāpiti, Hutt Valley, Johnsonville and Wairarapa lines.
From Friday 3 to Monday 6 April and Sunday 26 to Tuesday 28 April, KiwiRail will continue work to strengthen the network and prepare for the new trains coming in 2028/29, which will bring faster and more frequent services to the Wairarapa and Manawatū lines.
Greater Wellington Public Transport Committee Chair Ros Connelly says long weekends remain the best opportunity to complete rail upgrades to minimise the impact on passengers.
“We do everything we can to avoid rail closures at peak times on busy weekdays, and long weekends allow a significant amount of work to be done in a short time,” says Cr Connelly.
“Those of us who live in or travel through the Hutt are feeling the effects of the Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi (RiverLink) works on travel times, but taking public transport, including a bus replacement, means there are fewer private cars on the road which will help ease congestion.”
“I encourage people to make use of the bus replacement services, including in and around Lower Hutt while Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi works continue.”
KiwiRail’s planned network upgrades include track and rail replacements, preparing sites along the Hutt and Kāpiti lines for new substations, and continuing cabling works to activate upgraded signals and barrier arms on the Wairarapa Line.
KiwiRail general manager for Wellington Metro Andy Lyon says, “We’re making the line ready to carry new trains and more services, shift freight, and play our part in building a high-quality, low carbon transport network for the region.”
“To get these big jobs done we need uninterrupted time on tracks, so we’re making the most of this long weekend with less people commuting. We know taking trains out of service to work on the lines is disruptive, and we appreciate your patience.”
All bus replacing train services will depart from Platform 10 at Wellington Station and from designated bus replacement stops at other locations.
Passengers are encouraged to plan ahead by checking timetables on the Metlink website or app before travelling.