Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced $137.2 million for upgrades to Wellington substations. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
More frequent trains are on the cards for Wellington commuters, thanks to a government funding boost.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced $137.2 million for upgrades to substations on the city's metro rail network and improve the reliability of services.
Some of Wellington's substations were between 60 and 90 years old, Brown said.
"When the substations go down, so do the trains."
Delivering five additional substations for Wellington would provide enough electricity supply to power new Wairarapa and Manawatū trains, and enable additional 15-minute timetables on existing lines.
Work on Wellington's substations was expected to be carried out over a five-year timeframe, to coincide with Greater Wellington Regional Council adding new services from 2029. Substation detailed design work will begin this year with physical works expected to be completed in the 2028 financial year.
Impact on services was expected to be minimal, with the new substations being pre-fabricated and lifted into place with cranes.
"Upgrading our substations will also strengthen resilience when the network is faced with severe weather events, such as storms, heavy rainfall, and high winds."
The amount of travel on Wellington's metro rail network was expected to increase "significantly" in the coming years, and upgrading the network's substations would enable this growth and make it more reliable, Brown said.
This announcement comes a week after the news that bus and train fares could be set to increase across the country, by as much as 70 percent in Wellington, with the transport agency asking councils to hit higher revenue targets. This funding is on top of $52.9 million announced as part of Budget 2024 for upgrading tracks, signals, bridges, retaining walls, culverts, train platforms and urgent repairs to a seawall alongside Porirua Harbour.
And in June, the government announced it was investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines to double peak services and improve reliability.
The government is continuing to review the Metropolitan Rail Operating Model (MROM) to develop a more sustainable funding model for metropolitan rail, including who pays for what, and ensure the services and infrastructure is focused on prioritising passenger movements in an efficient and reliable way.