File photo. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
More disruption is coming for Auckland train commuters, as the next stage of KiwiRail's Western line rebuild begins on Monday.
For seven weeks, trains between Newmarket and New Lynn will run at reduced frequencies as maintenance work closes one track at a time.
Stacey van der Putten from Auckland Transport said commuters should expect it to be busy.
The work was the latest in a series of track rebuilds that has closed sections of Auckland's railway for months at a time.
"The good thing is this is the first time we've actually been able to maintain trains during one of these pieces of work.
"[It's] great news that we can keep operating albeit at a reduced schedule.
She said extra carriages and busses could manage the disruption.
"We recommend people do take their train services and the modelling does demonstrate that we actually have our capacity for everybody, albeit when we have what we call the peak of the peak, then maybe a couple of trains are over capacity."
Van der Putten says she was confident the work would finish on schedule.
She said added busses around New Lynn would help to manage the peak of the commuter chaos.