I wasn’t going to publish this week’s ones because the news concerning the new line is all too depressing, but as my last month’s photo has resurfaced elsewhere this weekend (BTW, my friend, that’s cool but don’t forget the required Creative Commons site attribution), I will reluctantly show you the latest in the sorry saga.

One Saturday, back in late November, there was a sign of action, with workers dumping stuff on the site and looking as if they were celebrating the start of work there.

Workers arrive in November to start work. Well, maybe

This was a great improvement on how things were in August, last year, when it was desolate:

Onehunga August 2009

After the busy Christmas extended holiday rail development, one hoped there would be signs of life again. On January 29, the workers had vanishes but are there tracks lying there? That’s a start.

A month ago, things looked rather familiar:

And this week you could conclude, I was just recycling the same photo over and over again:

March 2010 - all locked up

The new maps in the trains say the Brown Line is coming mid-year:

But we can suspect:

• If there was united political will to meet that deadline, there would have been more action
• We know this is the black – or should that be the brown sheep in the Auckland rail family
• On November 10, ARTA held a meeting with residents concerned about the proposal and concerned residents from the nearby apartment blocks also spoke that month to the Maungakiekie Community Board
• There has been very slow action sorting out resource consent issues
• Some business people remain unhappy with the siting of the new station
• There have been demands for not just a platform, but a shopping complex of sorts to liven that part of the street
• Work began on Te Papapa and Penrose  platforms  (corrected)
• There is no sign of a Mt Smart stop being included in the plan, despite the use that could be made from mid-year as a stop for Warriors game patrons
• The plan to move the historic Onehunga station from where it is used by the Railway Enthusiasts Society in Alfred Station to be a feature of the site, came to nought, at least for now, because of the society’s concerns about ownership of the heritage building,  physical access and security, funding of relocation and ongoing costs
• To put it bluntly, the Western line performance alone has fallen apart  this year, with ongoing breakdowns, signal faults, operational issues leading to cancellations and delays. Sadly, but realistically, any more pressure on the rail network while it’s still under development and awaiting rolling stock is too scary to imagine. If there’s any announcement that Onehunga may be delayed further,  weary commuters may decide that’s a good thing, rather than jump and down and protest.
• Expect public noises soon that it’s moving forward,  but, right now, it’s probably safe to conclude that the matter will continue to drift,  and be left for the new Auckland Transport body to address, even though some of those members of that could well be the same Arta people who have some responsibility now.

CCS Disability Action and Environment Waikato, with help from Hamilton City Council have held an info day to help disabled people understand how easy it is to use Hamilton buses.

About 25 disabled people in wheelchairs attended the event in Caro St which involved an Orbiter bus from Pavlovich Coachlines and one of the latest Go Bus urban buses.

They were all able to get on and off the buses using the facilities for the disabled, and with the assistance of drivers and caregivers. They also got tips on how to ride on buses comfortably and safely – like always ensuring your wheelchair’s handbrake is on.

Information was also available on BusIt stored value cards, how to read timetables and which bus services in the wider region – such as Raglan, Huntly and Paeroa services – were wheelchair-friendly.

Over to you Veoila – when’s your info day?

Earlier:

Mums and disabled battle on trains

He says the government has to look at ways to control the cost of the scheme as our population ages but  the government is totally committed to the SuperGold Card, including the transport concession as it stands.

The government will not be introducing any co-payments or any other way of changing those concessions. Grey Power says the Minister’s office told them the review of the card will be focused on two issues:

• The level of subsidy paid to the public transport operators. Currently the price paid to operators does not match the marginal cost incurred of providing the service to Super Gold Card holders. Government will have conversation with operators about this.
• The level of administration costs paid. Currently public transport operators are receiving the fare subsidies as well as an administration cost, which Government believes provides for some duplication of cost recovery. Again this will be discussed with operators.

The minister, commenting on reports the Waiheke ferry concession will go, said that “questions have to be asked as to whether we should be paying $2 million to the operators of the Waiheke Ferry for services they would be largely providing anyway.

It would be fiscally irresponsible not to test whether the current subsidies provided to operators are greater than what is required to maintain the current concessions. The government is committed to controlling costs and supporting frontline services and the SuperGold Card transport concession is no different.

Labour says that hile senior citizens will be relieved that Mr Joyce has given an assurance he won’t be introducing co-payments for SuperGold Card holders, Mr Joyce still has not cleared up how much he will squeeze the “off peak” period.

“Mr Joyce is also deliberately vague on his plan to reduce the subsidies paid to public transport companies,’ says MP Darren Hughes.

“One day on, a rattled Mr Joyce now says cuts were never his intention and that he only wants to reduce the payments made to providers of public transport and not cut the entitlements of elderly.

“The real reason is more likely to be publicity of another of Prime Minister John Key’s broken promises. In March 2009 Mr Key described SuperGold Card as ‘a successful programme … and we will be funding the increase’.

ALSO:

Yesterday’s story

He said Auckland will end up weaker not stronger.

He says the CCO is now seriously undermining the whole concept of unified and strengthened local government for Auckland.

Mr Lee and the ARC have, until recently, been a staunch supporter of the Super City reforms.

He is today saying the determination of Steven Joyce to “impose a mega-sized and unaccountable transport bureaucracy on Auckland is making a joke of the so-called super city.

“One has to ask what on earth is going on when a Transport Minister who has no local government responsibilities can co-opt the whole Auckland Super City process.

“Auckland Transport will be spending more than half the rates paid by Aucklanders – starting at around $680 million and rising every year– with virtually zero accountability.

Mr Joyce is also pre-empting the parliamentary select committee (chaired by his colleague the Associate Minister for Local Government John Carter) before it has completed its deliberations, and reported back to the Government. This is extraordinary behaviour.

“The Minister is now in the media trying to justify why he will be appointing directors to the Auckland Transport CCO board without any democratic process. Deliberately or otherwise, he is missing the point.

“Aucklanders are not interested in hearing the Minister’s justifications about why he personally has to make the appointments. The point is we don’t want a bar of his transport bureaucracy – period.”

Mr Lee said the arguments from the Minister justifying CCOs also overlook two important points:

• CCOs work best for revenue earning council activities – but transport services are not a business. They do not make money. Instead they spend public money and vast amounts of it. This activity therefore needs to be under the closest possible public accountability and scrutiny, not at arms length and working in secret.

• “CCO is also a complete misnomer in this case as Auckland Transport will not in any sense of the word by “controlled” by a Council. It will be a creature of the Minister of Transport and controlled by the Government.

“Aucklanders will have very little say in what is the most important infrastructure challenge for Auckland of our times.

“The Minister’s behaviour shows the Government is not listening to Aucklanders’ concerns about CCOs and has already made up its mind,” said Mr Lee.

“The Super City and its new undemocratic super transport bureaucracy is being imposed on Auckland by the Minister against the advice of other Government departments.

The system would harness and integrate renewable energies, such as solar and wind, to power a house and an electric vehicle.

The first working model of the concept is being built in the engineering faculty over the next three years.

Designer Duleepa Thrimawithana says that household renewable energy systems need a very large battery to store power, which usually cost tens of thousands of dollars, on top of the cost of installing solar panels or wind turbines.

His concept is to use an electric vehicle, which already has a powerful battery, to store some of the power for the system.

This would make its installation much more financially viable. While such systems may be many years off, the project aims to demonstrate that they can work in practice.

The system would make use of emerging technologies in wireless power transfer and intelligent power management. In comparison to existing systems, it would be more cost effective, safer and versatile.

Duleepa intends to develop new technologies in bi-directional power transfer and new circuitry techniques to improve the efficiency of the system.

Duleepa says the system could be retrofitted to an existing home or become a feature of new developments. It would draw on renewable energy generated for a single home or a cluster of houses.

The system would make use of intelligent technologies – meaning it would automatically schedule charging of the electric vehicle, transfer power back and forth from the grid at optimal pricing, and would adjust power usage to minimise waste and its carbon footprint.

The entire system would be controlled from a central user interface or remotely through the web.  Another distinct feature of the system is the use of wireless or inductive power transfer (IPT) technology, pioneered at The University of Auckland. University researchers have developed several commercial IPT systems, and have started looking at applying IPT technology to electric vehicles.

The electric vehicle would simply be parked over an IPT charging pad in the garage to transfer energy back and forth.

He says that IPT is an extremely easy and efficient way to power an electric vehicle, and to safely transfer power around a home, and back to the national grid if there is any excess in supply.

“We know we can’t rely on fossil fuels forever, but current renewable energy technologies cannot meet our energy demands. We have to look for ways to make green energy production viable.”

The concept of a Green Energy System or Eco-System, to power both home and transport, was originally proposed by Dr Udaya Madawala from the University’s Faculty of Engineering.

A team of students is currently working on various aspects of this system under Dr Madawala and Duleepa. Duleepa’s aim is to build the first working model of this concept at the University, and it is hoped that it will lead to the establishment of the first Green Energy Centre for Energy related research.

Stephen Selwood, CEO of the New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development, which  has been staunchly behind Rodney Hide’s local body reform legislation, seems to raise this possibility today.

In came in Selwood’s vigorous defence of the setting up of Auckland Transport. He calls criticism “farcical nonsense” and sharply rubbishes ARC Chair Mike Lee raising the issue of the Kingdon St station demolition last Christmas as evidence of the sort of things Auckland Transport may do in secret.

As the council is close to ACT, the rant gives an interesting update into official thinking around this important new body, so I publish his comments in full.

“The Auckland public is being misled into believing they are being locked out of key decisions that will shape the future of the city. Under the legislation that is proposed, strategic planning and policy decisions will be made by the Auckland Mayor and council, who will set the agenda, appoint directors, and then hold the Council Controlled Organizations to account in giving effect to those plans.

“The legislation setting up the new Auckland Council clearly stipulates that Auckland transport must follow the requirements of the Auckland Council as expressed through a Statement of Intent (SOI) and performance indicators (KPI).”

Of course, Auckland Transport will be able to enter into financial commitments without council approval, but only if these commitments are in line with the policy direction of the Council. If they’re not then this would be a sackable offence by Directors.

“Clause 46 of the Bill prevents Auckland transport from borrowing any funds without the written agreement of the Auckland Council.

“If Auckland Council wants Auckland Transport to hold public meetings and work closely with Local Boards and adopt a strong consultative approach when taking decisions, then this can simply be written into the SOI. The legislation makes it very clear that it is the Auckland Council’s role to set out arrangements to make the transport agency – and other CCOs – fully accountable to it.

“Reference in a Herald editorial (5 March) that the way things are shaping up the single mayor and council will be “a puppet show” is farcical nonsense. It shows a lack of understanding of the legislation as drafted and demonstrates no faith in the ability of Councillors to draft an SOI and key performance indicators that reflects their own polices and to be able to get accountability for performance against them by the CCOs.

“If the new Mayor and Councilors believe they will become ‘puppets’ if elected to the new Council, they will have only themselves to blame.

“Auckland wouldn’t be in this current mess if politicians had excised greater commitment to get results when they were running the services from council departments. It hasn’t worked, and it is time for a new approach and fresh start”. At the end of the day, the reason Auckland governance is being reformed is because successive generations of politicians and the councils they should have controlled have failed to deliver the results expected of them for at least the past 50 years.”

” That is why it is critical that in the reform to just “one council” Aucklanders take time to elect councilors who have the ability to demand, and get, proper accountability from not just the CCOs but everyone who is part of Auckland’s new council arrangements.

He says the suggestion by ARC Chairman Mike Lee and others that the new Auckland Transport organization won’t have to act in accordance with the requirements of the Auckland Council are wrong in fact and misrepresent the clear intentions of the new Auckland governance arrangements for the region.

ARC Chairman Mike Lee reportedly cited demolition of the Kingdon Street railway station in Newmarket over the Christmas as ‘a foretaste’ of what Aucklanders can expect under the Super City.

Claiming that although he is theoretically in charge of public transport services as chairman of the ARC, he found himself powerless to intervene against ARC’s ‘council-controlled organization – the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) – and prevent demolition of the station.

However, Mr Selwood said it had always been intended to operate the Kingdon Street station as a temporary station.

He produced an ARTA media release dated 8 January 2008, confirming that from Tuesday 29th January that year a temporary station would be built at Kingdon St to cover the period the new Newmarket Station was constructed. ”

This clearly shows that closure of the station had always been intended, once the Newmarket Station was completed. ”

That aside, there was in fact substantive consultation when the final decision to close the station was taken. Mr Lee went with others, including passengers and Newmarket Business Association’s Cameron Brewer to meetings between ARC and ARTA over at least a month, and which took into account actual numbers of station users and the scheduled opening of a new Grafton Station nearby station before the demolition decision was finally acted on.

ARC Chair, Mike Lee, who has been enthusiastic about the idea, has written for it to be progressed in the ARC annual plan and tells me he has “demanded we continue to progress it.”

But after the Queens Wharf cruise ship terminal saga, one can only hope that there will be a way found to get the millions needed to make it happen. One estimate for the cost is $30m, which includes six old Melbourne trams, but some suggest it could be done cheaper  and there is also a council faction that think buses are all you need.

Trams around the waterfront would be.. romantic

Both Motat and the CBT have pushed for the trams to roll through from Britomart to the Tank Farm (now known as Wynyard Quarter), as being an appealing attraction to both those who live there and tourists.

The suggestions have been for a route starting in Daldy and Jellicoe Sts, then along Guant and Halsey Sts and later around the southern and eastern stages of the viaduct.

The idea is for trams every 20 minutes , using passing loops on a single track around the Tank Farm and duplicate tracks around Quay St and Britomart.

We could be like Christchurch |Photo: Willuknight

Those developing the Wynyard Quarter development have said the hope  is for 70% of transport needs to be met by public transport, and that that will include trams running along the waterfront and across the permanent Te Wero Bridge.

Everyone loves the MOTAT trams

The proposed $47.3 million Te Wero bridge won’t be built until 2016.

Waterfront trams are too good an opportunity to miss. Let’s not screw this one up.

ALSO: Plans for Wynyard Quarter

ASB building kicks off Tank Farm revival

In the UK, 2m  passengers who use the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines face years of delays after a major row broke out today over the amount that will be spent on the Tube network.Major upgrades to the three lines are under threat after the official in charge of funding ruled on the budget for the next seven years. The company was ordered to cut spending by £1.3 billion, putting at risk plans for new, faster and cleaner trains, improved signalling and refurbishing stations. Story here (hat tip Andrew)

Tender documents prepared by Melbourne’s rail operator, Metro, warn of danger on the trains – broken rails and buckling tracks that may cause derailments. But Victoria’s government is playing down the concerns. Story here

And Victoria’ premier admits the public needs more action on the delayed myki ticketing system, the delivery of new trains and bringing street violence under control.”We’ve had a pretty ordinary run, that’s the truth of the matter,” he said. Story here

The local Hawks team has poked fun at the hopelsss myki integrated ticketing system with this commercial, suggesting their membership card has more success working: Video here

It’s an interesting idea pushed by a Massey university design school lecturer on Campbell Live tonight – a light rail system,  for Auckland.

But maybe we should get the Auckland rail system fixed first -and a CBD loop approved -  before we start looking at other options.

His Slim Ride rail design consists of compact, stylish rail cabins with a lounge-like atmosphere and automated doors for up to 15 passengers each.

The Slim Ride system (which he insists is bBased on a similar model, London’s Docklands Light Rail although it’s not as I remember it!) would be neatly linked to existing transport networks by a series of loop tracks, shunting passengers constantly around the inner city as far as Mission Bay as well as to northern suburbs across the bridge.

“The technology is more closely related to roller coaster systems than to classic rail technology, making it an inexpensive, low-tech option that’s easy to build, operate and maintain locally,” he says. ”

To operate in Auckland’s infrastructure limitations, the track is planned to be extremely slim, a hybrid between a ground and above ground – around fence height – sections and based on an inline-rail layout.”

Mr Neuland came up with the design after doing field research on the city’s often-maligned bus and train system.

Many people shunned public transport because of its bad image, considering it unreliable, confusing and risky, he says.

“The confusing patchwork of individual bus lanes sharing the congested road corridors does not help make public transport more inviting,” he says in a report on his design, recently published in the journal of the Railway Interiors Expo in November in Cologne, where he presented his concept.

Mr Neuland has developed a working model with track layout and chassis configuration, as well as video simulation to demonstrate Slim Ride’s feasibility, and says it could be adapted to any city.

“It could also work as a last-mile system for shopping malls, corporate centres, business parks and university campuses.”

He hopes his design will provoke debate about the need to improve the city’s public transport amid moves to Auckland’s Super City structure.

He plans to further refine his Slim Ride through consultation with transport engineers with a view to creating a pilot track to test it.

Here is the Massey University video on their project

Here’s the Campbell Live discussion video for the item:

Massey university students designs for future transportation are here

13 year olds, whom I thought were not yet legally able to buy spray cans, will be handed them in a two-day workshop to teach them graffiti art.

The two-day “Graffiti Workshop“, for 13 to 18 year olds will teach them the basics in “practical based sessions” between 10am and 3pm.

The fee is $35.

This is part of the YMCA’s “Raise up n Represent” series for teens and, judging by notices on the YMCA’s Bebo sites, it’s not the first one.

YMCA’s site says: “Raise up is a youth programme that has been designed to give youth a safe and healthy environment in which to relax, socialise and achieve their goals. The aim is to support youth in being physically fit, to encourage personal ownership and leadership, and to foster a sense of pride and respect for themselves, and the communities in which they live.”

I’m not sure how this mission statement fits into the graffiti workshop.

Kingsland station

OK, we know there is a difference between “tagging” and “graffiti art” – graffiti art is officially on display at the Auckland art gallery at the moment.

But when I watched the recent DVD documentary that local train “artists” have distributed through their channels containing their footage of them doing their graffiti in the middle of the night , there was as much tagging with meaningless scrawls as there was in actual attempts to do colourful design.

So I’m not sure how much those artists distinguish between the two.

There was the famous New York train carriage graffiti art of a few decades ago and there are some nice murals around locally , such as near the Morningside station.

But I’m certainly not convinced 13 years flocking to a graffiti workshop think they are going to be a Michelangelo. And the “Graffiti workshop” makes no reference to art.

And according to these minutes from an Auckland City council committee meeting, ratepayers hand out $125,000 a year to the YMCA’s “Raise up n Represent” programme.

The same council meeting had a presentation from a council volunteer about the graffiti problem.

Talk about mixed messages.

ALSO- EARLIER POSTS;
Train “artists” release DVD – trailer

Newmarket’s anti graffiti murals attacked

The most prolific rail tagger

Graffiti is ruining the new rail work developments- Photos

Morningside’s new station is attacked

Graffiti attacks all of Auckland

Has Auckland gone to the dogs?

New Lynn’s new station counters graffiti with art

ALSO: Morningside rail mural artist site

The rockfall happened last August near where contractors were working to replace two bridges and widen the highway.

NZTA and the Rotorua District Council have received the last of three independent reports.

It  found the rockfall couldn’t have been anticipated and NZTA and Rotorua District Council took all practicable steps to protect the safety of employees, contractors and sub contractors, and other people in the area.

While the report could not identify a single cause for the rockfall, it concluded that one or more of the following factors could have contributed:

• blasting vibrations
• seismic activity,
• vegetation and tree roots,
• vertical cracks in the rock strata
• water expansion (due to freezing)
• frost and thermal expansion.

Separate reports by the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences and Opus International Consultants Ltd also found that a single cause for the incident could not be identified.

The labour department says it will take no further action over the incident but has recommended that the lessons learned from the incident be shared with other roading contractors.

But the NZTA will remind contractors to take the highest form of control practicable when facing similar hazards. SH36 was closed to traffic for three months following the rockfall to allow debris to be cleared and remedial works to be carried out.

The work included installing rock anchors up to 6m deep into the rock faces and draping steel mesh over the cliff areas to secure the gorge site.

The overall gorge improvement project is expected to be finished in early April.

It was originally called “operational issues.”
Now we know what that really means.

“Our strengths in long haul are readily portrayed by activities out on the wider network, as demonstrated by the fact that we move a third of New Zealand’s export goods.  Here we have an effective solution over a short distance that provides a viable proposition for our customers.

“Short-haul shuttle services that relieve pressure on congested urban roads are increasingly becoming part of the way we do business.  We have other successful initiatives underway here in Auckland and in urban centres elsewhere around the country.”

Ports of Auckland Managing Director Jens Madsen, told the gathering that the new rail link to and from the Wiri Freight Hub brings the seaport right to the doorstep of businesses in South Auckland and represents a new era.

“It will offer greater efficiencies and flexibility for exporters and importers who are able to drop off and pick up containers without having to negotiate the Auckland motorways,” Mr Madsen said.

“By using the Wiri Freight Hub as a staging post, it will free up room at the Waitemata seaport which is good news also for the whole supply chain as it helps position Ports of Auckland for future growth.”

Containers are now able to be moved to and from the seaport by rail, saving as many as 100,000 central city truck trips per annum when functioning to capacity.

The first night train arrived on Feb 3 at Wiri

Mr Madsen said carbon emission modelling by Ports of Auckland had shown big potential savings for businesses close to the Wiri Inland Port.

“A lot of our current customers are based within 10 kilometres of the inland port.  By using the rail link to the seaport, this group will be able to reduce the carbon emissions of transporting their containers by up to 40%, and on average by 25%,” he said.

Background:

• The Wiri Freight Hub is managed by CONLINXX, a joint venture between Ports of Auckland (70% owner) and NZL Group (30% owner).
• It has been established as a container logistics business tasked with delivering increased value through rail transport between Wiri and the sea port, efficient and secure container storage and handling processes 24/7, track and trace facilities and improved information systems and technology.
• The Wiri Freight Hub is strategically located off Wiri Station Road in South Auckland, close to Auckland International Airport, and adjacent to SH1 and SH20.

• Brian Perry Civil and KiwiRail undertook the works, including the construction of the three rail sidings, involving around 2,000m of additional rail track, and the hardstand.
• Each of the three sidings is capable of taking 22 wagons.  When fully operational, they enable two trains to be worked simultaneously, with the third track available for repositioning locomotives.
• The hardstand from which the containers will be loaded and unloaded involved 15 major concrete pours.
• It is 450 metres long and cover nearly 11,000 square metres, just shy of the overall size of the Britomart Transport Centre station platform.

That review has moved into its second phase with targeted consultation for the next two months.

Citing the Waiheke ferry as one costly item, Steven Joyce says some changes will need to be made because it is currently stand on track to exceed the available budget.

“The highest priority of the review process is to consider how to keep the scheme within the available budget of $18 million a year, while continuing to provide improved mobility for older people.”

No more free trips?

Among other things, officials will consider:

• the level of reimbursement operators and councils receive
• how “off peak” should be defined
• the eligibility of certain high cost services- including the Waiheke ferry and the train service between Wellington and the Wairarapa “

The transport concession of the SuperGold card has an annual budget of $18 million dollars across the country – $2 million of that is currently spent on the Waiheke ferry alone,” says Mr Joyce.

The review is being led by the Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the NZ Transport Agency.

When the scheme was set up in October 2008, it was agreed that a review would be undertaken after the scheme had been operating for 12 months to ensure its ongoing viability.

In conducting this stage of the review, officials will consult with a number of key stakeholder groups including: regional and local authorities, public transport operators, Grey Power, Age Concern NZ, the Returned Services’ Association (RSA), and the Ministry of Social Development’s Volunteer Community Co-ordinators for the Office for Senior Citizens.

It will finished by May.

Banks says the loop will unlock “the constraint of Britomart being a dead end station and double its capacity.

KiwiRail Chair Jim Bolger said there was still a long way to go with this project, “but it is vital that we take the necessary steps to protect the route for the future.”

John Banks said that that while further analysis is required, at this stage train patronage projections out to 2016 and 2041 for these three train stations indicate strong potential growth which is driven by the station locations in the heart of the CBD.

This would provide easy walking distance to all the CBD’s commercial, tourist, residential and educational opportunities as well aid, Excellent urban regeneration and economic development opportunities were available around the proposed three station locations. Thiswass particularly important given Auckland’s projected population growth.

Opportunities included redevelopment work around K’Road with the station centrally located on a ridge between Grafton Hospital and Ponsonby Road.

“Current population levels within 500 metres of the K’Road station are in the region of 7,000 employees and 2,500 residents. With future amendments to the existing zoning there is capacity to provide for approximately 20,000 employees and 7,000 residents. Similar opportunities exist around Newton while around the proposed Aotea Station there is the capacity to more than double the employment opportunities from 40,000 to over 80,000”.

ARC chair Mike Lee said the  tunnel will not only radically boost the efficiency of Auckland’s commuter rail network and nearly double the throughput of trains through Britomart, but a metro rail really will “be the making of Auckland, revitalising the CBD and giving Auckland a truly international feel.”

The chairman of ARTA, Mr Rabin Rabindran says the project is regionally based and the preferred option has been discussed with the Auckland Regional Council and Auckland City Council.

It has also been discussed with NZTA.

Mr Rabindran said the total cost of the project had not yet been finalised. Funding for the project would need to be negotiated between the region and the government, however in light of Auckland’s burgeoning population growth of almost an additional million people by 2050; forward planning for the region was not only prudent but essential.

“Naturally we need to ensure there is a sound business case to support the project and have a clear understanding of the level of investment required to bring it into reality before we proceed to the next step. “The project takes into consideration management of Auckland’s projected population growth to well over two million over the next four decades, which is over 70 per cent of New Zealand’s total projected growth

“This project for Auckland, made possible by the Government’s decision to electrify Auckland’s rail network is a transformational project for the region with the ability to provide significant economic, social and environmental benefits.

These benefits would accrue to the whole of the region”.

KiwiRail chairman Jim Bolger says the study currently underway is a first step in the process of identifying and protecting the route for future construction.

If we are to ensure rail is able to play its part in Auckland’s transport mix, both now and into the future we need to ensure the network has reasonable reach and flexibility.“

This work will be done between now and September this year with the final phase, preparation of the notice of requirement documentation, done by December.

The preferred route from the three shortlisted options sees the tunnel running  between Mt Eden and Britomart, taking in Khyber Pass Road, Symonds Street and Karangahape Road, with the opportunity for three train station locations at Symonds Street /Khyber Pass Road; Karangahape Road/Pitt Street and on Albert Street between Victoria and Wellesley Streets.

No figure has yet been put on the total cost of the project with funding requiring some negotiations between the region and the government.

This will involve the new Auckland Transport body, if no decision is made before that takes effect in November.

But those involved in the process so far have given the positive message that the potential benefits of this project are likely to significantly outweigh its costs.

It has the backing of both main supermayor candidates, John Banks and Len Brown, which can only help.

Entering the Britomart tunnel

The consultants say that the option chosen has the three station locations under public roads with the locations “optimising redevelopment and growth opportunities for economic productivity and patronage; the least number of curves which means lower costs for the tunnel boring machine and better operational speed for trains thus reducing operational costs.”

A rail inquiry into a fire on a Wellington train reveals a fault was a week old but never reported because of “weaknesses in the fault reporting system.”

The high current being drawn by a short circuit even caused overhead traction lines to part and fall onto the train, in the incident, which happened at the Mana station in April, 2008.

The rail report, only released this morning, details what happened.

The electric commuter train was stationary but attempting to depart from Mana station when an electrical fault on one of the traction motors caused a short circuit and fire in the train’s main electrical equipment case.

High current being drawn by the short circuit caused the overhead traction lines to part and fall onto the train.

The train was travelling between Paremata and Mana stations on the North Island Main Trunk, en route from Wellington to Paraparaumu, when the driver experienced problems with the traction motors.

The train was a 2-car train set with one motor car and one trailer car and was being driven in the reverse direction from the trailer cab.

After passenger exchange at Mana, the driver attempted to depart the platform but the train did not move. Each attempt to move the train resulted in an immediate traction motor overload.

The driver was leaving the train to walk along the platform to the rear motor car when there was a brilliant flash above his head. The overhead traction lines parted and the loose ends dropped onto the train and the platform.

The electrical equipment cabinet, just below the level of the platform on the motor car, was on fire.

The train was evacuated and the public were cleared from the area while the potentially live overhead lines were isolated and made safe. There were no injuries and the fire was extinguished before the Fire Service arrived at the scene.

The report concludes that the fault in the traction motor had been developing throughout the previous week, yet weaknesses in the fault-reporting system meant the developing fault went unnoticed, and frequent re-setting of the circuit breaker eventually resulted in it, together with the then-unprotected electrical line contactors, failing.

With no electrical protection between the fault in the traction motor and the power supply, a very high electrical current passed between the overhead traction line and the train’s pantograph, causing the line to melt and part.

BikeWise bike to work breakfast a few weeks ago

Upper and Lower Hutt Cities have been named NZ’s most cycle mad cities.

This is the annual ratings, based on how many cyclists took part in the recent Bike Wise Mayoral challenge event.

More than 1700 people from the Hutt Valley took part even though the ride being shortened as it was on the Sunday when there were tsunami warnings on that day.  Participants followed Mayors David Ogden and Wayne Guppy on Hutt City’s annual Bike the Trail ride down the Hutt River trail.

The ride is flat, easy and scenic, with two options for distance – 12 kilometres or 24 kilometres.

For cities with between 11,000 and 58,000 residents, Waipukurau in the Central Hawke’s Bay came out on top for the second year running, while Wairoa beat the competition for towns with less than 11,000 residents

All up 8500 people in 50 cities and towns took part.

Last year’s results were: New Plymouth District (over 58,000 population):Central Hawke’s Bay District (11,000 to 58,000 population);Opotiki District  (under 11,000 population)

In this week’s Walk2Work, 200 people attended the event in K Rd’s Pigeon Park and there were over 800 walkers at the Takapuna event.

For last weekend’s match, Auckland City had plastered Sandringham Rd with warning signs, days in advance, after this site had complained about parked cars being towed away where there were no signs -and patrons at a nearby cafe called Okra coming out to find their takeaway coffee had cost them $114 and a taxi fare to get to where their car had been towed in the city.

Then last Sunday afternoon, the traffic management sign people were back.

Before the event was even over, they were  busy plastering over the signs with a sticker announcing the next date was Thursday for the cricket, giving just over four days warning.

And one sign was where Okra cafe people would trip over it, so there was no excuse this time.

I had to smile.

THE COUNCIL TAKEAWAY SAGA

Part II Last weekend

Part I Cafe patrons find their car gone