Accessibility on Metlink services

Passengers with disabilities or impairments, whether visible or invisible, are entitled to ask passengers sitting in a priority seat to give up their seat.

Priority seating is available on nearly all Metlink trains Metlink buses, and is intended for the following people:

• People with disabilities and mobility issues
• People with prams or buggies
• Pregnant people
• Seniors
• Young children (under 5 years old)

Buses

The shared priority seating area at the front of most Metlink buses can be easily identified by the green seats and the wheelchair and pram symbols.

Trains

In Matangi trains, which serve all train lines except the Wairarapa Line, priority seating areas can be identified by the green seats, which are located in the low floor carriage. Look out for the wheelchair and bicycle symbols on the exterior of the train help to identify these carriages.

Disability assist dogs can travel on all Metlink trains, buses, harbour ferries and taxis at any time of the day, when accompanied by their disabled handler or someone involved with their training. This is specified under the Dog Control Act 1996.

A disability assist dog is a dog certified by a recognised organisation as a dog trained or being trained to assist a person with a disability and Metlink staff may request to see an identification card from one of these recognised organisations:

• Hearing Dogs for Deaf People New Zealand
• Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust
• New Zealand Epilepsy Assist Dog Trust
• Blind Low Vision NZ
• Top Dog Companion Trust
• Assistance Dogs New Zealand
• Perfect Partners Assistance Dogs Trust

More information on travel with an Assistance Animal

If planning to visit Mātiu/Somes Island with a disability assist dog, please be mindful of the special conditions that apply before travelling and while visiting this conservation land.

Before travelling contact the Department of Conservation to let them know of your plans to visit Mātiu/Somes Island with a disability assist dog. For contact details, visit the Department of Conservation’s website(external link).

Matangi and Wairarapa trains are fitted with a PA system and automated station information announcements.

Matangi train doors will not open automatically at each station. Each door has a button that needs to be pushed for the door to open. These green buttons can be operated when a signal is heard. A warning signal will sound before the doors close.

Railway stations that have recently upgraded platforms will have tactile indicators along the platform. 

Hearing Loops on trains

Matangi and Wairarapa trains are fitted with hearing loops and have passenger information displays inside the train showing next station announcements. Hearing loops are located in the designated area for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Matangi trains display the final destination on the front and side of the trains.  

Matangi train doors will not open automatically at each station. Each door has a button that needs to be pushed for the door to open. These green buttons can be operated when they are illuminated.

Wellington Railway Station Auracast system

Metlink are trialling the use of Auracast to broadcast station announements to compatible hearing ands and headphones. Using Auracast, you can listen to the Wellington Station announcements as long as you are in the vicinity of Wellington Railway Station. 

What is Auracast?

Auracast is a Bluetooth based technology for streaming audio directly to compatiable hearing aids or headphones. You can find out more about Auracast on the Bluetooth website at https://www.bluetooth.com/auracast/(external link)

Please note that Auracast is not currently supported on iPhones without the use of third-party apps. 

How to connect to station announcements at Wellington Station using Auracast 

• Ensure bluetooth is switched on on your phone, and that your headphones or hearing aids are paired to your phone
• Select the option to listen to Auracast broadcasts
• Select the channel WGN Station PA 
• The Auracast broadcast will now stream directly to your headphones or hearing aids; using other apps on your phone should not disrupt the broadcast.

This short video shows how to connect to an Auracast broadcast using an Android phone.

Wheelchairs and other mobility aids are welcome on bus and train services on a first-come, first-served basis as space allows. Customers who need help to board a bus or train must travel with their own carer. Staff will deploy the wheelchair ramps or hoists, but cannot help with boarding or operate mobility scooters.

Wheelchairs and mobility devices must be in a safe and good working condition. Luggage and bags must not be attached to the wheelchair/mobility scooter, especially when using the ramp.

If you use a folding wheelchair or and mobility device you must be accompanied by enough carers to allow you to travel safely, including getting onto the trains, changing trains where necessary and leaving the train at your destination. Your carer(s) must store the folded wheelchair if necessary.

Wheelchairs and mobility devices must be secured in the allocated wheelchair area using the safety restraints (if applicable). Brakes must be applied and the power (if applicable) must be switched off.

Buses

Most Metlink buses are accessible for wheelchairs and mobility aids. Priority seating areas on most buses are marked with green seats and wheelchair areas are clearly marked.

Maximum dimensions: 70cm wide x 90cm long

Weight limit: 300kg total weight including the user

A small percentage of the fleet are older buses that do not meet our current accessibility requirements. These buses do have ramps but they may not be able to accept larger mobility aids. They do have priority seating areas towards the front of the bus, but they might not have green seating. These older buses do not show as wheelchair accessible on our real time information signs.

Trains

All Metlink trains are accessible to wheelchairs and mobility devices, with allocated parking areas and securing belts. Buses replacing trains can’t always carry wheelchairs or mobility devices.

Trains on Hutt Valley, Melling, Kapiti and Johnsonville lines have low-floor carriages, and staff will lower ramps when required.

Maximum dimensions: 80cm wide x 130cm long, and able to turn within a 95cm radius 

Weight limit: 300kg total weight including the user and any helper on ramp.

All Wairarapa Line services have steps into high-floor carriages. A hoist is available for passengers with wheelchairs, prams and anyone who finds it difficult to use the steps. Please ask staff for support to board using the hoist.

Weight for this hoist cannot exceed 364kg. Prams must vacate the wheelchair space for passengers using wheelchairs. If a passenger using a wheelchair chooses to sit in a regular seat, the wheelchair must be folded away and stored.

Weight limit: 364kg total weight including the user and any helper on hoist.

Harbour Ferry

All East By West ferry services are inaccessible by wheelchair. This is because high steps and steep gangway ramps on the ferries and wharves make it unsafe for wheelchair users to board and disembark.

If you use a folding wheelchair or other type of mobility aid, and can board without using the aid, you must be accompanied by enough companions to support safe travel, including boarding, moving through the ferry and disembarking. Our crew are not able to physically assist passengers in the normal course of ferry sailings.

Accessible transport options between Wellington and Eastbourne include: 

• Metlink’s route 83 bus service
  To plan a journey, visit metlink.org.nz or call the Contact Centre on 0800 801 700.
• Taxi services
  A fare subsidy is available to Te Hunga Whaikaha Total Mobility cardholders. Please try to book your ride in advance and let the taxi company know if you need a wheelchair accessible vehicle. For more information, visit Te Hunga Whaikaha Total Mobility(external link).

East By West is committed to working with our communities and partners to improve the accessibility of our services as opportunities present. This includes Greater Wellington on the design of our ferries, and wharf infrastructure improvements with  Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council and the Department of Conservation.

All passengers need to be able to board, move through the ferry, and disembark independently or with help from enough companions to support safe travel. Our crew are not able to physically assist passengers in the normal course of ferry sailings.

During a ferry journey, passengers need to be able to navigate:

• Stairs on wharves and inside the ferry cabins
• Lips and door thresholds on the gangways and in the ferry cabins
• Gangway ramps with variable gradients depending on tidal conditions. Ramps are especially steep at high tide.
• Movement and instability caused by the tide and weather on wharves, gangways on onboard ferries.

Some examples of our gangways below:

Ika Rere gangway high tide

City Cat gangway low tide

Access to train services is affected by three considerations:

1. Access from the street to station platforms
2. Access from the platform to/from the train ie ramp or hoist access
3. Space and availability on the train, ie designated space with restraints

These stations may be challenging to access without assistance due to steep ramps

Hutt Valley Line

• Ngauranga(external link)
• Ava(external link)
• Woburn(external link)
• Epuni(external link)
• Naenae(external link)
• Wingate(external link)
• Taitā(external link)
• Pomare(external link)

Kāpiti Line

• Takapu Road(external link)
• Kenepuru(external link)
• Porirua(external link)
• Paremata(external link)

Johnsonville Line

• Awarua Street(external link)
• Box Hill(external link)

The number of mobility parking spaces is in proportion to the total number of car parking spaces at most Park & Ride facilities. There is at least one mobility parking space in each Park & Ride, excluding Taitā(external link), Melling(external link), Mana(external link), and Ngaio(external link).

Access Advisors(external link) managing director Dr Chandra Harrison who provided expertise in the development of the new Metlink site says the upgrade went through a rigorous process to assess its accessibility for a variety of needs.

“During the development of the new site, Access Advisors undertook usability and accessibility testing with people with real access needs and provided guidance to align the website to NZ Government Web Standards.

"We interviewed Wellington based members of our Research Panel who are Metlink users to gain greater understanding of the real needs of travellers with disabilities. This gives people with disabilities a voice and an opportunity to be heard.

“Metlink’s approach shows a real commitment to achieving digital accessibility, going above compliance with guidelines, and aiming to achieve real accessibility,” says Dr Harrison.

Read the full article(external link)