Using Public Transport

Using public transport is a great way to get around town and see the sights without paying for parking. You can use the journey planner on the Metlink website or app, or use standard map apps on your device, if that works better for you.

Need a little help?

You can call our Metlink Contact Centre, and our friendly staff can assist you. Or stop by the Customer Information Kiosk at Wellington Station.

Customer Etiquette

Metlink is supporting passengers, bus drivers and train crew with an onboard etiquette campaign.

Read the media release(external link)

All Metlink buses and trains have clearly marked priority seating areas for passengers with disabilities or mobility needs, the elderly, pregnant persons and caregivers with small children. Newer buses and trains on all lines, except for the Wairarapa Line, have high-contrast floor markings, green seat coverings (instead of the usual blue), and priority seating area stickers.

Passengers requiring a seat are encouraged to ask other customers seated in priority seating areas for their seat, if they feel confident to do so. We recognize that not all disabilities or impairments are visible, and encourage passengers to ask the driver to request passengers to vacate seats, if needed.

Prohibited items

You must not carry onto our vehicles or pack in any luggage any dangerous articles, including but not limited to weapons, compression gases, corrosives, explosives, flammable liquids and solids, radioactive materials, oxidising materials, poisons and infectious substances.

We do not carry unaccompanied luggage

Conditions of carriage(external link)

Safety & assistance

For safety reasons, drivers and staff are not required to assist customers with bags, large items, or pram. You must follow instructions given by our staff in relation to items brought onto a vehicle. Staff may refuse to carry an item if the available space for luggage is already full, or if they believe it to be:

Excessively large
Hazardous or otherwise likely to cause injury to anyone or damage to any property
Due to its nature or condition, likely to cause offence or discomfort to another passenger

Luggage

We recommend travelling during off-peak if you have large luggage, or using the Airport Express bus if heading to the airport.

Most regular Metlink buses have a small rack for bags, folding prams, and hand luggage, but the space is limited and require the items to be lifted. Regular Metlink buses are not specifically designed to accommodate full size luggage, but you are welcome to bring it on board if there is capacity to do so safely.

Trains on the Hutt Valley, Melling, Kapiti, and Johnsonville Lines do not have designated luggage areas, but items can usually be accommodated in the cycle storage area.

Wairarapa Line trains have a luggage car, which will always be on the north end of the platform when the train stops. There are a few steps and a narrow entrance to the storage area, so luggage should not exceed 30kg, for safety reasons during loading.

Large items

Please be considerate of other passengers. Large backpacks, sport equipment, grocery bags and market trolleys should be held on your lap, at your feet, or in the storage rack, not on a seat. We ask that standing passengers with large backpacks place them in baggage storage areas or at their feet to prevent accidentally bumping into other passengers.

Items must not block any emergency exits or other passengers' access on or off the vehicle or movement inside the vehicle. Luggage must be secured by the owner, whether in a luggage storage area or by holding onto it while travelling.

We are not liable for loss or damage to your luggage or any other property you wish to travel with.

Priority seating

If you are sitting in a priority seating area with your luggage or large item, you must vacate the seat if the space or area is needed for a wheelchair, pram or cycle, as these areas are designated for these purposes. For information about travelling with a mobility aid, see Accessibility Guide(external link).

Metlink does not manage Charter services

Metlink does not provide or manage private or charter services. Our operators manage their own charter bookings directly. Contact details for operators can be found under the About Us section.

Metlink does not offer bookings or reservations for public transport services.

If services are busy or full, some or all of your group may not be able to ride the same service together. We encourage larger groups (10 or more people travelling together) to travel during off-peak periods to minimise the possibility that we may not be able to accommodate your group.

Large school groups (10 or more students) on public services must be supervised by responsible adults. For more information on dedicated school bus services, see Schools Guide.

Metlink does not offer group fares.

Multi tag-ons are not possible for train trips, since the validators on the platforms do not have the capability to select multiple passengers.

If you plan to travel in a large group:

By bus - We recommend contacting Metlink as early as possible before you travel on 0800 801 700 so that we can notify the bus operator of a large group wanting to board.
By rail – We recommend that you notify Metlink rail ticketing staff 10 working days in advance of travel plans. Please call 04 462 1546 during business hours or email: ticketing@transdevnz.co.nz
By ferry - We recommend that you notify East By West ferries in advance of travel plans by phone on 04 499 1282 or email: info@eastbywest.co.nz

For full details about travelling in large groups, see Conditions of Carriage.

Have your card or fare ready

Have your Snapper card out, or your cash ready for the driver or train staff. This speeds up the boarding process so that everyone can get where they're going on time.

On at the front, off at the back.

By exiting through the back doors you won't collide with people boarding the bus.

Slide across to window seats

We ask that passengers sit in seats by windows if possible, and leave aisle seats open for the next person. If you're getting off soon and another passenger wants to sit in your row, you can offer to swap with them so that it's easier for you to exit when you've reached your stop.

Hold on if you're standing up

For your safety, hold onto poles and handles throughout the vehicle, and reduce distractions, such as mobile phones, while the bus is moving.

Up top? Sit down.

Top decks of double deckers are for seated passengers only. Seat count screens in the stairwell will tell you how many seats are available before you head upstairs. Passengers must not be in the stairwell while the bus is moving. Please wait until the bus has pulled completely into a bus stop before coming down the stairs.

Press the button in plenty of time

Drivers need time to signal and slow down as they approach a bus stop. If no one is waiting at the stop, and the "Stop" button hasn't been pressed, drivers will pass the stop.

Getting a seat on the train

Trains can be very busy during peak commuter times. There are some things you can do to make it more likely you can get a seat:

Catch the services starting further down the line – for example, if you live in Tawa catch the services that start in Porirua, rather than those that stop at Paremata and Plimmerton.
Get in a carriage towards the end of the train – the carriages that arrive and depart closest to Wellington Station are the most popular. Try walking up the platform to the carriages further away.
Travel earlier or later during the peak period