Wairarapa Line updates

Tuesday 15 July

Due to an emergency services incident at Waterloo, the Hutt Valley Line was closed and the 4:25pm and 5:30pm Wellington to Masterton services were replaced by buses.

Wednesday 16 July

Following the emergency services incident on Tuesday afternoon, issues with train repositioning impacted several services throughout Wednesday, causing significant delays. The 5:46am and 6:47am Masterton to Wellington services were replaced by buses.

Thursday 17 July

The 8:21am Wellington to Masterton service ran 17 minutes late due to running at a reduced speed through planned and active worksites. These reduced speeds are necessary for the safe running of services.

Friday 18 July

The 10:30am Masterton to Wellington service ran 40 minutes late due to a track obstruction near Maymorn. The 12:45pm Wellington to Masterton service departed 15 minutes late due to the delayed arrival of the train in Wellington.

Sunday 20 July

The 9:55am Wellington to Masterton service departed 12 minutes late due to an operational issue involving both KiwiRail and Transdev processes. These processes are being updated to be more efficient, preventing further delays to train services.

Monday 21 July

The 8:21am Wellington to Masterton, 10:30am Masterton to Wellington, and 12:45pm Wellington to Masterton services were delayed between 10 and 20 minutes due to running at a reduced speed through planned and active worksites. These reduced speeds are necessary for the safe running of services.

Coming up

Weekday 3:38pm departures from Masterton and 6:18pm departures from Wellington, as well as the 8:14pm departure from Masterton and 10:25pm departure from Wellington on Fridays, will continue to be replaced by buses until further notice, as Transdev prioritises staff availability for commuter train services.

On Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July, all services are replaced by buses between Wellington and Masterton due to planned maintenance.

From 4 August until late November, the 10:30am Masterton to Wellington service and the 12:45pm Wellington to Masterton service will be replaced by buses between Wellington and Upper Hutt on some weekdays. This is to enable KiwiRail to begin critical works to upgrade outdated infrastructure on the Hutt Valley Line. For more information, please visit metlink.org.nz/hvlinterpeak(external link)

Thursday 10 July

Signalling issues across the Hutt Valley Line caused delays to some Wairarapa Line services throughout the day.   

Sunday 13 July

The 9:55am Wellington to Masterton service was held at Upper Hutt for approximately 23 minutes due to a Police-involved incident.

Coming up

Weekday 3:38pm departures from Masterton and 6:18pm departures from Wellington will continue to be replaced by buses until further notice, as Transdev prioritises staff availability for commuter train services. 

Wednesday 2 July 

Icy overhead conditions on the Hutt Valley Line caused delays of around 25 minutes to some WRL services in the morning. Although WRL services don’t use the overhead wires, they were still impacted due to waiting behind delayed HVL services.

Friday 4 July

A locomotive wiring fault caused an almost two-hour delay to the 5.30pm Wellington to Wairarapa service. The problem has since been identified and fixed.

Saturday 5 July

The 9:55am Wellington to Masterton service ran delayed due to a Police incident closing the line for approximately 20 minutes.

Monday 7 July

The 5:30pm Wellington to Masterton service was delayed in departing by 15 minutes due to an operational issue.

Coming up

Weekday 3:38pm departures from Masterton and 6:18pm departures from Wellington will continue to be replaced by buses until further notice, as Transdev prioritises staff availability for commuter train services.

On Saturday 12 July, extra services are running on the Wairarapa Line for the Black Ferns/All Blacks Double Header.

• Extra Masterton to Wellington service departs Masterton at 2:20pm
• Extra Wellington to Masterton service departs Wellington at 10:00pm

Monday 23rd June

Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th June

A loco coupling issue caused delays of around 10 minutes to the 5:30pm Wellington to Masterton service on Tuesday and Wednesday. This was resolved quickly on both occasions.

Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June

A signalling fault at Upper Hutt caused a significant delay to the 6.55pm Wellington to Masterton service on Saturday night, and the 9.55am Wellington to Masterton service on Sunday morning. The fault has now been resolved by KiwiRail.

Monday 23rd June

The 12:45pm Wellington to Masterton service was significantly delayed from Maymorn due to an incident onboard the service.

Tuesday 24th June

The 5:46am Masterton to Wellington service was delayed due to a mechanical issue with a carriage. The carriage was taken out of service to be repaired and the service ran with reduced capacity.

Coming up

Weekday 3:38pm departures from Masterton and 6:18pm departures from Wellington will continue to be replaced by buses until further notice, as Transdev prioritises staff availability for commuter train services.

Wednesday 11th June:

The 12:45pm Wellington to Masterton service was replaced by bus due to a mechanical fault with the locomotive. The bus departed Wellington at approximately 1:11pm, and the train ran express (empty) to Masterton after the affected locomotive was taken out of service and replaced.

Thursday 12th June:

The 5:30pm Wellington to Masterton service departed Wellington 15 minutes late due to a smoke alarm fault which has now been resolved.

Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June:

The 6:55pm Wellington to Masterton service departed 15 minutes late on Saturday evening due to an issue onboard a Hutt Valley Line service which caused delays to services following behind it.

On Sunday evening, the 6:55pm Wellington to Masterton service departed 20 minutes late due to an issue with the turntable which turns the locomotive around in the yard so it can be brought to the platform.

Monday 16th June:

The 4:25pm Wellington to Masterton service departed 21 minutes late after a KiwiRail Locomotive Engineer was delayed in bringing the locomotive to the platform.

Coming up:

Weekday 3:38pm departures from Masterton and 6:18pm departures from Wellington will continue to be replaced by buses until further notice, as Transdev prioritises staff availability for commuter train services.

Buses will replace trains between Wellington and Upper Hutt from 20 – 22 June for Matariki long weekend due to KiwiRail planned maintenance. Trains will continue to run between Upper Hutt and Masterton.

• Congestion on the Hutt Valley Line caused minor delays on two Wairarapa Line services on Monday 12 May. 
• An intermittent signals fault at Wellington Station caused delays in and out of the station for approximately one hour on Wednesday evening, 14 May.
• Speed restrictions are currently in effect for 3.8km of track due to rail renewal works, amounting to approximately 8 minutes delay.
• Buses will replace trains between Wellington and Upper Hutt this weekend, 17-18 May, for regular rail maintenance. 

Coming up 

• Weekday 3:38pm departures from Masterton and 6:18pm departures from Wellington will continue to be replaced by buses until further notice, as Transdev prioritise staff availability for commuter train services.  

King’s Birthday weekend rail closures 

• Buses will replace trains across all lines from 31 May to 3 June. Works include Future Rail(external link) upgrades, regular maintenance, as well as building on projects completed over the Easter and Anzac Day period.  
• KiwiRail will carry out safety upgrade work at the Revans Street level crossing, Featherston. The road will be closed at the level crossing to traffic and pedestrians each day during the long weekend between 7.30am and 5pm.

Rail service performance 

• A series of locomotive breakdowns caused delays to rail services. Two locomotives were repaired and returned to service. KiwiRail, the agency responsible for the locomotives, is investigating the cause of the faults. 

Bus replacements 

• Weekday 3:38pm departures from Masterton and 6:18pm departures from Wellington were bus replaced due to Transdev staffing levels. 

What specific actions are being taken or planned to improve the reliability, speed, and reduce disruptions on the Wairarapa Line?

Our number one priority is to stabilise staffing levels so our Wairarapa Line services can return to normal. Training of new recruits is currently underway, with Transdev expected to have a full team of Train Managers onboard by September 2025.

Supporting KiwiRail to complete the upgrade work they have already made great progress on. With the completion of the Remutaka Tunnel, three new bridges, and 40 kilometres of new track, travel times have reduced by 10 minutes and are expected to reduce by another five minutes once the upgrade work is complete, and new hybrid trains are in service.

KiwiRail has also started a $135m signalling programme for the Wairarapa Line. This work includes a new signalling system and passing loops that will enable more frequent services. This work is due to be completed early 2027.

This is all part of a 350 million investment into improving the Wairarapa line ready for the arrival of more frequent, faster moving trains from 2028/29.

For more information, visit the KiwiRail website.(external link)

Why have there been so many disruptions on the Wairarapa Line?

Service journey times can be affected by a number of things, including weather impacts, train operations, and infrastructure condition.

Staff rostering when there are high numbers of people on leave is a challenge we’re working hard to address.

Last month saw a day or two of perfect storm events – rostering problems, rust build up on newly installed line which meant trains needed to travel slowly over it until it cleared, and a technical problem with a new train control system.

We are midway through a major upgrade for the Wairarapa line – there is work happening at level crossings to make them safer, and new systems being introduced to make the service reliable and sustainable for the long run, which in the short term can mean disruption as things bed in.

What is causing the staffing shortage?

The Wairarapa Line requires Train Managers with specialised training, including industry standard licenses for safety procedures for the Remutaka Tunnel and shunting operations in Masterton Yard. While Transdev have 12 Train Managers on the books, only six are currently available for rostering. A full weekday timetable requires at least seven.

What is Transdev doing to fix the issue?

In the meantime, Transdev are working to optimise rostering and manage available resources as efficiently as possible. Weekday services will be prioritised over weekends, and commuter services over daytime services.

Why can’t other Train Managers cover Wairarapa services?

Wairarapa Train Managers require specific licences for skills that Train Managers on the Wellington Network (with its electric trains) do not need to have. This includes safety protocols for the Remutaka Tunnel and the ability to operate points and shunt trains and carriages in the Masterton Yard. The pay rates for the Wairarapa Line are higher than their Wellington colleagues to reflect the additional responsibilities for the tunnel and the yard.

The necessary skills and licences take time to train and there are assessments for competency before a Train Manager can work on the Wairarapa Line.

Although this is not a short-term fix, Transdev are looking at whether we can train Wellington Train Managers and other rail workers in their Wairarapa licences.

Why are buses replacing train services?

Buses replacing trains are a reality of any transport network, either during scheduled maintenance or to keep services running when unexpected incidents occur. However, as our aging network is renewed and our overall network resilience improves, it would be reasonable to expect fewer bus replacements in the future.

We understand that buses take longer and do not provide the same level of service as trains, and Metlink is developing a plan to improve rail replacement services across the network, with actions based on passenger feedback and lessons learned from previous rail closures.

When will service reliability improve?

Transdev staffing

Transdev are working hard to stabilise staffing levels and expect improvements as new recruits complete their training mid-2025. Based on the training requirements, Transdev expect to have a full team of Train Managers by September 2025.

While weekday commuter services will be prioritised with trains, buses will continue to replace trains as required. We are monitoring the situation daily and making adjustments where possible to minimise the impact on passengers.

Passengers can expect trains to be running as normal unless otherwise specified by Metlink service alerts, on real-time information boards, or announced on platform.

New trains coming 2028/29

The current aged locomotive-hauled train fleet operating on the Wairarapa and Manawatū lines is reaching the end of its service life and is in critical need of replacement.

The Government has committed to invest hundreds of millions in the new Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility (LNIRIM) trains, with procurement of the trains well underway, with expectation that a contract will be signed mid-2025, and delivery of the new trains 2028/29.

With the new trains, and improvements to the rail network, passengers will experience:

• faster and more reliable services, with journey times shortened by up to 15 minutes.
• increase in service frequency, with a doubling of peak services on the line and additional off-peak and weekend services.

Are Transdev’s employment practices being reviewed?

Yes, Transdev are looking at:

The physical requirements of the Wairarapa Train Manger role. Past recruitment has not sufficiently considered the physical elements of the role (shunting, moving the points and potential evacuation procedures). We have introduced physical and physiological tests for new recruits.

We are looking at how we better manage the health and wellbeing of our staff. We have recently started using the services of a physiotherapist to work with people with injuries (whether from work or home) so they can safely return to work sooner. It is always a balance given how long it takes to train a Wairarapa Train Manager and the required reasonable timeframe an employer needs to allow an employee to retain fitness for work.

What is the long-term plan for rail?

Metlink is working hard to build a better rail network for the Wellington Region. To see what this involves, take a look at the Future Rail » Metlink.(external link)

Contractual agreements

Metlink and Transdev Wellington’s Rail Partnering Contract is designed to deliver a sustainable transport model with an expectation of quality service for passengers, and a commitment to run scheduled services by train or bus replacement, as required. The contract is in place until 2031 and is not currently under review. To view the Transdev contract, visit Greater Wellington — Public transport contracts.(external link)