After a year-long “omnibus-shambles” Wellingtonians appear to be taking to buses like ducks to water ‒ but it’s a whole different story when it comes to train travel with the transport minister concerned about plummeting passenger numbers.
Greater Wellington Regional Council’s (GWRC) latest emerging trends in transport report shows that while the capital’s bustastrophe might be over — with patronage up on pre-Covid levels — in March rail patronage dropped to 70% of 2019 numbers.
Longer distance train trips, particularly on the Kāpiti and Wairarapa lines, are seeing the biggest decline, a consequence being linked to faster road travel times courtesy of Transmission Gully, as well as maintenance issues, and more people working from home.
Train trips taken on the Wellington commuter network fell from 7.27 million in 2018-19 – the last full year before the Covid pandemic – to 5.34 million during the past financial year.
