NZ Transit Buzz
@nztransitbuzz.bsky.social
Your transit news hub.
Authored by theGradyConnell.bsky.social & Josh Rogerson.
Email: [email protected]
nztransitbuzz.substack.com
Authored by theGradyConnell.bsky.social & Josh Rogerson.
Email: [email protected]
nztransitbuzz.substack.com
#StationNews: The Waitematā Station Plaza and eastern glasshouse entrance will open for the public from January 29, completing the City Rail Link’s first station neighbourhood in the city centre.
January 28, 2026 at 5:02 AM
#StationNews: The Waitematā Station Plaza and eastern glasshouse entrance will open for the public from January 29, completing the City Rail Link’s first station neighbourhood in the city centre.
#FerryNews: Captain Rob, who operates the Tairua Ferry, has decided to retire and the ferry service will end immediately unless a new operator takes over.
The ferry is currently listed on Trademe: www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boa...
The ferry is currently listed on Trademe: www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boa...
www.trademe.co.nz
January 28, 2026 at 3:15 AM
#FerryNews: Captain Rob, who operates the Tairua Ferry, has decided to retire and the ferry service will end immediately unless a new operator takes over.
The ferry is currently listed on Trademe: www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boa...
The ferry is currently listed on Trademe: www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boa...
#TrainNews: Darren Davis was lucky enough to be on the inaugural Mainlander train from Christchurch to Invercargill. So what was it like?
Via Adventures in Transitland via @darrendavis.bsky.social: adventuresintransitland.substack.com/p/the-mainla...
Via Adventures in Transitland via @darrendavis.bsky.social: adventuresintransitland.substack.com/p/the-mainla...
The Mainlander kicks off
I was lucky enough to be on the inaugural Mainlander train from Christchurch to Invercargill. So what was it like? Read on for more...
adventuresintransitland.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:33 AM
#TrainNews: Darren Davis was lucky enough to be on the inaugural Mainlander train from Christchurch to Invercargill. So what was it like?
Via Adventures in Transitland via @darrendavis.bsky.social: adventuresintransitland.substack.com/p/the-mainla...
Via Adventures in Transitland via @darrendavis.bsky.social: adventuresintransitland.substack.com/p/the-mainla...
#StationNews: Station works at Glen Innes continue with the footbridge column on the platform side nearing completion.
The footbridge replaces existing pedestrian level crossings located at the North of P1 and the South of P2.
This is a part of the wider LXRP.
Photo: Fin Moran.
The footbridge replaces existing pedestrian level crossings located at the North of P1 and the South of P2.
This is a part of the wider LXRP.
Photo: Fin Moran.
January 28, 2026 at 2:02 AM
#StationNews: Station works at Glen Innes continue with the footbridge column on the platform side nearing completion.
The footbridge replaces existing pedestrian level crossings located at the North of P1 and the South of P2.
This is a part of the wider LXRP.
Photo: Fin Moran.
The footbridge replaces existing pedestrian level crossings located at the North of P1 and the South of P2.
This is a part of the wider LXRP.
Photo: Fin Moran.
#BusNews: Entrada Travel Group and Tranzit have announced their open‑top, double‑decker electric sightseeing bus will be in full-time service from January 28.
The bus has 508kW of CATL batteries that provide more than 330km of range.
PICS - Nathaniel Engels.
The bus has 508kW of CATL batteries that provide more than 330km of range.
PICS - Nathaniel Engels.
January 28, 2026 at 2:01 AM
#BusNews: Entrada Travel Group and Tranzit have announced their open‑top, double‑decker electric sightseeing bus will be in full-time service from January 28.
The bus has 508kW of CATL batteries that provide more than 330km of range.
PICS - Nathaniel Engels.
The bus has 508kW of CATL batteries that provide more than 330km of range.
PICS - Nathaniel Engels.
#TrainNews: For more than 30 years, William “Bill” Town has been a familiar face on the steam train that roars into Napier for the annual Art Deco Festival.
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Art Deco steam stalwart, 84, prepares for his final festival journey
Art Deco Festival steam train volunteer Bill Town is calling it a day after over 30 years.
www.nzherald.co.nz
January 28, 2026 at 12:45 AM
#TrainNews: For more than 30 years, William “Bill” Town has been a familiar face on the steam train that roars into Napier for the annual Art Deco Festival.
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
#BusNews: Explainer - A series of unprovoked attacks on Auckland public transport - including a fatal stabbing last month - have raised concerns about the safety of riders and drivers in Aotearoa's biggest city.
Via RNZ: www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Via RNZ: www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Bus attacks: How to stay safe on Auckland Transport
Explainer - A series of attacks - including a fatal stabbing - have raised concerns about the safety of riders.
www.rnz.co.nz
January 27, 2026 at 10:19 PM
#BusNews: Explainer - A series of unprovoked attacks on Auckland public transport - including a fatal stabbing last month - have raised concerns about the safety of riders and drivers in Aotearoa's biggest city.
Via RNZ: www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Via RNZ: www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
#BusNews: Around 40 new buses have arrived at the Port of Auckland for Ritchies South and West Auckland contracts.
One of the buses which has arrived is a smaller single door model which will replace older buses on some loop routes.
One of the buses which has arrived is a smaller single door model which will replace older buses on some loop routes.
January 27, 2026 at 9:45 PM
#BusNews: Around 40 new buses have arrived at the Port of Auckland for Ritchies South and West Auckland contracts.
One of the buses which has arrived is a smaller single door model which will replace older buses on some loop routes.
One of the buses which has arrived is a smaller single door model which will replace older buses on some loop routes.
#RailNews: Auckland Transport has shared a drone flyover and facts from the pedestrian-level crossing removal project at Glen Innes Station.
FACTS:
*Excavated 900m³ of material
*Poured 75m³ of concrete for pile caps & 132m³ for piles
WATCH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AIS...
FACTS:
*Excavated 900m³ of material
*Poured 75m³ of concrete for pile caps & 132m³ for piles
WATCH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AIS...
Glen Innes Station drone footage
YouTube video by Auckland Transport
www.youtube.com
January 27, 2026 at 9:35 PM
#RailNews: Auckland Transport has shared a drone flyover and facts from the pedestrian-level crossing removal project at Glen Innes Station.
FACTS:
*Excavated 900m³ of material
*Poured 75m³ of concrete for pile caps & 132m³ for piles
WATCH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AIS...
FACTS:
*Excavated 900m³ of material
*Poured 75m³ of concrete for pile caps & 132m³ for piles
WATCH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AIS...
#TrainNews: Following a sold-out tour to Invercargill, The Mainlander has announced that further trips have now been added to the schedule.
Trips include:
*North Canterbury Wine and Food Festival
*Easter Weekend Tour
*Rock and Hop Timaru
MORE: www.mainlander.co.nz/schedule
Trips include:
*North Canterbury Wine and Food Festival
*Easter Weekend Tour
*Rock and Hop Timaru
MORE: www.mainlander.co.nz/schedule
January 27, 2026 at 7:44 PM
#TrainNews: Following a sold-out tour to Invercargill, The Mainlander has announced that further trips have now been added to the schedule.
Trips include:
*North Canterbury Wine and Food Festival
*Easter Weekend Tour
*Rock and Hop Timaru
MORE: www.mainlander.co.nz/schedule
Trips include:
*North Canterbury Wine and Food Festival
*Easter Weekend Tour
*Rock and Hop Timaru
MORE: www.mainlander.co.nz/schedule
#RailNews: Auckland Transport confirmed they had 'small delays in getting 84 trains out of the depot and running across the network at once' during yesterdays CRL timetable testing.
AT did confirm there was nothing that had given them any major cause for concern at the moment.
AT did confirm there was nothing that had given them any major cause for concern at the moment.
January 27, 2026 at 7:15 PM
#RailNews: Auckland Transport confirmed they had 'small delays in getting 84 trains out of the depot and running across the network at once' during yesterdays CRL timetable testing.
AT did confirm there was nothing that had given them any major cause for concern at the moment.
AT did confirm there was nothing that had given them any major cause for concern at the moment.
#BusNews: Some Manawatū parents are trying to launch their own bus service to ensure their children can get to high school from rural areas where routes into Palmerston North have been cancelled.
Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Rural parents taking bus matters into own hands
Parents in Tangimoana and Rongotea are hopeful of getting a high school bus service into Palmerston North up and running, but the cost could be prohibitive.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 26, 2026 at 10:32 PM
#BusNews: Some Manawatū parents are trying to launch their own bus service to ensure their children can get to high school from rural areas where routes into Palmerston North have been cancelled.
Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
#BusNews: Public buses are now servicing Hawke’s Bay Airport six days a week, offering travellers another option to get to and from the airport.
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Public buses introduced at Hawke’s Bay Airport - cost, luggage space, all you need to know
The first public bus service to the airport in decades is now underway.
www.nzherald.co.nz
January 26, 2026 at 9:34 PM
#BusNews: Public buses are now servicing Hawke’s Bay Airport six days a week, offering travellers another option to get to and from the airport.
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
#BusNews: The Nelson City Council is warning pedestrians not to walk across the Millers Acre bus interchange because the busy area is a serious safety risk.
Via The Press: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Via The Press: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Millers Acre safety warning: stop walking through the bus interchange
Pedestrians have been using the new Nelson bus hub forecourt as a short-cut and motorists have been parking in the bus bays.
www.thepress.co.nz
January 26, 2026 at 9:01 PM
#BusNews: The Nelson City Council is warning pedestrians not to walk across the Millers Acre bus interchange because the busy area is a serious safety risk.
Via The Press: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Via The Press: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
#BusNews: Bus route changes in Hawke’s Bay have frustrated some parents, who say their children now face longer walks or multiple buses to get to school.
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Parents frustrated as new bus routes cut direct services to some Hawke's Bay schools
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is open to reviewing the new timetable after launch.
www.nzherald.co.nz
January 26, 2026 at 7:37 PM
#BusNews: Bus route changes in Hawke’s Bay have frustrated some parents, who say their children now face longer walks or multiple buses to get to school.
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
Via NZ Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-t...
#TrainNews: Community advocates are ramping up pressure on the Government to commit to a permanent passenger rail network connecting Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, ahead of a key funding decision on the future of Te Huia.
Via Waatea News: waateanews.com/2026/01/26/r...
Via Waatea News: waateanews.com/2026/01/26/r...
#regional Train service must continue
waateanews.com
January 26, 2026 at 7:05 PM
#TrainNews: Community advocates are ramping up pressure on the Government to commit to a permanent passenger rail network connecting Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, ahead of a key funding decision on the future of Te Huia.
Via Waatea News: waateanews.com/2026/01/26/r...
Via Waatea News: waateanews.com/2026/01/26/r...
#RailNews: Auckland Transport, City Rail Link and KiwiRail are undertaking the first full network test of the new CRL timetables and operating patterns.
Trains will not run in passenger service on the 27th and 28th of January to allow the tests to take place.
Trains will not run in passenger service on the 27th and 28th of January to allow the tests to take place.
January 26, 2026 at 5:14 PM
#RailNews: Auckland Transport, City Rail Link and KiwiRail are undertaking the first full network test of the new CRL timetables and operating patterns.
Trains will not run in passenger service on the 27th and 28th of January to allow the tests to take place.
Trains will not run in passenger service on the 27th and 28th of January to allow the tests to take place.
#BusNews: A handful of formerly Māngere based GoBus units have been transferred to the Kinetic Swanson depot to displace the 2100’s (Bubble Buses).
NZTB understands many of the 2100’s are likely to be transferred into GoBus use in other parts of the country.
NZTB understands many of the 2100’s are likely to be transferred into GoBus use in other parts of the country.
January 25, 2026 at 9:03 PM
#BusNews: A handful of formerly Māngere based GoBus units have been transferred to the Kinetic Swanson depot to displace the 2100’s (Bubble Buses).
NZTB understands many of the 2100’s are likely to be transferred into GoBus use in other parts of the country.
NZTB understands many of the 2100’s are likely to be transferred into GoBus use in other parts of the country.
#CRLNews: Once the City Rail Link opens, the number of people able to reach Auckland’s central business district by public transport within 30 minutes will double, according to the latest council projections.
Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Rail will rewire city with ‘big jump in connectivity’
The number of people able to reach the CBD by public transport within 30 minutes will double once the City Rail Link opens, according to the latest council projections.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 25, 2026 at 8:23 PM
#CRLNews: Once the City Rail Link opens, the number of people able to reach Auckland’s central business district by public transport within 30 minutes will double, according to the latest council projections.
Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
#StationNews: KiwiRail have shared updates on the progress of Drury and Paerātā stations.
Work related to the station footbridges and station access bridges are nearing completion with the asphalting of the carparks and access roads all but complete.
Work related to the station footbridges and station access bridges are nearing completion with the asphalting of the carparks and access roads all but complete.
January 24, 2026 at 10:46 PM
#StationNews: KiwiRail have shared updates on the progress of Drury and Paerātā stations.
Work related to the station footbridges and station access bridges are nearing completion with the asphalting of the carparks and access roads all but complete.
Work related to the station footbridges and station access bridges are nearing completion with the asphalting of the carparks and access roads all but complete.
#BusNews: Two ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held in Hawke’s Bay on Sunday, 25 January to launch the new Better Bus Routes.
One was at the Dalton Street Bus Interchange in Napier, and the other was on Middle Road in Havelock North.
One was at the Dalton Street Bus Interchange in Napier, and the other was on Middle Road in Havelock North.
January 24, 2026 at 10:15 PM
#BusNews: Two ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held in Hawke’s Bay on Sunday, 25 January to launch the new Better Bus Routes.
One was at the Dalton Street Bus Interchange in Napier, and the other was on Middle Road in Havelock North.
One was at the Dalton Street Bus Interchange in Napier, and the other was on Middle Road in Havelock North.
#RailNews: The country’s most-struck rail bridge has claimed yet another victim, this time slicing the roof off a campervan driving beneath the low-clearance viaduct in Canterbury.
Via 1 News: www.1news.co.nz/2026/01/23/c...
Via 1 News: www.1news.co.nz/2026/01/23/c...
Campervan roof torn off at NZ's most hit rail bridge
The Tinwald Viaduct in Canterbury re-opened just a month ago after repairs from a previous collision.
www.1news.co.nz
January 23, 2026 at 3:48 AM
#RailNews: The country’s most-struck rail bridge has claimed yet another victim, this time slicing the roof off a campervan driving beneath the low-clearance viaduct in Canterbury.
Via 1 News: www.1news.co.nz/2026/01/23/c...
Via 1 News: www.1news.co.nz/2026/01/23/c...
#BusNews: Brougham Buses shared photos from their first day operating their new school contract, which has returned to them after 19 years.
Brougham Buses are providing 8x daily return runs for Strathallan College.
Brougham Buses are providing 8x daily return runs for Strathallan College.
January 23, 2026 at 3:15 AM
#BusNews: Brougham Buses shared photos from their first day operating their new school contract, which has returned to them after 19 years.
Brougham Buses are providing 8x daily return runs for Strathallan College.
Brougham Buses are providing 8x daily return runs for Strathallan College.
#BusNews: The new open-top electric double-decker bus for use on the Auckland Explorer has entered service today.
The bus has the fleet number 1194 and is a CRRC eD12Max.
PICS - Nathaniel Ethan Engels | Kiwi Bus Enthusiasts.
The bus has the fleet number 1194 and is a CRRC eD12Max.
PICS - Nathaniel Ethan Engels | Kiwi Bus Enthusiasts.
January 23, 2026 at 2:57 AM
#BusNews: The new open-top electric double-decker bus for use on the Auckland Explorer has entered service today.
The bus has the fleet number 1194 and is a CRRC eD12Max.
PICS - Nathaniel Ethan Engels | Kiwi Bus Enthusiasts.
The bus has the fleet number 1194 and is a CRRC eD12Max.
PICS - Nathaniel Ethan Engels | Kiwi Bus Enthusiasts.
#RailNews: Christchurch’s downtown is set for a splash of international attention this weekend and beyond, as a professional film crew arrives to shoot the BBC travel and history show Great New Zealand Railway Journeys.
Via The Press: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Via The Press: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Christchurch choo-choo: BBC film crew hits town for scenic South Island rail shoot
Christchurch’s downtown is set to get a splash of international attention this weekend, as a professional film crew arrives to shoot the BBC travel and history show Great New Zealand Railway Journeys.
www.thepress.co.nz
January 23, 2026 at 2:50 AM
#RailNews: Christchurch’s downtown is set for a splash of international attention this weekend and beyond, as a professional film crew arrives to shoot the BBC travel and history show Great New Zealand Railway Journeys.
Via The Press: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Via The Press: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...