NZ Transit Buzz
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nztransitbuzz.bsky.social
NZ Transit Buzz
@nztransitbuzz.bsky.social
Your transit news hub.

Authored by theGradyConnell.bsky.social & Josh Rogerson.

Email: [email protected]

nztransitbuzz.substack.com
#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...
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: 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...
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: 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...
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: 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...
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
#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...
#regional Train service must continue
waateanews.com
January 26, 2026 at 7:05 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.
January 26, 2026 at 5:14 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.
January 25, 2026 at 9:03 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...
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
#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.
January 24, 2026 at 10:46 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.
January 24, 2026 at 10:15 PM
#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...
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
#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.
January 23, 2026 at 3:15 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.
January 23, 2026 at 2:57 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...
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
#BusNews: New Plymouth’s new bus routes have been released to mixed reviews.

Some bus users said there was not enough difference between the old and new routes to make the whole exercise worthwhile.

Via The Post: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Mixed reactions greet New Plymouth’s new bus routes
New Plymouth’s new bus routes have been released to mixed reviews.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 23, 2026 at 2:20 AM
#StationNews: Dunedin City Council are undertaking work to revamp the public toilets at the Railway Station overbridge.

The revamped toilet is specially designed to be fully accessible for those with complex care needs.

MORE: www.dunedin.govt.nz/news-and-eve...
www.dunedin.govt.nz
January 23, 2026 at 2:07 AM
#BusNews: The Big Gay Out will be running their Big Gay Buses for the 2026 event.

Buses will depart from Karangahape Rd Stop #7134 and Britomart Stop #7016.

MORE: biggayout.co.nz/big-gay-buses
January 22, 2026 at 11:17 PM
#TrainNews: In preparation for the upcoming CRL full network timetable testing, Auckland Transport have set the station and platform screens across the network to the CRL timetables and line names.

Pics @maxie_poo3 & @Zeleksaira on X.
January 22, 2026 at 10:24 PM
#RailNews: KiwiRail has shared a Wellington summer works wrap-up video, which showcases the works they have undertaken in the region.

WATCH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjao...
Wellington summer works wrap up
YouTube video by KiwiRail
www.youtube.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:31 PM
#TransportNews: Inside this edition: Christchurch’s newest bus levels up, more Dunedin buses to get electrified and AT to undertake network-wide CRL timetable testing.

Read the Weekly Review: nztransitbuzz.substack.com/p/weekly-rev...
January 22, 2026 at 7:05 PM
#BusNews: Leopard Coachlines has taken delivery of a Yutong C10 from Terramotive.

The C10 is 10 meter long midsize coach with a single front door.
January 22, 2026 at 3:33 AM
#RailNews: There was plenty of excitement at the station on Thursday as a long-distance passenger train arrived in Invercargill, bringing with it travellers, rail enthusiasts, and a good dose of nostalgia.

Via Whatsoninvers: whatsoninvers.nz/all-aboard-i...
All aboard: Invercargill Welcomes Long-distance Passenger Train
There was plenty of excitement at the station today as a long-distance passenger train arrived in Invercargill, bringing with it travellers, rail enthusiasts, and a good dose of nostalgia. The servic...
whatsoninvers.nz
January 22, 2026 at 1:55 AM
#BusNews: Leisure Tours has unveiled a new logo and showcased the logo, which has been installed onto one of their buses.

The previous logo had an oval shape and a serif font; the new logo features a koru and a sans-serif font.
January 22, 2026 at 1:19 AM
#RailNews: The Lumsden Heritage Trust are progressing work on establishing a track set and undertaking site preparations for their next project, which is set to arrive in March.
January 21, 2026 at 11:42 PM
#BusNews: Auckland Transport has compressed months of construction into a two-week closure at Ti Rākau Drive, accelerating progress on the Eastern Busway project while minimising long-term disruption

Via ABC Magazine: www.busnews.com.au/eastern-busw...
Auckland busway on track after intensive intersection upgrade
Auckland Transport fast-tracked the Eastern Busway project by completing a complex Ti Rākau Drive intersection upgrade in just two weeks
www.busnews.com.au
January 21, 2026 at 10:25 PM