Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Helensville Passenger Rail Trial
Have you ridden on the new passenger rail service to Auckland yet?
Are you going to?
For the first time in 28 years, Helensville residents can take the train to work (or play) - but the skeptic in me wonders just how many actually will.
Rail is probably the most relaxing way to travel on land, but spending more than three hours of your day getting to and from work (96 minutes each way, not counting the time to get to and from the station) may be more than most people can handle.
Sure, petrol prices are awful, and bound to get worse (though fuel costs will likely push up rail fares in future, too) - but for many people it's going to be a choice between two evils - wasting money on gas, or wasting the additional time over a car trip (say 45 minutes on a good day, 75 with bad traffic).
Proponents of the new rail service point out that commuters can use the rail travel time to work, and I'm sure some will get out their laptops and make good use of their time. I suspect most, however, will read a book, leaf through the paper, snooze or just stare out the window, mesmerised by that lovely clickety-clack sound trains make. That's what I'd do!
The rail service is a trial at this stage, and it will be up to locals (and those at the other new stops, Huapai and Waukauku) to get behind it if they want it to continue.
I'm not sure starting the trial in the middle of winter was a good idea. People are going to less inclined to use a train if they have to walk to the station in the cold and dark - maybe they should have been eased into it with a summer start?
Perhaps I'm being fussy - after all, I spent several years in London trudging through snow and ice to catch the 'Tube'. Then again, I didn't have a car...
So, will the rail trial be a success? I believe there will be a hard core of people who will use it to the max, but a lot of other people will try it for a while, then slide back into their comfort zone of pedalling their car to work.
Personally, I hope the trial succeeds. Better public transport has got to be good for everyone, and anything that clears some vehicles off the road to make way for my car has got to be good! ;-)
Are you going to?
For the first time in 28 years, Helensville residents can take the train to work (or play) - but the skeptic in me wonders just how many actually will.
Rail is probably the most relaxing way to travel on land, but spending more than three hours of your day getting to and from work (96 minutes each way, not counting the time to get to and from the station) may be more than most people can handle.
Sure, petrol prices are awful, and bound to get worse (though fuel costs will likely push up rail fares in future, too) - but for many people it's going to be a choice between two evils - wasting money on gas, or wasting the additional time over a car trip (say 45 minutes on a good day, 75 with bad traffic).
Proponents of the new rail service point out that commuters can use the rail travel time to work, and I'm sure some will get out their laptops and make good use of their time. I suspect most, however, will read a book, leaf through the paper, snooze or just stare out the window, mesmerised by that lovely clickety-clack sound trains make. That's what I'd do!
The rail service is a trial at this stage, and it will be up to locals (and those at the other new stops, Huapai and Waukauku) to get behind it if they want it to continue.
I'm not sure starting the trial in the middle of winter was a good idea. People are going to less inclined to use a train if they have to walk to the station in the cold and dark - maybe they should have been eased into it with a summer start?
Perhaps I'm being fussy - after all, I spent several years in London trudging through snow and ice to catch the 'Tube'. Then again, I didn't have a car...
So, will the rail trial be a success? I believe there will be a hard core of people who will use it to the max, but a lot of other people will try it for a while, then slide back into their comfort zone of pedalling their car to work.
Personally, I hope the trial succeeds. Better public transport has got to be good for everyone, and anything that clears some vehicles off the road to make way for my car has got to be good! ;-)
# posted by Dave @ 4:35 PM 
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hopefully they may add a trip during the day.i'd ride just for the relaxation of it.do the new trains go clickity clack i wonder?.
# posted by 
: 5:38 PM
: 5:38 PM
I would love to use the train. Unfortunately though I work a 9 hour day (including a 1 hour lunch break), but the timings of the train just don't work.
Plus, the cost isn't that much of a saving. My car costs $10 a day to run, and parking is about $6 a day in the central CBD. The train would cost me $18 a day (without the discount of a monthly pass or 10 trip pass). Plus, the car takes me less than an hour each day vs 1.5hrs on the train... what would you choose?
Plus, the cost isn't that much of a saving. My car costs $10 a day to run, and parking is about $6 a day in the central CBD. The train would cost me $18 a day (without the discount of a monthly pass or 10 trip pass). Plus, the car takes me less than an hour each day vs 1.5hrs on the train... what would you choose?
# posted by : 2:08 PM
: 2:08 PM
Im a shift worker and would use the train if I could get to Mount Albert by 11.15pm and leave again for Helensville between 7.30 and 8am.Ive petitioned for 20 plus years for rail service,but it needs to be user friendly ie frequent enough to enable workers to get where they need to on time before people can be expected to opt out of their cars.
# posted by : 1:57 AM
: 1:57 AM
Support you Train Service!!!
Yes, the trip is a long one and at the moment there aren't enough trains running to meet everyones requirements or timeframes but we must continue to USE or LOOSE the service.
Let's hope some customer evaluation surveys capture this feedback. They could introduce a dining cart for those who might want to have a relaxing meal and glass of wine on the long trip home at night or brekkie and good coffee on the way in to work as most often don't have time to eat at home.
Friday night entertainment would be popular for those wishing to unwind a little before they start their weekend. However commuters would obviously need to be responsible and organise to be picked up at the station if they wished to indulge.
A circuit "train bus" which did a round trip of Helensville in the morning and arrived at the station in time for the train and in the evening was waiting as the commuters hopped off the train would also increase the popularity of the service.
Simple ideas to ensure our long awaited and fought for train service remains. By the way if you worked in Henderson the train ride is only 45 mins!
Yes, the trip is a long one and at the moment there aren't enough trains running to meet everyones requirements or timeframes but we must continue to USE or LOOSE the service.
Let's hope some customer evaluation surveys capture this feedback. They could introduce a dining cart for those who might want to have a relaxing meal and glass of wine on the long trip home at night or brekkie and good coffee on the way in to work as most often don't have time to eat at home.
Friday night entertainment would be popular for those wishing to unwind a little before they start their weekend. However commuters would obviously need to be responsible and organise to be picked up at the station if they wished to indulge.
A circuit "train bus" which did a round trip of Helensville in the morning and arrived at the station in time for the train and in the evening was waiting as the commuters hopped off the train would also increase the popularity of the service.
Simple ideas to ensure our long awaited and fought for train service remains. By the way if you worked in Henderson the train ride is only 45 mins!
# posted by : 9:17 AM
: 9:17 AM
Well, the rail service is just about history at the time of writing. I traveled from Wellington to take a nostalgic last ride. Spent two nights at the charming Malolo and enjoyed sitting on the porch in the pleasantly warm evening air killing the odd mozzie and sandfly that thought it clever to try and grab a share of my blood. This will be the second time in my life time that Helensville has lost its train and I probably wont see it again. However the station is in good order and the cafe there serves up an excellent repast. Ian
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# posted by : 1:24 PM
: 1:24 PM << Home
