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Aucklanders urged to plan ahead with train services disrupted and Harbour Bridge closures possible Aucklanders urged to plan ahead with train services disrupted and Harbour Bridge closures possible

Date: 2 July 2023

Auckland Transport is advising Aucklanders to plan ahead before they travel on Monday with significant disruptions affecting Southern and Eastern Line train services.

Due to an issue with KiwiRail’s electrical infrastructure between Puhinui and Ōtāhuhu, all Eastern Line services tomorrow have been cancelled, and  Southern Line services will operate at a reduced frequency of trains every 20 minutes.

To help minimise disruption for passengers from these cancellations and reduced services, Auckland Transport has arranged for rail replacement buses to run every 10 minutes between Manukau and Ōtāhuhu.

Scheduled bus services across Auckland will also accept train tickets as well as AT HOP cards, including the AirportLink which travels every 10 minutes from Manukau to Puhinui.

KiwiRail plans to fix its infrastructure issue on Monday night and we are hoping to be able to run full timetables on the Eastern and Southern Lines from Tuesday.

Aucklanders urged to consider if they need to travel over the Harbour Bridge

The Auckland Harbour Bridge may also be closed at times on Monday by Waka Kotahi, with heavy winds forecast to reach the ‘red alert’ levels which trigger a closure of the bridge.

Waka Kotahi is advising that a full closure of the bridge is possible between 1200 and 2100 tomorrow if winds reach ‘red alert levels’, with partial closures and speed restrictions possible earlier in the day.

People wanting to travel over the bridge by bus should check the AT Mobile app or the Journey Planner on the AT website before they travel for the latest information about services.

Motorists should follow all speed and lane restrictions put in place by Waka Kotahi tomorrow on the Harbour Bridge and drive to the conditions. High sided vehicles and motorbikes should avoid travelling on the bridge and instead travel on the Western Ring Route (SH16 and SH18).

AT’s plan for managing public transport services as heavy winds hit Auckland

Our public transport operations team is working to ensure our customers and staff on public transport services are kept safe as heavy winds hit Auckland tomorrow. Depending on conditions we will be working with our public transport operators to make decisions on:

  • Bus diversions, which will be implemented as required if the Auckland Harbour Bridge is closed by Waka Kotahi or if strong winds affect double decker bus operations;
  • Whether train and ferry services are able to continue operating if wind speeds across Auckland reach severe levels.