Capital Connection Under Threat

[john-ston]

So you definitely would not have been in approval of spending the $600m for the extension to Waikanae then?

Waikanae is virtually a suburb now; Otaki is still very much a small town.

[kaiwhara]

A suburb of what exactly?

[john-ston]

A suburb of what exactly?

Good question, hence the reason why I didn't say a suburb of what.

[kaiwhara]

Bit hard to consider that there isn't really a place nearby that it could currently qualify as a suburb of, given the next place north is Te Horo, and it is physically seperated from Paraparaumu by a river that you can only cross in one place...

[Rail-it]

So you definitely would not have been in approval of spending the $600m for the extension to Waikanae then?

Waikanae is virtually a suburb now; Otaki is still very much a small town.

Johnston, $600m, is 40 times the amount of $15m. So you are saying Waikanae is far more than 40 times the size of Otaki? ...Yeah righto buddy!

[john-ston]

Johnston, $600m, is 40 times the amount of $15m. So you are saying Waikanae is far more than 40 times the size of Otaki? ...Yeah righto buddy!

$600 million also paid for new rolling stock and other improvements, so we aren't comparing apples with apples here.

Bit hard to consider that there isn't really a place nearby that it could currently qualify as a suburb of, given the next place north is Te Horo, and it is physically seperated from Paraparaumu by a river that you can only cross in one place...

And saying that it is a suburb of Wellington would undoubtedly stir a hornets nest.

[Rail-it]

Johnston, $600m, is 40 times the amount of $15m. So you are saying Waikanae is far more than 40 times the size of Otaki? ...Yeah righto buddy!

$600 million also paid for new rolling stock and other improvements, so we aren't comparing apples with apples here.

Fair enough. Still looks like a pleasant amount for such an extension.

[kaiwhara]

Easier and more accurate to consider that Waikanae is not a suburb of anywhere personally...

[Johnny T]

John-ston is not in favour as he wants to close Otaki station.

[Rail-it]

John-ston is not in favour as he wants to close Otaki station.

Why?

Are you a corporation or something similar Johnston? You seem to have the greatest ideas for both Auckland and Wellington metro, like as though you use both every day? lol.

[john-ston]

John-ston is not in favour as he wants to close Otaki station.

Nope, I am in favour of Otaki getting an extension when the time is right - now is probably not the best time.

[Daniel]

I believe there were quite a number on there that were saying it wouldn't be that affected

Yep and with no intention of blowing my own trumpet I was one of them.

The capital connection still has an attraction to commuters as an express service which is why it still enjoys good patronage from Paraparaumu. People are willing to spend a little more of their money to get there quicker and in greater comfort. It's also why commuter in Upper Hutt still use the Wairarapa service (unless those tight and puerile hicks on the other side of the ranges have put a stop to that). And as the people of Horowhenua and the Manawatu aren't Wairarapians I can't see them having a problem with any "outsiders" using their service.

[Riccardo]

Are you permitted to use the normal electrics if you bought a ticket on Palmerston North or Masterton services and missed the train? Or do you need to buy a new one?

[Daniel]

Are you permitted to use the normal electrics if you bought a ticket on Palmerston North or Masterton services and missed the train? Or do you need to buy a new one?

Last time I caught the Wairarapa service from Upper Hutt (which was over 5 years ago) you brought a normal full fare ticket even at off-peak times. So if you had a ten-trip ticket or monthly pass you'd still be able to use the EMU's at any time.

[matthew25187]

The capital connection still has an attraction to commuters as an express service which is why it still enjoys good patronage from Paraparaumu. People are willing to spend a little more of their money to get there quicker and in greater comfort. It's also why commuter in Upper Hutt still use the Wairarapa service (unless those tight and puerile hicks on the other side of the ranges have put a stop to that). And as the people of Horowhenua and the Manawatu aren't Wairarapians I can't see them having a problem with any "outsiders" using their service.

If one overlooks your pathetic and childish name-calling one can see that your analogy is not comparing like with like. The Capital Connection, unlike the Wairarapa Connection, is a commercial service and thus needs to attract all the patronage it can get. The Wairarapa Connection, unlike the Capital Connection, is already at capacity with the patronage of just the Wairarapa commuters. Prior to the introduction of the minimum fare on Wairarapa Connection services the addition of Hutt Valley commuters regularly resulted in standees down the aisles, sometimes at crush-load levels, making it difficult or occasionally impossible for the POs to collect fares, particularly between Wellington and Waterloo. Tranz Metro implemented the minimum fare policy, not the "tight and puerile hicks" - a policy that is currently suspended anyway as a temporary measure pending the introduction of additional capacity on the Hutt Valley Line.

[Daniel]

Prior to the introduction of the minimum fare on Wairarapa Connection services the addition of Hutt Valley commuters regularly resulted in standees down the aisles, sometimes at crush-load levels, making it difficult or occasionally impossible for the POs to collect fares, particularly between Wellington and Waterloo.

Oh heaven forbid those poor people of the Wairarapa experience what every other peak service in Wellington gets every day. Well every other peak commuter service in the world...

Tranz Metro implemented the minimum fare policy

Yes I'm sure they just decided that on their own initiative, it would really be in their interest.

[keg]

Are you permitted to use the normal electrics if you bought a ticket on Palmerston North or Masterton services and missed the train? Or do you need to buy a new one?

Cap Con tickets are valid on the Kapiti Line (but not vv)

[kaiwhara]

Actually they did, and it worked, Wairarapa services were facing even more severe crowding than what the units are facing now, and this was with the former A cars which had even less room. And btw, it achieved what it set out to do, create space for more Wairarapa Customers.

Let it be explicit that this had nothing to do with making the journey more comfortable for Wairarapa commuters, it was about acknowledging that each peak period, Wairarapa Passengers only had 18 cars of capacity between 5am and 9am. Hutt Commuters had closer to 120...

.

Tranz Metro implemented the minimum fare policy

Yes I'm sure they just decided that on their own initiative, it would really be in their interest.

[john-ston]

And at least they didn't take the draconian approach - I am pretty sure that Daniel would know the consequences of trying to take an afternoon peak hour Blue Mountains service to Strathfield or Parramatta.

[WellyWanderer]

KiwiRail has confirmed extra trains will be travelling between Palmerston North and Wellington during the Rugby World Cup.

Link to Manawatu Standard news item:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/4940721/Trains-to-run-from-capital