Media Articles

[keg]

Rock throwing scum on the Hutt Line:

Passenger hurt in train attack
STACEY WOOD
15/12/2011

One person has been arrested after an Upper Hutt train passenger was injured by a rock thrown through a train window.
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If found guilty, I hope they throw the book at the person and publicise it as a warning to others who might think of doing likewise.

[keg]

Today's piece on yesterday's rock throwing incident.

15-year-old girl sprayed with glass
16/12/2011

A 15-year-old girl was hit in the head and showered with glass yesterday after a teenager threw a stone through a train window.

Police arrested a youth yesterday afternoon after a train travelling from Upper Hutt to Wellington was struck by the stone about 3.30pm.
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[greenwelly]

I know it is tough in the newspaper game, but geez where do I start on an article like this....

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/6251745/Line-damage-suspends-Waikanae-trains

A train with 75 passengers on board slipped from its overhead wires this morning, disrupting services from Plimmerton to Waikanae.
The train pulled into a "safety area" off the railway track after the incident, which happened at around 7.35am.
Passengers were transferred to buses, and buses replaced all services on the line for the rest of the morning, a Kiwirail spokeswoman said.
It was not known how the incident happened, but an investigation would take place. The train has now been cleared, and normal services will resume.

[kaiwhara]

What absolute piss poor reporting, fulla crap!

I know it is tough in the newspaper game, but geez where do I start on an article like this....

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/6251745/Line-damage-suspends-Waikanae-trains

A train with 75 passengers on board slipped from its overhead wires this morning, disrupting services from Plimmerton to Waikanae.
The train pulled into a "safety area" off the railway track after the incident, which happened at around 7.35am.
Passengers were transferred to buses, and buses replaced all services on the line for the rest of the morning, a Kiwirail spokeswoman said.
It was not known how the incident happened, but an investigation would take place. The train has now been cleared, and normal services will resume.

[greenwelly]

I particularly liked the

"The train pulled into a "safety area" off the railway track after the incident"

[john-ston]

What absolute piss poor reporting, fulla crap!

What happened then?

[keg]

Article was a good giggle. Couldn't work out what actually happened other than it involved the overhead and/or pan.

I particularly liked the

"The train pulled into a "safety area" off the railway track after the incident"

That bit made me think of a few incidents that have occurred at Ngaio over the years - the only difference there being that it didn't happen after an incident, but was the incident.

[scooter]

A SPAD at North Junction? Seems like the only thing that makes sense

[jsnz]

I was on that train. There was a big jolt as we approached the merging to single track at Paekakariki hill (heading south). Train came to a halt a few seconds later. Looked out the window and saw that we were to the left of the main track. Driver came through the train and appologized saying he had "ran a red light". Took about 1.5 hours to get back to Paekak station (pulled by Capital Connection loco). I'd say that this was a major incident - certainly the worst I've been involved in in my 5 years travelling from Kapiti.

[kaiwhara]

Serious, yes. Major? Ive seen bigger ones. At this stage I would be surprised if it was serious enough to warrant an investigation by TAIC...

I was on that train. There was a big jolt as we approached the merging to single track at Paekakariki hill (heading south). Train came to a halt a few seconds later. Looked out the window and saw that we were to the left of the main track. Driver came through the train and appologized saying he had "ran a red light". Took about 1.5 hours to get back to Paekak station (pulled by Capital Connection loco). I'd say that this was a major incident - certainly the worst I've been involved in in my 5 years travelling from Kapiti.

[greenwelly]

I was on that train. There was a big jolt as we approached the merging to single track at Paekakariki hill (heading south). Train came to a halt a few seconds later. Looked out the window and saw that we were to the left of the main track. Driver came through the train and appologized saying he had "ran a red light". Took about 1.5 hours to get back to Paekak station (pulled by Capital Connection loco). I'd say that this was a major incident - certainly the worst I've been involved in in my 5 years travelling from Kapiti.

Now it becomes clearer,
I am assuming that it was a sole 2 car set?, that would fit what you described as the Pan is on the Southern end of the unit, as the front car headed off past the signal down the turnout it would have become unpowered?, ( hence the tow back by the loco)

I Guess K'Rail are glad that the unit halted where it did and didn't actually derail like a similar situation at Ngaio in Feb, which required a crane ( although access was significantly easier)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4604263/Passengers-delayed-after-train-derailed

[keg]

Looks like Maymorn development is going to happen. Assuming it does, any extension of the wires north from Upper Hutt should probably terminate there rather than Timberlea as currently proposed.

Unpopular Hutt eco-village plan gets tick
PAUL EASTON
02/02/2012

Plans to develop a huge "eco-village" on a slice of rural land near Upper Hutt face are pressing ahead, despite heavy opposition from locals.

During a rowdy meeting this evening, the Upper Hutt City Council voted to adopt the plans for Maymorn, in the rural Mangaroa Valley.
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[keg]

A few interesting PT bits and pieces in this, including the mythical integrated ticketing. Haven't had a time to have a squizz at the actually document yet.

From GW:

Greater Wellington outlines plans for the next 10 years

Posted on 6 March 2012

Greater Wellington’s draft 10-year plan proposes continued significant investment in public transport and flood protection, as well as programmes to improve the region’s environment and boost economic growth.

The draft Long Term Plan 2012-22 sets out the services Greater Wellington Regional Council proposes providing over the next 10 years, how much it proposes to spend and how they will be funded.

In public transport, key projects include continuing to roll out the Matangi trains and modernise the rest of the trains and the rail network, upgrading park and ride facilities, and introducing a network-wide electronic ticket for use on all buses and trains in the Metlink public transport network.

In flood protection, projects include major upgrades along the Hutt River to protect the Lower Hutt CBD and along the Otaki River, close to the town.

In water supply, the plan includes completion of work already underway to extend and earthquake strengthen the Stuart Macaskill Lakes at Te Marua and proposes investigating future water storage options to meet population growth.

Other proposals include expansion of pest control to more areas of the region, boosting the sustainable land management programme to cover more landowners, improving regional parks and continuing investigations into water storage in the Wairarapa Valley.

The Plan sets out a proposed increase in rates income for the 2012/13 year of 5.7%, which equates to average increase of $16.60 (32 cents per week) for residential ratepayers and $25 (48 cents a week) across all ratepayers. The increase comprises three components:

• Ongoing Regional Council services, which includes most of our current activities (1.33% - i.e. $6 average increase in 2012/13)
  
• Commitments made in previous years for long term programmes, such as the delivery of Matangi trains and flood protection work (2.6% - i.e. $11 average increase in 2012/13)
  
• Proposed new service improvements. (1.74% - i.e. $8 average increase in 2012/13).

“In developing the proposals, we’ve been acutely aware of the struggle that so many households face in the current economic climate. We have kept costs down and kept the rise in the cost of Regional Council day-to-day services lower than inflation,” Greater Wellington Regional Chair Fran Wilde says.

“However, there are services – such as public transport – which do need continued investment – and we need to fulfil commitments we’ve made in past years. There is also a range of new service improvements that we are proposing and we want people’s views on these.

“We want to make sure Greater Wellington continues to deliver good value for ratepayers’ money by delivering the right services at the best cost.”

A copy of the draft 10-Year Plan can be viewed and downloaded from http://www.gw.govt.nz/long-term-plan. The Plan will be considered by Greater Wellington Regional Councillors at a Council meeting on Thursday 8 March 2012, and will be available for public consultation from late March

Stuff article based on the draft plan:

One ticket plan for buses and trains
06/03/2012

A one-ticket system for Wellington's trains, buses and ferries has been proposed at a cost of $39 million.

The integrated ticketing system is part of Greater Wellington Regional Council's draft 10-year plan and will include all Metlink public transport.

If approved, the system would be established by 2016 at a cost of $39 million and recouped through targeted rates, central government funding and transport fares.
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They're also running a pole: What do you think of the one-ticket plan for Wellington's buses and trains?

[David]

Amusing little video on the J'ville line ... no prizes for guessing who Sir Topham Hat is...

http://www.3news.co.nz/New-Matangi-trains-grace-Johnsonville-line/tabid/309/articleID/247205/Default.aspx

[eurokiwi78]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/ne ... -kilometre

The article also states that the light rail route would be 5km. A more direct route could be less than 4km.

[scooter]

Depending on your perspective...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6633350/Too-much-free-parking-says-MP

[Daniel]

Depending on your perspective...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6633350/Too-much-free-parking-says-MP

About the sort of politically naive statement I expect from the NZ green party that installs no confidence from me in their abilities.

[axio]

About the sort of politically naive statement I expect from the NZ green party that installs no confidence from me in their abilities.

How dare experts voice their opinion on how we could improve our land use.

[Daniel]

About the sort of politically naive statement I expect from the NZ green party that installs no confidence from me in their abilities.

How dare experts voice their opinion on how we could improve our land use.

1) Who says I'm upset? ( ) I mean, it's her (and the green party's) loss with making such ill-conceived statements to the media.
2) Since when is she an "expert" on anything?

[Matt L]

About the sort of politically naive statement I expect from the NZ green party that installs no confidence from me in their abilities.

How dare experts voice their opinion on how we could improve our land use.

1) Who says I'm upset? ( ) I mean, it's her (and the green party's) loss with making such ill-conceived statements to the media.
2) Since when is she an "expert" on anything?

You do realise that she has a degree in transport economics don't you