Tranz Metro

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Tranz Metro
Type	Private company
Founded	1985 (As CityRail)
Headquarters	Wellington, New Zealand
Area served	Wellington, New Zealand
Industry	Public transport in Wellington
Services	Suburban rail services
Parent	Toll NZ
Website	[http://www.tranzmetro.co.nz

Tranz Metro is the suburban rail system in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is part of Toll NZ.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Ownership 1.2 Operations 2 Services 3 Motive power and rolling stock 3.1 Electric Multiple Units 3.2 Carriage services 4 Future 4.1 New Carriages for the Wairarapa Connection and network 4.2 New Electric Multiple Units 4.3 Western Corridor Transportation Study 5 See also 6 External links 7 References

[edit] History

[edit] Ownership

In the 1980s the Auckland and Wellington suburban rail networks were part of the government-owned New Zealand Railways Corporation, operating under the brand name Cityline, then CityRail. In 1993 New Zealand Rail Ltd was privatised and renamed Tranz Rail in 1995, with CityRail rebranded Tranz Metro. Tranz Metro was created as a wholly-owned subsidiary limited liability company of Tranz Rail in 2003, which announced its intention to sell Tranz Metro. Stagecoach New Zealand and the Greater Wellington Regional Council announced their intention to bid for Tranz Metro, but both were barred by the Commerce Commission from doing so. In 2004 Toll Holdings of Australia bought a majority shareholding in Tranz Rail and renamed the company Toll NZ. Despite this renaming the Tranz Metro brand is still used.

[edit] Operations

In 1993 the Auckland Regional Council bought the Auckland CityRail fleet, contracting New Zealand Rail to run it 10 years. Tranz Rail did not bid for the contract when it expired in 2003, and these services are now operated by Veolia.

The Wellington services are operated under contract from Greater Wellington Regional Council. It subsidises the operation and any capital improvements to the stations and rolling stock. Typically 60% of that subsidy comes from central government through its land transport funding agency, Land Transport New Zealand, which approves such funding after careful analysis of the economics and net benefits, the remainder coming from Greater Wellington. Public consultation in 2005-2006 has resulted in some changes of emphasis; the September 2006 fare rises and section changes were stated to be helping pay for a major upgrade of trains and facilities over the next few years in conjunction with regional bus service improvements.

[edit] Services

Tranz Metro operates five lines:-

Line	Colour on map	Between Wellington and	Length km	Travel time min (approx)	Description
Johnsonville	Blue	Johnsonville	10.5	21	A narrow and winding route through the hills of the northern suburbs of Wellington. Built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, it was part of the North Island Main Trunk until bypassed in 1937 by the Tawa Flat deviation.
Paraparaumu	Green	Paraparaumu	48.3	56	Along the North Island Main Trunk through Porirua.
Hutt Valley	Red	Upper Hutt	32.4	45	Along the Wairarapa Line through Waterloo in Lower Hutt to Upper Hutt, the edge of the Wellington urban area.
Melling	Orange	Melling	13.5	19	Along the Wairarapa Line to Petone, then along the Hutt Valley's western edge. Part of the Wairarapa Line until that line was diverted in 1955 along the eastern side of the valley.
Wairarapa	Yellow	Masterton	91.0	90	Diesel-hauled along the Wairarapa Line to Masterton, the largest town in the Wairarapa. Limited stops between Wellington and Upper Hutt; marketed as the Wairarapa Connection.

Until 2001, Tranz Metro operated the Capital Connection service between Palmerston North and Wellington. On the sale of 50% of Tranz Scenic to directors of the West Coast Railway (since repurchased by Toll) it was transferred to Tranz Scenic, where it remains.

[edit] Motive power and rolling stock

All Tranz Metro services, except Wairarapa, are electrified at 1500 V DC overhead.

[edit] Electric Multiple Units

Tranz Metro electric trains are electric multiple units, commonly called "units".

There are two types:

• 14 English Electric DM class units and 19 D class trailers, in two-car (Johnsonville) and three-car (Hutt Valley and Melling) sets;
• 44 Ganz-MAVAG EM class units and 44 ET class trailers, in two-car sets (not used on the Johnsonville Line).

[edit] Carriage services

The Wairarapa Line is not electrified beyond Upper Hutt, and diesel-electric DC class locomotives haul the Wairarapa Connection carriage trains, consisting of 18 rebuilt British Rail Mark 2 carriages.

Prior to the introduction of these carriages, the Wairarapa Connection used former second class 56-foot steel long-distance carriages, most of them dating back to the late 1930s and early 1940s, which were also used on electric ED class or EW class locomotive-hauled suburban services prior to the introduction of the Ganz-MAVAG EMU (EM/ET class) fleet. These cars seated 56 (passenger saloon only) or 47 (passenger saloon with luggage compartment at one end) passengers in two-person bench-type "Scarrett" seats.

Prior to the introduction of carriage trains Wairarapa services were operated by railcars since 1936, initially by the Wairarapa class and then 88 seaters from the mid-1950s.

[edit] Future

[edit] New Carriages for the Wairarapa Connection and network

In 2006 Toll Rail's Hillside Engineering won the contract from Greater Wellington Regional Council to rebuild several sets of former British Rail Mark 2 carriages purchased some years ago by Toll's predecessor, Tranz Rail. On 14 May 2007, the first four of the 18 new carriages entered service, and all are in use, providing a major upgrade to the comfort, safety and reliability of the Wairarapa service. ^[1] There are three six-car sets; each with four 64-seat SW class passenger cars, one 37-seat SWS class servery car and one 37-seat SWG generator car. They replace rolling stock built 1937-43. The concept was also used for Auckland's push-pull trains operated by Veolia (New Zealand).

The GWRC has purchased six former British Rail carriages, which are under refurbishment at the Hillside Workshops. They will in use by the end of 2008 to provide a six-car express service pulled by electric locomotives (NZR EA class), to provide extra capacity and to "cover" for routine maintenance of other trains. Longer term, they may provide extra capacity on the Wairarapa Line. ^[2]

[edit] New Electric Multiple Units

On 22 September 2006 Greater Wellington announced ^[3] that it would begin the tender process for 29 new electric multiple units (reported as 58 "electric carriages"), to replace the DM/D class English Electric EMUs by 2010. On 9 February 2007 Land Transport New Zealand announced funding for a further 12 ^[4], bringing the total rolling stock order up to 70 carriages, or 35 units. GWRC has formed Greater Wellington Rail Limited to purchase the EMUs. They are to be built in Korea by a consortium of Rotem and Mitsui, which was announced as the preferred supplier in July 2007^[5]. In May 2008, the council announced that it was taking up the option of an additional 20 units in addition to the 70 already ordered.^[6] The new electric trains are to be called "Matangi" (pronounced Mar-tongue-ee), Maori for "wind" ^[7]

[edit] Western Corridor Transportation Study

Greater Wellington has undertaken a transportation study of the needs for the corridor from Wellington to its northern suburbs (including Johnsonville) and beyond. The initial submissions report ^[8] supports further investment in commuter rail transport, specifically in new rolling stock to replace the aging English Electric units. This investment is to be made within "the first ten years" of the plan set out in the report.

The Western Corridor Transportation Study recommended extensive upgrades of the passenger rail service between Wellington and the Kapiti Coast, including possible extension of electrification to a new station at Lindale or Waikanae, extending the double track from MacKays Crossing to Raumati, a new station at Raumati, and additional rolling stock so that service frequencies could be increased to 15 minutes at peak times.

In July 2007 the Greater Wellington Regional Council announced ^[9] that it would invest $500 million in rail transport over the proceeding five years. Projects include:

• $280m on new rolling stock
• $30m on station upgrades
• $180m on double tracking and electrification from the MacKays Crossing to Waikanae

The GWRC and ONTRACK will be work together co-ordinates the projects, and provide progress reports to the council and the central Government.

[edit] See also

• Rail transport in New Zealand
• Public transport in Wellington
• List of Wellington railway stations
• List of rapid transit systems

[edit] External links

• Tranz Metro
• Toll NZ

[edit] References

v • d • e Rail operators of New Zealand Toll Rail • Tranz Metro • Veolia • Taieri Gorge Railway • Tranz Rail