Transport Minister, Simeon Brown says Wellington commuters will benefit from a $137.2 million funding boost that will deliver long overdue upgrades to substations on the city’s metro rail network and improve the reliability of services.
Mr Brown said the amount of travel on Wellington’s metro rail network was expected to increase significantly in the coming years, and upgrading the network’s substations will enable this growth and provide Wellingtonians confidence in the reliability of services.
“Some of Wellington’s existing substations are between 60 and 90 years old. Our significant investment in upgrading, repairing and replacing these critical substations will keeps Wellington’s trains running and manage electrical capacity across the network to ensure consistent, efficient, and uninterrupted service for commuters,” said the Minister.
“When the substations go down, so do the trains. Delivering five additional substations for Wellington will provide enough electricity supply to power new Wairarapa and Manawatū trains and enable additional 15-minute timetables on existing lines. Upgrading our substations will also strengthen resilience when the network is faced with severe weather events, such as storms, heavy rainfall, and high winds.”
He said the Government was continuing to invest in critical network upgrades and is prioritising the Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility (LNIRIM) project as a major public transport project.
“Our substation upgrades will also be complemented by the investment announced as part of Budget 2024 to upgrade and repair critical infrastructure across Wellington’s metro rail network. This includes upgrading tracks, signals, bridges, retaining walls, culverts, train platforms and urgent repairs to a seawall alongside Porirua Harbour.
“Delivering reliable, effective, and efficient public transport is a top priority for our Government. We are targeting investment towards projects that will improve service reliability, as we know this is key to enabling commuters in our main cities to choose public transport as a travel option and reduce congestion on our roads,” said Mr Brown.
