The city of
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
, capital of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, is investigating
light rail as a potential future transport option. The
Wellington tramway system
The Wellington tramway system (1878–1964) operated in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The tramways were originally owned by a private company, but were purchased by the city and formed a major part of the city's transport system.
Tra ...
originally operated in the city from 1878 to 1964.
Background
In 2008, a feasibility study produced by
Greater Wellington Regional Council
Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council, is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island. It is responsible for public transport under the brand Metlink, environ ...
, the "Ngauranga to Wellington Airport Corridor Plan", outlined the possibility of
light rail being used as a solution to link Wellington CBD to
Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport (formerly known as Rongotai Airport) is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington. It lies 3 NM or 5.5 km south-east from the city centre. It is a hub for Air New Zealand an ...
.
Following the 2010 mayoral elections, Mayor
Celia Wade-Brown
Celia may refer to:
General
* Celia (given name)
*''Celia'', a subgenus of carabid beetles of the genus '' Amara''
*Celia, the last natural-born Pyrenean Ibex
* Celia (virtual assistant), AI virtual assistant by Huawei
*, a number of ships with ...
pledged to investigate light rail between Wellington station and the airport.
In August 2017 the
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
updated its transport policy to introduce light rail from the city centre to Newtown by 2025 and the airport by 2027.
Mayor
Justin Lester reaffirmed his support for light rail along the golden mile in 2018. In May 2019, the light rail line formed part of a $6.4 billion transport package known as "Let's Get Wellington Moving" announced by Lester, linking the city centre with the airport.
By 2020, no progress was made in planning of the system, however it was still included in the Green Party of New Zealand's transport policy.
In 2022, the New Zealand government committed to an estimated
NZ$
The New Zealand dollar ( mi, tāra o Aotearoa; sign: $, NZ$; code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New ...
7.4 billion project consisting of a light rail network running from the Wellington city centre to the south coast and to the airport, along with a second
Mount Victoria Tunnel
The Mount Victoria Tunnel in the New Zealand capital city of Wellington is 623 metres (slightly more than a third of a mile) long and 5 metres (16.4 ft) in height, connecting Hataitai to the centre of Wellington and the suburb of Mount Vi ...
.
Grant Robertson
Grant Murray Robertson (born 30 October 1971) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party who has served as the 19th deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2020 and the minister of Finance since 2017. He has served as Membe ...
stated that "the southern light rail option is our preferred choice for Wellington because of the significant potential it offers for new housing and neighborhood growth."
See also
*
Trams in New Zealand
Trams in New Zealand were a major form of transport from the 19th century into the mid-20th century. New Zealand's first (horse) tramway was established in 1862 (Nelson), followed by a steam tramway in 1871 (Thames), and the first electric tramw ...
*
Public transport in the Wellington Region
The Wellington Region has a well developed public transport system, the most used in New Zealand. It consists of electric and diesel buses, commuter trains, ferries and a funicular (the Wellington Cable Car). It also included trams until 1964 ...
*
Wellington tramway system
The Wellington tramway system (1878–1964) operated in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The tramways were originally owned by a private company, but were purchased by the city and formed a major part of the city's transport system.
Tra ...
*
Johnsonville Line
The Johnsonville Branch, also known as the Johnsonville Line, is a commuter branch line railway from the main Railway Station of Wellington, New Zealand to the northern suburb of Johnsonville via Ngaio and Khandallah.
Transdev Wellington ...
(conversion to light rail was an option considered in 2008)
*
Light rail in Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is considering introducing light rail lines to replace some of its most heavily used bus routes. Many of these new light rail lines, if built, would run on routes used by Auckland's former tram system. Li ...
References
{{reflist
Light rail in New Zealand
Passenger rail transport in New Zealand
Proposed rail infrastructure in New Zealand
Rail transport in Wellington