Horizons celebrates signing of Capital Connection replacement trains contract

A contract signed in Wellington today confirmed Alstom as the company to build and maintain the new 18-strong fleet of battery-electric trains, which will service the Manawatū and Wairarapa lines, as part of the Lower North Island Regional Integrated Mobility (LNIRIM) programme.
 
Horizons chair Rachel Keedwell says the new fleet, which will be named Tūhono, will replace the trains currently used for the Capital Connection service and services between Wellington and Wairarapa.
 
“While I know people are attached to the Capital Connection name, and fought hard to retain the service many times over the years, the meaning of Tūhono - ‘to connect’ or ‘to unite’ – helps to reflect the history of the service.
 
“The new trains and carriages will also be a step up from the ones currently used for the Capital Connection, being more comfortable and emitting far fewer emissions.
 
“There will also be a quadrupling of weekday services, as well as the introduction of weekend services. This will transform how our communities move along the Manawatū line. The new trains are scheduled to start rolling out in 2029, with full service operational in 2030.”
 
Credit goes to staff at Horizons, Greater Wellington Regional Council, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, along with central government, for the hard work and funding to make the new trains a reality, says Cr Keedwell.
 
“The Horizons Region has fought hard for more than 15 years to retain our existing once-a-weekday return train service. I’ve lost count of how many ‘Save the Capital Connection’ campaigns we have had.
 
“To move from fighting for survival to establishing a future-fit passenger transport service for our region is both a relief and a triumph. 
 
“The business case for the new and improved rail service, which includes a benefit-cost ratio far greater than the likes of large highway projects, shows how important it is to make these improvements reality.”
 
Horizons passenger transport committee chair and Horowhenua-based councillor Sam Ferguson says the new name for the trains reflects how they will not only connect Palmerston North to Wellington, but also the communities in between.
 
“Horowhenua is growing fast, with the district’s population forecast to reach more than 66,000 people by 2051,” says Cr Ferguson.
 
“Communities such as Shannon – who have very limited transport options – will be well served by the Tūhono fleet, while Levin and the wider Horowhenua District will be linked to the capital city, Palmerston North and locations in between thanks to clean, frequent and productive commutes via rail.”
 
Having more low-carbon public transport options in the Horizons Region helps everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand towards reaching our country’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050, says Cr Ferguson.
 
“Alongside Australasia’s first fully electric bus network launching in Palmerston North in 2024, and with Feilding’s services going fully electric in 2026, Horizons is working hard to lower emissions and provide appealing public transport options for people in our region.
 
“Better public transport and increased patronage means safer and less congested roads for those who need to drive, cleaner air, increased productivity, better social connection and a healthier population. Those are outcomes everyone wants, no matter how they choose to get around.”
 
For more information, visit www.horizons.govt.nz/buses-transport/rail.

Image: A concept design of how the new Tūhono trains will look.