48th Matangi train completes commuter fleet
The last of Wellington region’s 48 new Matangi trains passed all the tests last week and the trains are now all available for passenger service.
Greater Wellington Regional Council chairperson Fran Wilde was delighted to reach the milestone.
‘‘The Matangi are a huge investment and understandably have taken a lot of time to plan, design and deliver. It’s wonderful that they’re now all up and running.
‘‘The new trains are becoming a familiar sight around the region and we’re continuing to get fan- tastic feedback from passengers. They’re enjoying the smooth and quiet ride, the big windows, the air-conditioning, the information screens that tell you what the next station is and the low floor area designed especially for people with wheelchairs, mobility scooters or buggies.’’
On-time performance for Tranz Metro has risen significantly over the past few months to over 90 per cent,’’ says Tranz Metro manager Scott Brooks.
‘‘The increased use of Matangi trains has certainly had a positive effect on our punctuality perform- ance, and this has been particularly evident in the last few months as even more Matangi have been commissioned for service.
The Matangi fleet is set to increase as Greater Wellington has decided to pursue the purchase of 35 more Matangi trains.
Ms Wilde says even with all the current Matangi trains, some of the older Ganz Mavag trains are still needed to meet peak-hour demand.
A second batch of Matangi trains is proposed for deliveries starting in 2015.