TRANSPORT HUB TO PREPARE HAMILTON'S NORTHEAST FOR NEW TRAIN TO AND FROM AUCKLAND

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF
Passengers going from Hamilton to Auckland will stop at the Rotokauri Transport Hub (file photo).
Work on a new, northern transport hub for Hamilton will start before Christmas.
The $29 million Rotokauri Transport Hub will include a bus interchange, a rail platform for Hamilton to Auckland passenger rail, and a pedestrian bridge over the railway to The Base.
Downer New Zealand Ltd has the contract to build the hub, a Hamilton City Council statement said.
It will give Hamiltonians more choice in how to get around the city, general manager development Chris Allen said.
The start-up rail service, due to start mid-2020, is a priority which came out of talks about the Hamilton to Auckland Corridor Plan, he said.
"Our contribution is to establish the new Rotokauri Transport Hub."
It's expected to take about 80 minutes to get from Rotokauri to Papakura on the train service, the statement said.
Once it's finished, the Rotokauri hub will include a park-and-ride facility for rail and bus passengers, including mobility spaces, electric vehicle charging spaces, drop-off and pick-up zones and taxi stands.
The total project cost to develop the hub, including land costs, design work and additional roading, is $29M, of which $18.5M is NZ Transport Agency subsidies.
KiwiRail will provide the Hamilton to Auckland passenger rail service, under a contract from Waikato Regional Council.
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