All aboard Wellington's longest commuter train

Metlink is pleased to announce the commencement of the Wairarapa nine-car service during afternoon peak services.

The 4:25pm nine-car service to Masterton will see an additional carriage added to the train to provide an additional 64 seats for the popular commuter service. The additional carriage makes the train the longest on the Wellington region’s rail network by a length of more than 20 metres.

Metlink rail operations manager Angus Gabara says the additional ninth car will help address capacity issues and improve comfort for people travelling to Wairarapa during the afternoon peak.

"The additional carriage will provide an additional 64 seats on what is our busiest train on the Wairarapa Line and will give more seating options for our Wairarapa customers."

Metlink had hoped to bring the nine-car service to fruition earlier, but had to check through safety and operational issues before introducing the service to its afternoon peak timetables.

"While adding a ninth car may seem like an easy and quick fix, there are complications involved with running a train of this length on the Wellington rail network. We needed to assess these and ensure that any barriers could be overcome.

"Through work with our rail operator and network provider we have made the necessary changes needed and are pleased to be able to provide the additional seating on the service."