Electric trains for Auckland
Auckland's electric trains include the latest developments in railway technology and safety, and will be faster, quieter and energy efficient, making rail travel an attractive option for the city's residents and visitors.
Latest updates
March 2013
New images have been added to this image gallery, which tracks the progress of the trains' construction in Spain.
Video: how the new electric trains will change train travel in Auckland
19 December 2012
Learn more about how the new electric trains for Auckland will make train travel safer and more enjoyable. This video explains a little history about Auckland’s passenger train service and how the electric trains will play a large part in the new era for public transport for Auckland.
Read more Electric trains updates and news
About the electric trains
Fifty-seven brand new electric trains comprising 2 motor cars and 1 trailer car
Each train carries up to 375 passengers
Electric trains offer a faster, more frequent service
Electric trains are environmentally friendly – energy efficient, quieter, and make no air pollution
In October 2011 Auckland Transport signed a supply agreement with Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles in Spain to purchase Auckland's first electric trains, also known as Electric Multiple Units or EMUs.
The purchase will result in a major improvement to the level of passenger service on the Auckland suburban rail network and is expected to encourage more people to switch from car to public transport.
Ensuring passengers are comfortable, well informed and safe is a key objective in the design and these trains will be faster, quieter and energy efficient. The new trains will include the latest developments in railway technology and safety and will provide comfortable and enjoyable rail travel for Aucklanders.
As the trains travel more swiftly than the current fleet they will be able to shave approximately 10 minutes off the travel from Papakura to Britomart allowing the service to run more often and get passengers to their destinations more quickly. See artist's impression (above) of one of the new units at Britomart.
In preparation for the introduction of the trains, KiwiRail is electrifying Auckland’s suburban rail network. More information on the electrification of our rail network can be found at the KiwiRail website.
You can join Auckland Transport’s Electric Train update email by subscribing online. Updates will be sent to you when new information becomes available.
A depot to maintain the new trains is under construction at Wiri in South Auckland.
When will it happen
The new electric train service is expected to commence in early 2014 with the fleet progressively introduced across Auckland through 2014 and 2015. The full network service should be available in 2016.
What do they look like?
Images on this page are artists' sketches of the mock up currently on display at MOTAT, and show sections of the full-size train that is represented in the 12m-long mock up.
Take a video tour
This fly-through of the interior of the new electric trains for Aucklanders gives you an idea of how the trains will look. The layout and colour scheme are indicative only.
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Contact us if you have further enquiries about this project