Onehunga Line

From Newmarket, Onehunga Line services follow the North Auckland Line (NAL) to Penrose, where they diverge from the NAL and follow the Onehunga Branch line to Onehunga.

The line did not acquire its name until 2010, when the Onehunga Branch line was reopened and passenger services resumed from the Auckland terminus after a lapse of almost 40 years.

The Penrose to Onehunga section of this line was opened on 24 December 1873,{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18731222.2.19|title=OPENING OF THE ONEHUNGA RAILWAY. (New Zealand Herald, 1873-12-22)|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=15 October 2016|archive-date=19 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019023419/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18731222.2.19|url-status=live}} and extended to Onehunga Wharf on 28 November 1878. Connecting the port of Onehunga on the Manukau Harbour with Penrose and from there to the port of Auckland on the Waitematā Harbour, the line became a busy link between the two harbours of the rapidly expanding city.

Passenger services between Auckland and Onehunga ran until April 1973. The Onehunga Branch line between Penrose and Onehunga then served local industries until it was mothballed. A campaign to reopen the branch line was launched in mid-2002. On 13 March 2007, the Government announced that it had given approval to spend $10 million on reopening the branch line for passengers and freight.

In mid-2010, construction started on the terminus station at Onehunga,{{cite news|title=Work starts at new Onehunga rail station|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10639743|access-date=10 July 2016|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=21 April 2010|first=Mathew|last=Dearnaley|archive-date=29 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829061745/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10639743|url-status=live}} and on Saturday 18 September 2010, reopening ceremonies were held, with Sunday 19 September being the first day of normal passenger services. The cost of reopening the branch line was about $21.6 million, with KiwiRail contributing $10 million, Auckland Regional Transport Authority contributing $3.6 million, and Auckland Regional Council contributing $8 million.{{cite news|title=Rail link puts fun back into getting to school|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10674952|access-date=10 July 2016|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=21 September 2010|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000953/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10674952|url-status=live}}

The Onehunga Line was upgraded as part of the Auckland railway electrification programme. It was the first of the four Auckland suburban lines to be commissioned.{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11245293|title='Stunning' electric trains launched – but soon face delays|access-date=10 July 2016|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=28 April 2014|archive-date=28 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428083532/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11245293|url-status=live}} Installation of overhead wires was completed during the summer shut down from 2011 to 2012. Electric services began running between Britomart and Onehunga on 28 April 2014.{{cite web |url=http://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/auckland-rail-upgrade/electric-trains |title=Electric trains |publisher=Auckland Transport |access-date=10 July 2016 |archive-date=13 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013063025/https://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/auckland-rail-upgrade/electric-trains/ |url-status=live }}

On 24 June 2022, the line was shortened to terminate at Newmarket due to a reduction of platforms at Britomart for City Rail Link construction.{{Cite web |title=Onehunga Line Changes |url=https://at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/service-announcements/onehunga-line-changes/ |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=Auckland Transport |language=en-nz |archive-date=6 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706014919/https://at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/service-announcements/onehunga-line-changes/ |url-status=live }} Auckland Transport said data showed only 15% of passengers on the line travelled to Britomart and that they could easily transfer to other services at Newmarket, thus the change would be the least disruptive of those needed to allow the reduction in platforms.{{Cite web |last=Niall |first=Todd |date=2022-06-02 |title=Auckland Rail: Onehunga service to be shortened due to City Rail Link |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/128844729/auckland-rail-onehunga-service-to-be-shortened-due-to-city-rail-link |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626055341/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/128844729/auckland-rail-onehunga-service-to-be-shortened-due-to-city-rail-link |url-status=live }} Former Auckland councillor Mike Lee - who had an instrumental role in the 2010 reopening of the line - criticised the change.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-23 |title=Auckland Transport cuts Onehunga train service off at the knees |url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/page/auckland-transport-cuts-queen-to-queen-service-off-at-the-knees |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=Newsroom |language=en-AU |archive-date=22 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622185929/https://www.newsroom.co.nz/page/auckland-transport-cuts-queen-to-queen-service-off-at-the-knees |url-status=live }} During Stage 2 of the Rail Network Rebuild between March 2023 and January 2024, the line was restored to Britomart during off-peak and weekends, running as a shuttle between Penrose and Onehunga during peak hours.{{cite web|url=https://at.govt.nz/media/1991164/auckland-transport-rail-network-rebuild-onehunga-line-weekday-timetable.pdf|access-date=5 July 2023|title=Onehunga Line train timetable (weekdays)}}{{cite web|url=https://at.govt.nz/media/1991165/auckland-transport-rail-network-rebuild-onehunga-line-weekend-timetable.pdf|access-date=5 July 2023|title=Onehunga Line train timetable (weekends)}} As of 29 April 2024, Onehunga Line train services were again shortened to terminate at Newmarket at all times of the day.{{cite web |title=Onehunga Line train timetable |url=https://at.govt.nz/media/3hkofioj/auckland-transport-onehunga-line-train-timetable.pdf |website=Auckland Transport |access-date=16 June 2024}}

There is a proposal to create the Auckland Airport Line by extending the Onehunga Branch line to Auckland International Airport over the Mangere Bridge. The bridge was duplicated from four motorway lanes to ten in 2007–10, and Transit New Zealand had announced in 2007 that it was being 'future proofed' to allow it to accommodate a rail line.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/transit-nz/news/article.cfm?o_id=223&objectid=10423101 |title=Transit opens door to cross-harbour rail link to airport |author=Dearnaley, Mathew |date=9 February 2007 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=19 August 2016 |archive-date=20 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120163841/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/transit-nz/news/article.cfm?o_id=223&objectid=10423101 |url-status=live }}

• Public transport in Auckland
• List of Auckland railway stations

{{reflist}}

{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y}}

{{auckland_onehunga_line}}

{{Public transport in Auckland}}

{{NZR Lines}}

{{Onehunga}}

Category:Railway lines in New Zealand

Category:Public transport in Auckland

Category:Rail transport in Auckland

Line