Auckland mayor Wayne Brown speaks about his proposals for the city's budget. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown is demanding aggressive action to fix the supercity's rail system after multiple failures this week.
88 trains were cancelled across the commuter network on Monday, with Auckland Transport (AT) citing the heat, speed restrictions, crew shortages, and a breakdown. On Thursday AT, along with KiwiRail, train operator Auckland One Rail, and the Office of the Minister of Transport were pulled into Wayne Brown's office for what he's earlier told media would be a "barking".
He's since said it went "surprisingly well" and over the next week sections of rail will be fixed, and a joint operation centre opened next month for agencies to work together. Auckland's transport landscape has changed significantly since Mayor Brown took office.
Under a National Government, light rail has been scrapped, as well as the Regional Fuel Tax, which has led the Mayor to pull several roading projects which were funded by it. That on a backdrop of a supercity recovering from the Anniversary Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle one year ago.
