Today’s DHL Super Rugby Pacific semi-final between the Hurricanes and the Chiefs in Wellington is a near sell-out, but fans travelling from Wairarapa will need to use their cars to get there.
Metlink acknowledged that a home semifinal for the Hurricanes “will attract fans from across the region” but confirmed there would be no special train service to and from the region.
“Running extra trains on the Wairarapa line is only considered where there is a major event, like the FIFA Women’s World Cup or an All Blacks game, which is likely to attract a significant number of rail passengers,” Metlink group manager Samantha Gain said.
“Without a guarantee of strong demand, it’s difficult to justify the additional cost to ratepayers.”
Staff availability was a factor too, Gain said.
“We also need to consider the impact that running extra trains has on the provision of our regular timetable, taking into account available staff hours.
“There is a small group of specialised staff trained to operate Wairarapa Line services, and putting on an additional service risks cancellations to morning peak trains the next working day, as these staff may have worked more than their allotted hours.”
Trains from Masterton to Wellington on Saturday run at 7.45am and 4.45pm.
The match starts at 4.35pm.
“Metlink encourages Wairarapa based Hurricanes fans to consider catching a train to Wellington Station from Upper Hutt,” Gain said.
“The Hutt Valley Line will have additional capacity put on before and after the game.”
Metlink has also noted that the three vending machines on Wairarapa line trains “are now at the end of their lives”.
“Due to changes in the size of modern vending machines, we are not able to accommodate them at this time and are looking into alternative options,” Metlink said in a statement.
As such, passengers are advised to “plan ahead for all your snacking requirements”.
What a joke…we help pay for the stadium and no train…come on.