Sometimes the easiest way to understand what a change means for Auckland is to get out and use it. On Sunday afternoon, at about three o’clock, we took our boys on the train for a trip into the city.
What stood out was the simplicity. Tagging on with a phone, getting on with pushchairs, and seeing people with bikes on board. The train was quite busy, with people making use of it on a Sunday afternoon.
We headed down to Britomart, now officially Waitematā Station, and meandered back up Queen Street. It was vibrant and busy. We dropped into Myers Park, then came back down through Aotea Square before making our way to Britomart again.
At about five o’clock, we got back on the train and cruised up to Morningside for dinner at the Morningside Tavern.
That’s a very practical picture of what good public transport can bring to everyday life. You can head into town, spend a couple of hours walking around, then finish the afternoon back in your own neighbourhood. There’s no need to take the car into the city or organise the afternoon around finding a park.
The CRL has been carrying passengers since 13 September, with the new underground stations at Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu opening up more places to get on and off through the city centre.
For people living near the railway in Morningside and Kingsland, that gives an ordinary weekend a few more possibilities. A wander around town, lunch with friends, or a trip to a show can start with a walk to the station.
The journey times help put it in perspective. Auckland Transport’s current East West timetable shows scheduled trips from Kingsland of around six minutes to Karanga-a-Hape, nine to Te Waihorotiu and twelve to Waitematā. Those are station-to-station times, so you still need to allow for the walk, waiting and getting to wherever you’re going.
From a property perspective, this is where the conversation becomes useful. When you’re considering a home, it’s worth thinking through what life there would actually look like. How far is the walk to the station? Is it a route you’d happily do with a pushchair? Does the timetable work for the times you’re likely to travel?
A suburb name alone won’t answer those questions. The convenience depends on the particular street, the station entrance and the places you want to reach. Walking the route and trying the train is a good way to get a feel for it. Check the AT Journey Planner for the trip home too, especially if you’re planning an evening out.
Our Sunday was a simple example: a train ride with the boys, a walk through a busy city centre, Myers Park, Aotea Square, then dinner back in Morningside.
Being able to do that easily is a welcome part of living in this pocket of Auckland.