Public transport in Auckland


Public transport in Auckland comprises a network of bus, train, and ferry services that operate across New Zealand’s largest metropolitan area. Services are coordinated by Auckland Transport under the AT Metro brand, with Waitematā station serving as the city’s main hub.
Historically, Auckland had one of the country’s most extensive tram systems, but investment in motorways and the dismantling of trams in the mid‑20th century led to a sharp decline in public transport use. By the 1990s, patronage had fallen to some of the lowest levels among comparable cities.
Since the early 2000s, major projects such as the Northern Busway, the electrification of the rail network, and the introduction of the AT HOP card have supported a sustained recovery in ridership. A region‑wide redesign of bus routes in the 2010s further improved access to frequent services.
Ongoing and planned initiatives, including the City Rail Link and the Eastern Busway, aim to expand capacity and provide faster, more reliable connections as Auckland continues to grow.

History

19th and 20th century

Horse-drawn trams operated in Auckland from 1884. The Auckland Electric Tram Company's system was officially opened on 17 November 1902. The Electric Tram Company started as a private company before being acquired by Auckland City Council.
The enabled and shaped much of Auckland's growth throughout the early 20th century. Auckland's public transport system was very well utilised, with usage peaking at over 120 million boardings during the Second World War, when Auckland's population was less than 500,000.
Following dissatisfaction from suburban boroughs and town districts with how the tramway was being managed by the Auckland City Council a Royal Commission inquiry was held. The inquiry led to the creation of the Auckland Transport Board in 1928, which managed the tramway system in the greater Auckland urban area. The Auckland Transport Board expanded the system from 1930 to 1932 with services extending to Meadowbank, Point Chevalier, Dominion Road, Three Kings, and Avondale.
Despite issues in the governance and service quality issues public transport was profitable from the institution of the Auckland Transport Board to 1956.
Auckland's extensive tram network was removed in the 1950s, with the last line closing in late 1956. Although a series of ambitious rail schemes were proposed between the 1940s and 1970s, the focus of transport improvements in Auckland shifted to developing an extensive motorway system. Passionate advocacy from long-time Mayor of Auckland City Council Dove-Myer Robinson for a "rapid rail" scheme was ultimately unsuccessful.
Removal of the tram system, little investment in Auckland's rail network and growing car ownership in the second half of the 20th century led to a collapse in ridership across all modes of public transport. From a 1954 average level of 290 public transport trips per person per year, patronage decreased rapidly. 1950s patronage levels were only reached again in the 2010s, despite Auckland's population growing four-fold over the same time period.
These decisions also shaped Auckland's growth patterns in the late 20th century, with the city becoming a relatively low-density dispersed urban area with a population highly dependent on private vehicles for their travel needs. By the late 1990s ongoing population growth and high levels of car use were leading to the recognition that traffic congestion was one of Auckland's biggest problems.

21st century

As concerns over urban sprawl and traffic congestion grew in the 1990s and early 2000s, public transport returned to the spotlight, with growing agreement of the "need for a substantial shift to public transport". Growing recognition that Auckland could no longer "build its way out of congestion" through more roads alone led to the first major improvements to Auckland's public transport system in half a century:
  • Britomart Station, now known as Waitematā, was opened in 2003, the first major upgrade of Auckland's rail network since World War II. This project allowed trains to reach into the heart of Auckland's city centre and acted as a catalyst for the regeneration of this part of downtown Auckland.
  • The Northern Busway was opened in 2008, providing Auckland's North Shore with rapid transit that enabled bus riders to avoid congestion on the Northern Motorway.
  • A core upgrade of Auckland's rail network between 2006 and 2011, known as , which included double-tracking of the Western Line, the reopening of the Onehunga Branch line to Onehunga, a rail spur to Manukau City and a series of station upgrades.
  • Electrification of the Auckland rail network and the purchase of new electric trains from Spanish manufacturer CAF. Electric train services commenced in 2014. All remaining diesel services, last used on a shuttle service, were phased out in 2022.
  • A complete redesign of the region's bus networks between 2012 and 2019 which significantly expanded "frequent" service and reduced duplication.
  • Implementation of an integrated ticketing and multi-modal fares system, through the AT HOP card and contactless payments.
  • Electric AT buses and depots began replacing diesel in 2020. In March 2024 there were 138 zero-emission buses, including one double-decker.
Despite these improvements, the lack of investment in Auckland's public transport system throughout the latter part of the 20th century means the city still has much lower levels of ridership than other major cities in Canada and Australia. Auckland's ongoing strong population growth and constrained geography means that Auckland's transport plans now have a strong focus on further improving the quality and attractiveness of public transport. In 2018 the government and Auckland Council released the Auckland Transport Alignment Project, valued at NZ$28 billion over 10 years., of which $9.1 billion was for additional public transport projects, including: the completion of the City Rail Link; the construction of the Eastern Busway, the Northern Busway extension to Albany; the extension of the railway electrification to Pukekohe; and a third main line between Westfield and Wiri or Wiri and Papakura, to allow freight trains to bypass stationary passenger trains; further new electric trains and the construction of a new light rail line, the City Centre–Māngere Line.
In late January 2022, the New Zealand Government approved a NZ$14.6 billion project to establish a partially tunneled light rail network between Auckland Airport and the Wynyard Quarter in the Auckland CBD. The newly elected coalition government cancelled the project in January 2024.

Buses

AT services

Buses provide for around 70% of public transport trips in Auckland. Most routes are classified as either "frequent", "connector" or "local", with distinguishing features being minimum baseline standards for frequencies and operating hours. Bus services classed as frequent generally run from around 6am to midnight and are required to operate at least every 15 minutes from 7am to 7pm.
A limited number of buses linking Auckland's suburbs and city centre after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights only, with Northern Express services on the Northern Busway on the North Shore running half-hourly until 3:00 a.m.
Services are contracted by Auckland Transport and operated by a number of private companies, including:
  • Bayes Coachlines – only operates 989 Milldale loop.
  • Go Bus - operates services in South and East Auckland as well as Hibiscus Coast
  • Howick & Eastern Buses - operates services in East Auckland
  • NZ Bus - operates services in North, West and Central Auckland
  • Ritchies Transport - operates services in North, West and South Auckland
  • Tranzurban Auckland – contracted operator of NX2 services on the Northern Busway. Also operates Western Express, 11T, 11W and 12 after April 2025 changes.
  • Waiheke Bus Company
AT began rebranding bus services to AT Metro in 2014–2015 to create a single identity for all bus services, with some exceptions like the Link buses which retained their red, green and orange colours.
In 2023, AT began decommissioning the AT Metro brand, replacing it with the refreshed AT brand identity. The livery colours were initially retained. In 2025, Māori design elements, including a Tangaroa figure, were introduced and also a lighter, vibrant blue for the Western Express electric double-decker fleet. File:Auckland Tranzit - BCI Citirider @ NX2, Victoria Park .jpg|thumb|A BCI CitiRider operating as a Northern Express service
There are five Link services; all accept fare payment by AT HOP card or bank card and all run from early morning to late evening, 7 days of the week.
The new Manukau Bus Station was officially opened in April 2018 and bus services from the new facility began, serving South and East Auckland. Since the central crosstown bus changes in November of 2024, the OuterLink now operates a non-loop design route.

Airport services

The AirportLink bus provides a connection to Puhinui Station where Southern Line or Eastern Line services connect from Britomart Station, officially known as Waitematā, in downtown Auckland. It also serves Manukau Station to provide connections to the east. Bus 38 connects the Airport to Māngere and Onehunga.