NIMT High Speed Rail Line

The North Island Main Trunk Line High Speed Rail was built between 2024-2031 under Jacinda Ardern's "Green New Deal" programme in order to reduce airplane usage between Auckland and Wellington. The programme cost nearly $7 Billion and was very controversial when it was first being built. However over time it has become popular due to its reduction in travel time between the two cities from 10 hours to 3 hours. The line travels at 160km/h to Hamilton then goes 300 km/h through the countryside before slowing to 160km/h again at Levin for the approach to Wellington. 400,000 people use the service annually and it has cut passenger numbers on airlines between Auckland and Wellington by 30%