My first train experience was during my Masters degree programme in England. I was to meet up with a Facebook friend I had been chatting with so, had to take the metro, London Underground. I cannot recall the tube line I used but I recall arriving at Kings Cross St Pancras station and feeling very lost and overwhelmed by how spectacular it was. Kings Cross St Pancras is massive; it’s also one of the transfer stations for international train out of England.
The friend I was meeting up had offered to help me with finding accommodation. I can’t remember his name because we had issues that led to him unfollowing me on Facebook. What I do recall is that he is Yoruba and the issue was one of miscommunication. He’d concluded that I was going to his babe, without asking me, until I told him that we should keep it platonic. He never understood why, hence the unfollow.
Side note: I have a thing for Yoruba men especially those without the h-factor. Throw in some muscle with a sprinkle of tattoo and you get me. ROTFL. Now back to trains.
London Underground raised my expectations for trains and metro systems. Honestly, I thought all the rail systems in “western” countries will be at least like the London Underground. I’ll soon come to learn that the opposite is the case. And the teacher that will make this possible will be Auckland Metro System.
The three main means of public transportation in New Zealand are buses, trains and ferries. Of this three, buses are the most common and cheapest, and somewhat fastest means of transportation. In Auckland, these systems are centrally managed by Auckland Transport. However, there are different companies who work under Auckland Transport to provide these services.
To use either bus, train or ferry for your journey, you’ll need the AT hop card (cost $10). You can pay cash however you’ll miss out on the lower fares and concessions available hence, it will be more expensive. I am not sure how it works now in the covid-19 era.
Here what a train experience in Auckland, the big apple of New Zealand, looks like.
This was my trip from Henderson to Newmarket.
AT hop card savings on fares for buses, trains and ferries:
- Transfer as many times as you like between buses, trains and ferries and pay just one fare for the entire journey (T&Cs apply)
- Full-time students get at least 20% discount on fares
- Children 5-15 years travel free on weekends and public holidays
- Children under 5 travel free anytime when accompanied with a paying passenger
#athop
For the first savings, it means you can transfer between AT buses, trains and ferries and pay just one fare for your entire journey with your AT HOP card. The condition here is that you must make the next transfer within 30 min of tapping off your previous trip and this is only valid for 4 hours after your first trip. Note that there are fare zones within Auckland so, this is very useful if you have to travel between zones.
An example, Sassy needs to get to Manukau from Devonport but she has to stop over at Newmarket mall to pickup an item. So, she takes (tags on) the ferry from Devonport to Quay street (tags off). Then, she transfers to bus 70 within 30 min of tagging off at Quay street. This bus service leaves from Custom street and will be passing through Newmarket where she will get off.
Once she’s done at Newmarket mall, she takes the train at Grafton to Manukau Station (again within 30 min of tagging off at the bus stop in Newmarket). The fare she’ll pay will be equal to the fare for travelling from City Zone to Manukau Zone, since she tagged on within 30 min between each trip; and the journey was not more than 4 hours, in total. This is regardless of the fact that she made a stop in the Isthmus Zone.
So, make as many transfers as you like between buses, trains and ferries. Just make sure you tag on within 30 minutes of tagging off your previous service and complete this journey within four hours. Find out more at AT website.
