Public transport in New Zealand consists of bus, boat, heavy rail, and some light rail facilities. Two of the country's largest cities, Auckland and Wellington, also have suburban rail systems, while many cities also operate local ferry services. The country's first metro system, the City Rail Link, opened in 2026 in central Auckland. There have been multiple proposals to build light rail in major cities, though none are currently being built. Remaining tramway lines include heritage lines in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter and in Western Springs at the Museum of transport and technology (MOTAT). Outside of Auckland there is a small heritage tram line in Whanganui and a small line in central Christchurch.
With the exception of the Wellington Region, from the 1960s New Zealand has shifted to have generally low rates of public transport usage, with 90% of urban trips by private cars in 2018. The decline, which was worse than in the United States in 2001, coincided with private cars becoming more affordable. Many extensive tramway systems were removed in the mid-century period as part of an Australasian trend. Public transport usage continued falling throughout the decades afterwards. Higher operations and maintenance costs from increased petrol prices also put operators at a financial loss.
Intercity public transport in New Zealand is very limited. Almost all intercity bus services are operated for-profit by a single private company, InterCity. InterCity operates only major national routes, and few connecting and regional routes. Intercity rail in New Zealand has declined sharply in the last few decades, being mostly composed of lines dedicated to tourists. There are two commuter only lines: Te Huia between Auckland and Hamilton, and the Capital Connection between Wellington and Palmerston North.
Poor usage has led government planners to assume that the disuse of public transport came from public distaste, rather than poor service, leading to a cycle of underinvestment and neglect. This is despite increasing population in the areas where public transport previously commanded ridership. A disorganised and fragmented governance structure around public transport has led to indecision and a lack of a uniform national and regional strategy. In the last few decades there has been increased interest in public transport, due to road congestion and environmental concerns. Public transport services have begun to be expanded and improved, and in some regions, like Auckland and Otago, patronage has been steadily increasing.
Usage Public transport usage in New Zealand is relatively low. According to the 2023 New Zealand census, only 3.7% of employed people commuted by bus, 1.3% by train, and 0.2% by ferry. In contrast, 66.1% drove themselves to work, 3.6% were passengers in a vehicle, 6.1% walked or cycled, and 17.7% worked from home. Public transport use was higher in the Wellington and Auckland regions, where public transport systems are more developed: 15.5% of Wellington residents and 7.8% of Auckland residents commuted via public transport. In comparison, just 0.1% of West Coast residents used public transport, largely due to the region’s low population density.
Public transport use is slightly higher among those travelling for education, primarily because many students are not old enough to drive and rely on other modes of travel. According to the 2023 New Zealand census, 6.9% of students travelled by public bus, 9.4% by school bus, 1.5% by train, and 0.1% by ferry. In contrast, 10.4% drove themselves, 40.8% were passengers in a vehicle, 21.4% walked or cycled, and 8.3% studied from home. Additionally, public transport use has become stigmatised as a form of welfare for people who cannot afford a private vehicle, leading decision makers to be passive around public transport improvements.
The Household Travel Survey's proportion of public transport trips was even lower, at 2.3% in 2013/14. These figures are for the whole of New Zealand and include centres that may have limited or no public transport.
In 2001, controversial analyst Wendell Cox described the Auckland Regional Council's (ARC) plan to increase public transport to the downtown area to 20% of total share as "a simply unachievable goal". He also described as "a fantasy" Christchurch's plans for an increase to 10–15% by 2018.
As can be seen from this table, there has been minimal increase over five years – public transport mode % of total trip legs by region (from NZ Household Travel Survey):
Region 2006/07 2013/14Northland0.1%0.2%Auckland2.7%3.9%Waikato0.5%0.9%Bay of Plenty0.4%0.9%Gisborne0.2%0.2%Hawkes Bay0.2%0.4%Taranaki0.2%0.4%Manawatu/Wanganui0.3%0.5%Wellington4.1%4.6%Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman0%0.2%West Coast0.1%0.1%Canterbury1.8%1.8%Otago0.6%0.9%Southland0.3%0.3% More up to date figures are available for numbers of bus passengers, which show declines in most areas outside the main cities:
Bus passenger boardings (millions)2012/132013/142014/152015/162016/17Northland0.310.320.310.320.32Auckland53.5355.8559.8060.2462.70Waikato4.324.374.344.093.99Bay of Plenty2.853.013.113.333.14Gisborne0.160.140.140.150.14Hawkes Bay0.760.800.740.690.69Taranaki0.560.580.590.610.61Manawatu/Wanganui1.621.581.451.361.30Wellington23.6123.9824.1024.3324.44Marlborough (with Nelson from 16/17)0.030.030.030.03 Nelson (incl. Marl from 16/17)0.350.400.420.410.45Canterbury13.4214.1714.2213.7413.25West Coast0.040.020.020.030.01Otago (incl. Queenstown)2.242.852.812.682.65Southland0.310.290.250.210.20Total104.11108.39112.32112.20113.89
Modes Buses are the most common form of public transport in New Zealand, making up the majority of trips in every city that has public transport (and often being the only public transport mode available). InterCity and SKIP BusNew Zealand's newest bus company set to hit the road are the only companies operating city to city bus transportations. They are followed by trains, which are found in Wellington and Auckland. Ferries also play a role, mainly in Auckland but also in other cities. Trams in New Zealand, while once common in many cities and towns, now survive only as heritage displays. Cable cars have also been employed; the Dunedin cable tramway system was both the second and second-last to operate in the world, while the Wellington Cable Car is now a funicular.
Provision by area
Auckland
Public transport in Auckland is managed by Auckland Transport (AT), a CCO of Auckland Council, under the AT and AT Metro brands. It consists of buses, trains, and ferries. The Auckland public transport system is New Zealand's largest by total passenger volume, although not by trips per capita.
Buses are the most widely used form of public transport in Auckland. They are operated by a number of companies, including NZ Bus, Ritchies Transport including Birkenhead Transport and Ritchies-Murphy, Howick and Eastern Buses, GoBus, Waiheke Bus Company (Fullers360), Pavlovich Coachlines, Bayes Coachlines and Tranzurban Auckland. The route network is dense, covering all parts of the Auckland urban area (including Waiheke Island).
Auckland also has a commuter rail system, one of two in the country. The system uses AM class electric trains, following the electrification of the Auckland rail network in 2014. Following the opening of the City Rail Link, there are three lines: East West Line (E-W), Onehunga West Line (O-W), and South City Line (S-C). The trains are operated by Auckland One Rail. During rail closures, rail replacement buses are run, contracted to Auckland's AT Metro contracted operators, or two charter companies Coachways New Zealand, Kiwi Coaches or Broughman Buses, among other smaller charter operators.
Ferries also play a significant role in Auckland's transport network — more so than in other New Zealand cities. Ferries travel between the city centre and a number of destinations, including several points on the North Shore, Half Moon Bay, Waiheke Island, Rangitoto Island, and Great Barrier Island. The largest operator is Fullers360.
Auckland, like many others in New Zealand, previously operated trams. The first, horse-drawn, ran in 1884. Electric trams were introduced in 1902, operating until 1956. The Museum of Transport and Technology subsequently constructed a 2 km heritage line linking its two sites and Auckland Zoo. A tourist-oriented tram service has operated at Wynyard Quarter since 2011.
Christchurch
The Christchurch public transport system is based principally around buses, although the city also has a ferry service and a heritage tramway. The services are operated under the Metro brand by bus companies Red Bus and Go Bus, administered by the regional council, Environment Canterbury.
Buses operate to all parts of the Christchurch urban area, including Lyttelton. There are also services to outlying towns such as Rangiora, Lincoln, and Burnham. There are around 40 routes in total.Metro – Timetables A free shuttle in the central city with hybrid-electric Designline buses was formerly operated until the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.Metro – The Shuttle (PDF)
Since 12 November 2007, Christchurch has been carrying out the first New Zealand trial for bikes on buses, which amongst other things gives cyclists access through the Lyttelton road tunnel.Progress with Bikes on Buses
A ferry service operates between Lyttelton and Diamond Harbour, a small settlement on the opposite side of Lyttelton Harbour.
Christchurch used to operate an extensive tram network,Christchurch Tramway – Education but this service was discontinued in 1954. In 1995, a heritage tramway was re-opened in the city centre, primarily serving tourists. The circuit was damaged by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and has since reopened.
Otago
Dunedin
Dunedin's public transport system is based around buses, and formerly, trams, and the Dunedin cable car. There are 20 routes, covering the Dunedin area (including Mosgiel and Port Chalmers), plus a service to Waikouaiti and Palmerston. Services are operated privately by Ritchies and Go Bus, on routes and fares determined by Otago Regional Council, under the brand name "Orbus".
The system operates primarily radially, with suburban buses heading into the centre city, and then back out to a suburb on the other side, before returning back the other way. There is also a single orbital route along the ridge of the city.
The majority of bus routes in the centre city run on the same streets, effectively increasing bus frequency between the University of Otago and The Oval. Despite this, all the roads in the CBD are open to all traffic, including the Dunedin Bus Hub terminal.
The city formerly operated other forms of public transport — the Dunedin cable tramway system (similar to the famous San Francisco cable cars) operated between 1881 and 1957, and electric trams operated on several routes from 1900 to 1956. Suburban trains ran from the Dunedin Railway Station to Mosgiel and Port Chalmers until 1979 and 1982, respectively.
Hamilton
Hamilton has a bus system under the name BUSIT covering most of its urban area, with around 25 routes.– Hamilton routes There are also bus services to (and sometimes between) other towns in the Waikato region — Taupō, Huntly, Coromandel, Thames, Tokoroa, Meremere, Te Kauwhata, Cambridge, Paeroa, Raglan, Mangakino, and Te Awamutu are among the destinations.BusIt Waikato regional services
Hamilton formerly had a commuter train to Auckland, the Waikato Connection. Proposals were floated in 2007 to re-instate the service. The proposal was dropped in a 2011 report in favour of extension only from Pukekohe to Tuakau. Plans for a commuter service between Hamilton and Papakura were revisited in 2017 and received funding in 2019. The service, called Te Huia, launched in April 2021.
Invercargill