Public transport in the Manawatū-Whanganui region consists mainly of bus services operated under contract to Horizons Regional Council, together with the Capital Connection commuter train linking Palmerston North and Levin with Wellington.
Services are centred on the two largest urban areas, Palmerston North and Whanganui, and extend to towns such as Feilding, Marton, and Levin, as well as smaller rural communities.
Overview Public transport in the region is primarily provided by bus services that are managed by the regional council (which operates under the name Horizons Regional Council).
Passenger rail is limited, but the region is served by some services. The Capital Connection links the city of Palmerston North, as well as the towns of Shannon and Levin, to the Wellington Region. The train runs daily as a single morning commuter service into Wellington, before operating a return service in the afternoon. Additionally, the Northern Explorer stops in Palmerston North and Taumarunui six-times-a-week (three in each direction) while travelling between Auckland and Wellington. Taumarunui had previously been removed as a regular scheduled stop in 2012, but was reintroduced in 2022 after extensive lobbying from locals.
The region is unique in New Zealand for having an elevator as a public transport mode. The Durie Hill Elevator, in the city of Whanganui, provides access between the city centre and the suburb of Durie Hill and has been operating since 1919. Buses As the region consists of two cities as well as numerous towns and rural areas, bus services operate as part of three distinct networks that interconnect. An urban network serves Palmerston North (as well as Fielding) while another separate urban network serves Whanganui. A network of regional bus services connect the two cities to each other as well as the wider region. Palmerston North For the history of municipal services between 1921 and 1991, see Palmerston North City Buses.
The Palmerston North bus network were refreshed in March 2024, coinciding with the city introducing New Zealand's first all-electric bus fleet.
Palmerston North has eight cross-city bus routes that connect the city's suburbs, passing through the Main Street Bus Hub (MSBH) adjacent to The Square. All but one of these services operates every 30 minutes from approximately 6:30am to 9:00pm daily, increasing to every 15 minutes during weekday peak. An additional service connects Ashhurst with the city several times daily. Three routes provide direct weekday-only services between suburban areas and Massey University.
Ridership in August 2024 was at 99,156, an increase of over 20,000 compared to August 2023, and an increase of over 41,000 compared to August 2022. Palmerston North Bus Lines Table Route Start Via End Notes 101 Massey University Fitzherbert Avenue, Main Street Bus Hub (MSBH), Ruahine Street (PN Hospital) Palmerston North Airport One service per weekday travels via Atawhai Drive (101X) 102Awapuni (Maxwells Line) College Street, MSBH, Tremaine AvenueKelvin Grove (Roberts Line) 103Cloverlea (Benmore Avenue) Botanical Road, MSBH, Ruahine StreetHokowhitu (Albert Street) 104Highbury (Clarke Avenue) Featherston Street, MSBH, Main Street, Parnell Heights DriveKelvin Grove (Cemetery) 105Summerhill (Atlantic Drive) IPU, Fitzherbert Avenue, MSBH, Rangitikei StreetMilson (Apollo Park) 106Awapuni (Maxwells Line) Pioneer Highway, MSBH, Featherston Street, Mihaere DriveKelvin Grove (James Line) One service per weekday extends to Whakarongo School (106X) 107Westbrook (Havelock Avenue) Tremaine Avenue, MSBH, College StreetTerrace End (Brightwater Terrace) 108Awapuni (Rugby Street) Ferguson Street, MSBH, Rangiora AvenueRoslyn (Clyde Crescent)Weekday interpeak only 114Ashhurst State Highway 3Main Street Bus Hub 121 Papaioea (Ward Street) Albert Street, Te Awe Awe Street Massey University Weekdays only 122Takaro (Wood Street)Botanical Road, College StreetMassey UniversityWeekdays only 123Summerhill (Atlantic Drive)IPUMassey UniversityWeekdays only
Whanganui The Whanganui urban bus network consists of ten routes which converge on the city centre where multiple routes run parallel along a common corridor. For the last few decades, the city has had a bus network focused on coverage with a large number of low-frequency bus routes aimed at providing service coverage to most areas. As a result, most routes are infrequent and only operate every two hours. However, in 2023, the city saw the introduction of a high-frequency bus route focused on patronage and moving large passenger numbers. The route, named Te Ngaru The Tide, runs on 20-minute frequencies between Castlecliff and Aramoho via the city centre bus corridor. In its first month of operation, the city saw an 86 percent increase in urban public transport trips when compared to the same month in the previous year. Whanganui Bus Lines Table Route Start End Via Frequency (approx) 201 Castlecliff Trafalgar Square (City Centre) Fitzherbert Avenue Every 2 hours Monday – Friday Three Saturday services 202 Whanganui Hospital Every 2 hours Monday – Friday Three Saturday services 203 Springvale Virginia Road Twice daily Additional interpeak service in the Springvale direction 204 Parsons Street Twice daily Additional interpeak service in the Trafalgar Square direction 205 Aramoho Harrison Street Every 2 hours Monday – Friday 206 London Street Every 2 hours Monday – Friday 207 Whanganui East Ikitara Road 208 Jones Street 209 Trafalgar Square (City Centre) Springvale, Aramoho Saturday only 210 – The Tide Castlecliff Aramoho Whanganui Hospital, Trafalgar Square (City Centre), Every 20 minutes Monday – Friday Hourly after 7 pm
Every 20 minutes 9 am – 3pm Saturday
Regional Some of the region's smaller towns and villages are inter-connected with 6 bus lines. Feilding is also served by its own "Orbiter" service. Regional Bus Lines Table Route Start End Via Frequency Notes 225 Whanganui Palmerston North Bulls, Sanson Daily return (Monday – Friday) 301Feilding (Manchester Square)Feilding (Manchester Square)Monday to SaturdayFeilding Orbiter311Feilding (Manchester Square)Palmerston North (Main Street Bus Hub)Bunnythorpe, PN Airport, PN HospitalMonday to SaturdayOne service per day bypasses the Airport and extends to Palmerston North Girls' High School (311G) N/A Levin Waikanae Manakau, Otaki Return service on Tuesdays and Thursdays Inter-regional service cross-boundary into the Wellington Region. Jointly funded by the Greater Wellington Regional Council. 401 Palmerston North Foxton, Himatangi Daily peak return service (Monday – Friday) 402 Off peak return service on Mondays Shannon, Tokomaru, Linton Off peak return service on Wednesdays N/A Taihape Palmerston North Ohingaiti, Hunterville, Marton, Bulls Return service on the first Thursday of every month Whanganui Ohingaiti, Hunterville, Marton, Turakina Return service on the third Thursday of every month A Day Out in Town (Horowhenua District bus service) Levin Levin Shannon, Foxton Beach, Foxton, Waitarere Beach One morning and one afternoon service on Fridays
Railway
The surveying of many of the region’s settlements -and particularly those away from the coast- coincided with the development of the North Island Main Trunk line during the late 19th century. This resulted in many settlements being served by passenger rail.
Declines in passenger railway investments during the 20th century now means that only Palmerston North, Levin and Shannon are served by regular passenger train services. The Capital Connection connects these stations to the Kapiti Coast and Wellington, while the Northern Explorer also serves Palmerston North.
It is proposed that the Capital Connection’s services be expanded to run multiple times per day. Other Modes A tram system was proposed for Palmerston North in 1912 but was not implemented due to the First World War. Buses were ultimately chosen over trams and started services in 1921.
A rapid transit monorail system was proposed for Palmerston North in 1972. The service would have had three stops: Massey University at one end, the Square at the other end, and the Lido Aquatic Centre in the middle. The project was not implemented. References