People in Huntly will soon be able to commute to Auckland by train - but is the much-hyped new train worth it? 

The Te Huia passenger rail service opens to the public just after Easter.

It travels from Frankton in Hamilton to Papakura in Auckland, stopping in Huntly along the way. Passengers will then have to swap onto the Auckland commuter line. 

It could potentially replace up to 73,000 return car trips annually.

There has however been some criticism of the fact the trip will take longer on the train than in a car.

Jodi Johnston from the Campaign for Better Transport told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford the service is only a 'two' on a scale of one to 10 for a variety of reasons - including the slow service and having to swap trains. 

"It only stops in Hamilton and Huntly, so a lot of people who live in small towns who work in Auckland can't even take a train to work."

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