Tracking the nation’s networks with new Transport report
The Ministry of Transport has launched a new report, the Transport Network Performance Report, providing a comprehensive picture of how Aotearoa New Zealand’s air, road, rail, port and public transport networks are performing at a national level.
For professionals across the sector, this new quarterly report offers data-backed insights that can support infrastructure planning, service investment, and operational improvements. Below is a summary of the Ministry’s April 2025 Transport Network Performance Report.
Road network: High use, mixed data availability
Demand remains high on New Zealand’s state highway network, with 2024 monthly averages showing around 11.5 million light vehicle movements and 550,000 heavy vehicle movements. Despite strong use, recent telemetry gaps have limited the reliability of 2023 data, with January to October figures excluded due to a contractor handover issue.
Reliability and supply data remain notably absent from this mode, which may hinder performance evaluations for logistics operators. However, user satisfaction is strong, with 70 per cent of survey respondents rating their private vehicle journeys highly (8 or more out of 10) in 2024.
On safety, road fatalities dropped 14 per cent compared to 2023, although the total number of deaths and serious injuries remained broadly consistent. This suggests that while some progress has been made, serious non-fatal incidents continue to be a concern.
Public transport: Growth in use, but reliability gaps remain
Public transport networks, such as buses, trains, and ferries, showed modest growth in patronage in 2024, with bus boardings up 13 per cent, trains up 6 per cent, and ferries up 9 per cent. Notably, passenger kilometres grew even more (15 per cent for buses), indicating longer average trip distances.
Cancellations fell across all modes, especially for buses and ferries, which points to improved service delivery. However, punctuality declined slightly, with on-time departures falling by 3 – 4 percentage points compared to 2023. In contrast, overall service reliability improved, with fewer last-minute disruptions.
User experience also trended upward. In 2024, 5 percentage points more passengers reported a positive journey experience compared to the previous year, suggesting an improvement in service perception despite punctuality dips.
This data is especially valuable for local and regional planners. Where reliability is improving but punctuality lags, targeted operational changes may be needed to align timetables with real-world performance.
Rail freight: Stable lift, reduced volumes
Rail freight volumes tell a nuanced story. While the weight of freight lifted remained similar to 2023, the total freight moved (tonne-kilometres) dropped by 6 per cent. This suggests shorter hauls or lighter loads overall (a potential signal for supply chain strategists to investigate modal shifts or regional demand fluctuations).
Reliability, however, was a bright spot. Rail services in 2024 were, on average, 2.3 percentage points more punctual in departures and 2.8 points better in arrivals than in 2023. Safety also remained strong, with zero deaths or serious injuries among KiwiRail staff during freight operations.
Unfortunately, customer satisfaction remains unmeasured for this mode, limiting visibility into operator–client dynamics. For freight and logistics professionals, the current punctuality gains signal improved scheduling confidence, but broader performance tracking still has room to mature.
Ports: Efficiency gains despite lower ship visits
In the port sector, container ship visits held steady, but overall port demand (including bulk and tanker ships) declined by 4 per cent year-on-year. Despite this, ports moved 10 per cent more containers in 2024 and achieved a corresponding 10 per cent increase in ship productivity, as measured by containers handled per hour.
These efficiency gains suggest that automation, process improvements, or demand clustering may be delivering better outcomes, even as ship traffic fluctuates.
From a safety perspective, there were two medical-related deaths in port zones in Q3 2024, but otherwise, no serious injuries or fatalities were reported in the second half of the year. Like rail, port customer satisfaction is not yet routinely measured, limiting a full assessment of service quality.
Aviation: Domestic sector outperforms trans-Tasman
Aviation data is newly added to the report and provides fresh insights into both domestic and international passenger travel. In 2024, domestic passenger boardings increased 7 per cent, with international boardings rising 3 per cent. Summer months saw expected seasonal peaks in both sectors.
On competitive domestic routes, flights departed on time 79 per cent of the time and arrived on time 80 per cent of the time, well ahead of trans-Tasman flights, which had 65 per cent on-time departures and 69 per cent on-time arrivals. Cancellations across all routes stayed low, between 0.7 per cent and 2.5 per cent monthly.
Safety remained strong, with fewer than one injury or fatality per quarter, reinforcing commercial aviation’s strong safety culture. However, customer satisfaction is not yet tracked, creating a blind spot for airlines and airport operators seeking to benchmark travel experience.
This inaugural quarterly report offers a foundation for sector-wide performance conversations. While some networks have mature datasets, particularly roads and public transport, others, like aviation and ports, are still building their reporting capabilities.
Key takeaways include:
- Data gaps in road supply and reliability measures should prompt investment in telemetry infrastructure to support freight modelling and congestion management.
- Public transport data is improving, but punctuality issues suggest a need to reconcile scheduling with real-time operations.
- Rail freight’s reliability gains could support a case for shifting more volume from road to rail, especially if coupled with emissions data in future reports.
- Port productivity improvements, despite declining ship visits, may reflect smarter logistics management or post-COVID market adjustments.
- Aviation reporting lags in customer feedback, but current on-time performance metrics can still guide route planning and airport operations.
With quarterly updates ahead, professionals will be better equipped to track the impact of investment, policy, and innovation across the full spectrum of New Zealand’s transport system.