2026 Conference Programme

Tuesday, 26 May (online meetings)

7.30pm to 8.30pm

9.40am: Bus departs Double Tree Hotel for Auckland Airport
10.20am: Bus departs Auckland Airport
11am: Rain Forest Express site visit and morning tea
11.45am: Bus departs for Helensville Station Museum, and lunch (arr. 12.25pm)
2.15pm: Bus departs for Railway Enthusiast Society clubrooms in Onehunga (arr. 3.30pm)
6.30pm: Registrations at Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, 8 Hinau Road, Auckland

8.15am: Registrations continue
9am: Welcome and housekeeping – Jeff Tollan, FRONZ president
Auckland Council representative
Welcome from Conference host, Glenbrook Vintage Railway
9.20am: Speaker from New Zealand First (TBC)
9.50am: Morning tea
10.05am: City Rail Link update – Russel McMullen
10.35am: NZTA safety moment
11.05am: Track inspections and maintenance – Nigel Whitwell, GVR W&W manager
11.30am: How to engage with council – Andrew Kay, Franklin local board member
11.50am: A word from our sponsors (TBC)
12.30pm: Lunch
1pm: KiwiRail update – David Gordon
1.40pm: Update on the new rail ferries and their infrastructure – Chris McKenzie, Chair of Ferry Holdings Ltd
2.10pm: Insights from NZTA’s new rail safety regulator manager – Penlin Fantham
2.40pm: Chris Newman and Harvey Stewart from Rain Forest Express – The project, the difficulties
and its future.
3.10pm: Afternoon tea
3.30pm: TrackSafe – Megan Drayton
4.10pm: Break before bus trip to MOTAT (dep. 4.45pm)

5.15pm: Visit to MOTAT 1 and 2 sites, with train and tram rides, workshop visits, and a small meal. Price is additional to full conference fee
8.30pm: Bus departs MOTAT, arriving at the hotel about 9pm

8.40am: AGM sign in
9am: Tramways upate
9.10am: AGM
10am: Rail Heritage Trust update – Murray King
10.30am: Coach departs the Double Tree Hotel to Pukekohe Railway Station where you transfer to a GVR train for a trip to and tour (by rail) of the Glenbrook Steel Mill, then to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway for lunch, train trips and a tour of the railway. (Train dep. Pukekohe at 11am)
5pm: Bus departs Glenbrook Vintage Railway for Hilton DoubleTree Hotel
5.30pm: Estimated arrival at Hilton DoubleTree Hotel.
6.30pm: 2026 FRONZ Awards Dinner

8.45am: Coach departs Double Tree Hotel to the Pukekohe Railway Station transfer to a
Glenbrook Vintage Railway steam excursion for a trip to Huntly (visit Huntly Station
Museum) on the way visit Mainline Steam’s new Mercer site and then coach from
Huntly to the Bush Tramway Club. (BBQ Lunch)
2.30pm: First bus departs Bush Tramway Club, direct for Auckland Airport (estimated 4pm arrival).
2.30pm: Second coach departs to Huntly, for those travelling by train.
3.15pm: Train departs Huntly for Pukekohe Railway Station
4.45pm: Bus departs Pukekohe for the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel (estimated 5pm arrival).