Interchanges and stations

The Public Transport Design Guidance supports road controlling authorities – regional and local councils, and public transport contracting authorities and consultants to deliver consistent and user-centric public transport infrastructure.

The public transport interchanges and stations topic within the guidance sets out a principles-based process and advice for planning and designing public transport interchanges throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

Draft guidance document

This guidance will be useful for:

• planning and delivering public transport services
• the master-planning of land use and infrastructure
• communicating the benefits of public transport infrastructure projects to the public
• finding ways to make public transport more attractive and drive growth in use.

Public transport design guidance: public transport interchanges and stations [PDF, 9 MB]

What are public transport interchanges and stations?

A public transport station provides large scale access to public transport services with many users. Stations may serve a variety of routes or one high quality route. Many public transport stations also serve as interchanges where people can transfer between public transport services and routes.

Interchanges and stations may be used for joining the public transport network or for transferring or connecting passengers between routes. Interchanges and stations may also include other activities such as retail or offices. Bus stations, railway stations and ferry terminals are all covered by this guidance.

Why are interchanges and stations important?

Public transport interchanges give customers access to a wider public transport network. By linking services to form a network, more travel opportunities are unlocked. Interchanges and stations should allow easy, quick, and safe transfers to be made between services. They can also provide key links with walking, cycling and road networks.

Interchanges and stations have an important role in making public transport a more attractive choice. This has potential benefits for safety, public health, the environment, urban spaces, and economic prosperity. 

What does this guidance cover?

This guidance identifies the main principles, priorities and considerations for the planning and design of public transport interchanges and stations. This includes:

• the types of users at interchanges and stations and their differing needs
• the interchange and station categories and their impact on design and planning
• optimising interchange and station locations for accessibility and convenience
• designing for people to support safety, security, accessibility, legibility, navigability
• designing for vehicles to provide an efficient, safe and effective facility
• managing conflicts and separating movement of people and vehicles
• implementation, including consenting and consultation processes
• designing for operation and maintenance activities
• case studies and examples from existing interchanges and stations.