There's hope that the Te Huia train service from Hamilton to Auckland is on track for more funding after July.
An interim performance assessment of the past two years shows increased demand with targets for 250 passengers a day on weekdays and 100 on the weekend being achieved.
It's also meeting its net emissions goal 80 percent of the time.
Waikato regional councillor Angela Strange says the service has been exceeding established targets.
"What the report doesn't show is that since we've added new services, we're smashing those targets out of the room."
LISTEN ABOVE

Enda Brady: UK correspondent on the additional calls for Sir Keir Starmer to resign
04:23

Paul Bloxham: HSBC Chief Economist ahead of Australia's 2026 federal budget
04:17

Jamie Mackay: The Country host on what the latest Rabobank agribusiness monthly report means for Kiwi farmers
04:46