City Rail Link

The CRL will give Aucklanders more trains, more often with faster, more reliable and direct services to more destinations. Britomart will become a through station, as was originally envisaged when it was built in 2003, allowing faster, more frequent and more reliable services across the whole passenger rail network.

The CRL will help shape the city’s future, linking to the existing rail system to support economic and population growth, helping Auckland become a globally competitive city. The project is being delivered by Auckland Transport.

The CRL will be built in two 3.5km long, twin tunnels up to 45 metres below the city centre. It will extend the existing rail line underground through Britomart, to Albert, Vincent and Pitt Streets, then cross beneath Karangahape Road and the Central Motorway Junction and over to Symonds Street before rising to join the western line at Eden Terrace. Click on the map, above, to enlarge (JPG 3MB)

The line would provide for three additional city centre stations in the vicinity of the Aotea Centre, Karangahape Road and Newton. As much as possible the project is below city streets to reduce the need for effects for property owners and city heritage buildings.

It is estimated the CRL will take five and a half years to build at a cost of $2.86 billion (at time of spend).

Mayor Len Brown says the identification of the route is the next big step towards the completion of one of the most important public transport projects in the history of Auckland.

Auckland’s city centre relies heavily on its ease of accessibility for its prosperity and future development.

Over the next 30 years, 75 per cent of New Zealand’s population growth is expected to occur in Auckland. By 2040,
2.1 million people are expected to live in Auckland, an estimated 42 per cent of New Zealand’s population. Keeping Auckland moving in the face of this growth is a major challenge.

The ability of private transport to meet this projected growth will be severely limited by the capacity of city centre streets, parking and demands from buses and pedestrians. There are already significant constraints in the existing transport network; most approaches to the city centre are at or near capacity in peak periods.

Over the past decade, rail patronage has increased from 2.2 million trips a year to 9.5 million – a growth of 332%.
The rail system is constrained by the limited capacity of the Britomart terminus.

Investment in the transport network to cater for increased travel demand will be essential if Auckland is to achieve its goal of a thriving regional economy and becoming the world’s most liveable city.

Background to the City Rail Link

In 2009, an investigation was undertaken to determine a route for the CRL for inclusion in Auckland’s District Plans.

In 2010, consultants were appointed to identify the preferred route, prepare a concept design and a case to confirm an alignment for the study. The findings of that work was released in November 2010, and forwarded to the Government for consideration.

At the request of the Minister of Transport, the Ministry of Transport and Treasury reviewed the study.

Their Review, completed in May 2011, concluded that while more work needs to be done before proceeding with a project, it made strategic sense for Auckland Council to protect the route.