First look at rail-link designs

The Government is due to start funding its half-share of the rail-link project in 2020. Photo / NZME.

Spectacular station made to resemble a stingray among artists’ impressions on public view.

Artists' impressions of Auckland's City Rail Link include a new underground station at Karangahape Rd built to resemble a stingray.

Auckland Transport says work with a Mana Whenua forum led to the design, chosen in reference to the area's namesake, Hape. The Maori chief was said to have made his own way from Hawaiki on the back of a ray.

The images are the first glimpse for Aucklanders of how the stations, streets and entrances along the rail link might look, as well as aerial views of a public space in Lower Queen St.

"We think people will be excited when they see these new spaces and what they'll do for the city," said CRL project director Chris Meale. "Together they represent the city's most significant place-shaping opportunity in the next decade."

The editor of the Auckland Transport blog, Matt Lowrie, said the pictures were promising. "It shows you're not just getting a City Rail Link, you're getting vastly improved public space as well."

The Karangahape station would be a unique development for Auckland, Mr Lowrie said.

At 33m below street level, it would be much deeper than any of the stations on the current network, with three lots of escalators needed to get to the platform.

Images showed designers were focusing on getting as much natural light into the station as possible.

"It will be interesting to see how much they spend on that," said Mr Lowrie. "It's not like in London, where you go on to the train in dark and leave in dark; you'll only be down there a little while.

"I'm not sure they need to worry too much about natural light."

Mr Lowrie said the urban feel of the station would fit in well with the rest of Karangahape Rd.

The rail link is a $2.4 billion project, for which early work will begin in Albert St in November. Lower Queen St will be dug up in January. The link goes from Britomart, under the Downtown Shopping Centre and up Albert St to Wyndham St.

The Government is due to start funding its half-share of the project in 2020, unless Auckland Council can meet tough rail patronage and employment targets.

However, Auckland Transport has been making steady progress this year, with a deal struck with a developer, Precinct Properties, to ensure underground tunnels would be built near the waterfront.

In March, it said it had now bought 58 of the 70 surface properties it needs, spending $85 million securing the route. It now controls 83 per cent of the properties needed.

It has also appointed two construction groups - Downer NZ and Soletanche Bachy JV and Connectus (McConnell Dowell and Hawkins JV) - to commence the first phase of construction in the downtown area, at a cost of about $3 million.

Check it out
Auckland Transport is showcasing design plans for the $2.4 billion underground railway and associated public spaces until tomorrow in Queen Elizabeth Square.
The showcase, which includes artists' impressions of stations and surrounding streets, runs from 10am-4pm.

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