Rail funding steams ahead

By JULIET ROWAN

Rail received the lion's share of almost $60 million in transport grants announced by Infrastructure Auckland yesterday.

The regional funding agency gave $25.5 million for a project to improve 11 railway stations throughout the Auckland region. An additional $9.5 million was allocated for a "baby Britomart" station development at Henderson.

The Auckland Regional Transport Network (Artnl) project will revamp 11 of about 40 stations in the region.

"Baby Britomart", a joint project by Artnl and Waitakere City Council, will create a transport interchange for pedestrians, cyclists, trains, buses and cars.

The aim is also to attract commercial and residential development in the Henderson Town Centre area.

Platforms, lighting, seating, signage, access and security will be upgraded at the other 11 stations. Park-and-ride facilities, drop-off points and bus interchanges will be added to some.

The stations are Papakura, Homai, Puhinui, Manurewa, Middlemore, Panmure, Orakei, Meadowbank, Morningside, Ellerslie and Baldwin Ave.

Artnl chief executive Martin Gummer said work could begin as early as October and would be completed between March and September next year.

The upgrades are part of a wider rail project for the Auckland region that aims to boost the number of rail trips to 20 million a year by 2015. The current figure is just over 3 million.

The Henderson station is projected to cost $13.5 million. Waitakere City Council initially asked Infrastructure Auckland for $11.6 million and was granted just over $8 million.

But lobbying by Mayor Bob Harvey saw the amount rise to $9.5 million.

The $25.5 million grant for the 11 stations will cover 86 per cent of the project cost. Local councils will make up the rest.

The money comes after a $6 million grant last year that was used to create three signature stations at Glen Innes, Papatoetoe and Ranui.

Other transport grants included $13.66 million for a "busway" in central Auckland.

It will run from Britomart to Newmarket via Customs St, Anzac Ave, Symonds St, Grafton Bridge, Park Rd and Khyber Pass.

Permanent bus lanes will be installed along the route and carparks will be removed.

Waitakere residents will gain 16km of 2m-wide walkways and cycleways along the banks of the Oratia, Waikumete and Opunaku streams to Henderson Town Centre with money from a $5.2 million grant.

In Manukau City, $4.1 million will be used to fund more than 40km of cycleways, mainly along main roads.

A $1.75 million grant to North Shore City and Rodney District will be used for a global positioning satellite (GPS) system that will give buses more green lights and allow passengers waiting at stops to see when the next bus will arrive.

Yesterday's grants from Infrastructure Auckland, which has $1.3 billion in assets, were its last. Regional funding decisions pass to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority at the end of the month.

Infrastructure Auckland grants

$25.5 million for revamping railway stations in the Auckland region.

$13.66 million for a central city "busway".

$9.5 million for a new Henderson railway station.

$5.2 million for walkways and cycleways in Waitakere City.

$4.1 million for cycleways in Manukau City.

$3.3 million for regional stormwater projects.

$1.75 million for a global positioning satellite (GPS) system along bus routes in North Shore City and Rodney District.