Rail work under way

Workers installing electrification masts at Newmarket train station. Photo / Steven McNicholl

About 200 rail workers threw themselves into a hectic summer construction programme throughout Auckland yesterday, including erecting the first of 3500 power supply masts for the $1 billion electrification project.

Several masts were erected through the Newmarket railway junction and above a new platform being built at the Baldwin Avenue station on the western line, as work began elsewhere around the region demolishing bridges and lowering tracks to create enough head-room for electrification.

The construction programme, which also includes installing new signals along tracks through the Britomart railway tunnel and the nearby Quay Park junction between the eastern and southern lines, has required a full shutdown by KiwiRail of Auckland's rail network for two weeks until January 10.

Although the western and Onehunga lines will reopen then, as will the southern line between Otahuhu and Britomart, there will be no passenger services until January 17 further south or on the eastern line through Sylvia Park and Glen Innes.

Buses have replaced trains on all routes in the meantime, including to and from Kingsland Station for yesterday's 20/20 cricket match between the Black Caps and Pakistan.

KiwiRail's summer shutdown project manager, Rob French, said it was the first time the full network had been closed to allow construction and maintenance crews to accomplish what was not possible while trains were running.

The network faces two more summer shutdowns before the electrification project - for which $500 million is being spent on reticulation infrastructure and $500 million on new trains - is finished in 2013-14.

Although five bridges are being replaced between Papatoetoe and Papakura and the 800m Purewa railway tunnel is being lowered this summer, Mr French he said the premier job of the season was probably the re-signalling around Quay Park.

That is needed to ensure trial runs of "bi-directional" Rugby World Cup rail operations can take place early in the New Year, in which trains will run in the same direction on both sets of tracks from Kingsland Station.

The first such trial is due on February 19 for a rugby clash between the Auckland Blues and Canterbury Crusaders at the opening of the Super 15 season at Eden Park.

KiwiRail believes most Aucklanders have become tolerant of its Christmas-New Year shutdowns, particularly as they can see tangible results afterwards, which included the completion of the Newmarket railway station last summer.

So tolerant in fact, that as workers prepared to demolish a bridge over the railway tracks at Station Rd in Manurewa at 7am yesterday, a group of residents set up deck-chairs in a back-yard overlooking the site and settled down for the day with an ample supply of beer to enjoy the show.