There's a little more pain to come for Auckland rail commuters as the city's huge rail programme marches on – but the pleasure of a "game changing", international-class transport system should more than compensate.
That's the message from Auckland Transport ahead of the next round of activity on the city's rail links, probably beginning in the middle of the year as four major rail projects run by AT and partners begin to reach their peak.
It's only by appreciating the scale of what AT, Kiwi Rail and City Rail Link, are taking on that commuters will be able to understand why their normal services will be disrupted from time to time – all communicated ahead of time.
Christian Messelyn, AT's Portfolio Delivery Director, Alliances Portfolio, says the scale of work on Auckland's rail system is like nothing seen before in the city. There are four main projects on the go:
- The City Rail Link, the $4.45 billion twin-tunnel underground link which will transform the Britomart station into a true two-way through-station by end-2024, connecting the whole of the rail network. It will allow a doubling of rail capacity – more trains, more seats and more services. The next round of activity will see connectivity work at Britomart and Mt Eden over the weekends and some nights.
- The electrification of the Papakura-Pukekohe line, part of the $1.5bn Auckland Metro Programme, expected to see electric trains running all the way to Pukekohe from the CBD, without commuters having to change in Papakura. Three new stations are planned and replacement bus services will be arranged while more work is done on the 19km line.
- The Third Main Line – this is the new line running from the Wiri container terminal to Quay Park in the CBD, designed to separate freight trains from passenger trains on one of Auckland's busiest rail links. There will be some closures coming up at weekends.
- The track renewal programme – happening network-wide, it is part of the drive to bring the network up to 21st century standards and to ensure the network is capable of handling extra and larger trains and increased services the infrastructure programme will allow.
Readying the network dovetails with moves already made to buy new trains and buses. Auckland will receive 23 new electric trains – a $330m order, adding to the existing 72 trains – about the same time the City Rail Link opens. In addition, AT has ordered 152 new electric buses over the next four years, aimed at routes serving the inner city.
"What we are expecting right now is that the various infrastructure works will soon be reaching their peak," says Messelyn, "and there will be disruptions to existing services. It's our duty to make sure our customers experience a seamless journey across the network as this work is done.
"That's why we are investing so much in terms of resource and activity to make sure this unavoidable disruption is managed properly; we'll make sure we communicate to customers in the right way.
"We know Aucklanders have put up with a lot so far – and we at AT are also impatient to reach the end. That's why we are working so hard with our partners to make sure this happens as quickly as possible."
The amount of work that gets done in a brief line closure is "incredible", he says, equivalent to four months' of weekend closures.
The projects do not include a fifth major project which will also be integrated with the City Rail Link and the airport – the government's newly confirmed light rail programme running from the Wynyard Quarter to Mt Roskill and then the airport, a 24km route with 18 stops and able to carry 15,000 people per hour at peak, costing an estimated $14bn.
Messelyn says such a huge scheme has implications for other forms of transport, which is what AT is working on now – but says Aucklanders will first see the benefits of the AT/Kiwi Rail/CRL projects by end-2024.
"At the end of it all, Aucklanders will have a superb system when the CRL opens, when the Papakura-Pukekohe line is running and the Third Main Line is on-line," he says. "There will be brand new stations and better connections throughout the network – like western line commuters being able to go directly into the city centre without changing at Newmarket.
"There will be more trains, more frequent services – every 7.5 minutes at peaks times – more seats and more options.
"I would equate the impact of what we are doing with that of the Harbour Bridge when it was opened. It will have the same kind of impact and will be regarded positively across the network."