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Major rail upgrades during extended Labour Weekend closure Major rail upgrades during extended Labour Weekend closure

Date: 20 October 2025

Major rail upgrades to enable more frequent, reliable trains and create safer access to train stations will be carried out during an extended Labour Weekend rail closure.

Auckland trains will not be running from Friday 24 October to Monday 27 October, allowing the 24/7 work needed to be ready for City Rail Link opening next year. It means crews can work safely and deliver more work on tracks and at stations during a shorter period.

Rail replacement buses will be ready and waiting to keep Auckland moving.  

Auckland Transport Director of Public Transport and Active Modes Stacey van der Putten says the four-day closure maximises the amount of work that KiwiRail, AT and City Rail Link Ltd can get done.

This includes essential upgrades, renewals, overdue maintenance and multiple large-scale infrastructure projects, for example new pedestrian bridges at three stations to improve safety as train frequencies increase. 

“We're grateful for people’s patience. We schedule this type of work as close as possible to long weekends to help reduce disruption as much as possible, and squeeze in as much work as we can.

“Don’t forget that Friday 24 October is still a normal workday for many people. Plan ahead to make travel as smooth as possible," Ms van der Putten says.

“Four days with no trains allows us to blitz the network safely, getting a huge amount done – we’ll be working 24/7 where possible as we make this final push to get the network ready for the increased services CRL will bring,” says David Gordon, Chief Metro and Capital Programme Officer at KiwiRail.

Labour Weekend also marks the start of construction at Glen Innes, Takanini, and Te Mahia stations to replace level crossings with pedestrian bridges. These bridges are part of Auckland Transport, KiwiRail and NZTA’s wider programme to keep increasing rail services by replacing level crossings across Auckland with safer connections.

Rail bus replacement services stop at or near all train stations on all lines – Southern (RBS), Eastern (RBE), Western (RBW) and Onehunga (RBO). Aucklanders are also encouraged to use regular scheduled buses to and from the city centre, such as #18 from New Lynn, #70 from Panmure and #30 from Onehunga. 

Passengers can visit the AT website for detailed information on replacement bus routes, station-specific maps, and journey planning tools. 

City Rail Link is the biggest and most transformational rapid transit development for Auckland. When it is finished, the city will have a better, more connected transport system, making it easier to connect with people and places.  

Auckland Transport and KiwiRail thank Aucklanders for their patience and support as we continue to invest in a modern, high-capacity rail system for Auckland. 

Notes to the editor:

  • Visit “Trains running today in Auckland” for rail replacement bus timetables.
  • Eligible customers can book a free mobility taxi by calling 09 366 6400 
  • Subscribe to Service Alerts in the AT Mobile app to get notified about changes to your journey. 

Works summary:

  • Rail Network Rebuild priority upgrades, renewals, and overdue maintenance focusing on central suburbs such as Parnell and Morningside and along the Western Line between Glen Eden and Swanson.  
  • Network wide installation of new fibre and cables.   
  • Ongoing construction of new Southern Line train stations in Drury.  
  • Renewing rail assets such as the Parnell Tunnel.
  • Henderson Station third platform & emergency access bridge.    
  • Remuera Station heritage signal tower refurbishment.  
  • Newmarket Station weathertightness renewal and glass panel replacements. 
  • Construction and site investigations for Glen Innes, Takanini and Te Mahia Station pedestrian bridges to replace level crossings. 
  • Supporting NZTA’s bridge work at Drury.
  • Waitematā Station is getting a new jet fan for tunnel ventilation as well as new monitoring and safety improvement innovations.
  • In the City Rail Link, old fencing is coming down at key platforms, track is being evaluated, fresh signage and communications are going in, and improvements are being rolled out with testing underway.
  • Preparations for track adjustments to the North Auckland Line.