City Rail Link
The City Rail Link (CRL) is an underground rail line linking Britomart and the city centre with the existing western line near Mt Eden.
Project status: Design
Project zone: Central
Project purpose
The CRL is key to delivering the Auckland Plan, the City Centre Master Plan, the Long Term Plan and the Integrated Transport Programme.
- Top transport priority for Auckland.
- Auckland will grow by more than 700,000 people in the next 30 years and the CRL coupled with bus improvements is the only way to keep Auckland moving.
- Current public transport will be unable to cater for this growth, hindering economic development.
- The CRL will provide opportunities for development, particularly around the stations.
Benefits
- The dead end at Britomart limits the capacity of Auckland’s rail network.
- The CRL will double rail capacity to allow more frequent services.
- Travel times across the entire rail network will be shorter.
- Many services will be more direct.
- The number of people within 30 minutes train travel of a city centre station will double.
- Better city access will boost employment and the economy.
- Will provide for future expansion of the network to the North Shore and the airport.
- Opportunities for station development and city shaping.
Travel time to City Rail Link Station
| From | To | Travel by train/bus (minutes) -current | Travel by train/bus (minutes) -future | Travel by train/bus (minutes) - difference | % Improvement in travel time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papkura | Aotea Station | 66 | 57 | 9 | 14% |
| Manurewa | Aotea Station | 56 | 47 | 9 | 16% |
| Papatoetoe | Karangahape Station | 52 | 34 | 18 | 35% |
| Swanson | Karangahape Station | 71 | 40 | 31 | 44% |
| Henderson | Aotea Station | 52 | 35 | 17 | 33% |
| New Lynn | Britomart Station | 33 | 26 | 7 | 21% |
| Kingsland | Karangahape Station | 37 | 6 | 31 | 84% |
| Manukau | Karangahape Station | 55 | 43 | 12 | 22% |
| Panmure | Karangahape Station | 35 | 23 | 12 | 34% |
| Glen Innes | Aotea Station | 27 | 18 | 9 | 33% |
| Onehunmga | Aotea Station | 40 | 31 | 9 | 23% |
| Ellerslie | Karangahape Station | 35 | 17 | 18 | 51% |
| Newmarket | Aotea Station | 20 | 11 | 9 | 45% |
| Karangahape Station | Britomart | 18 | 6 | 12 | 67% |
Milestones
- Planning hearing concluded – NoR conditions have been confirmed subject to six appeals.
- Property purchases started - about 40 bought.
- Subterranean property survey has started.
- The Principal Technical Advisor is now working on the reference design.
Project details
- The City Rail Link (CRL) will extend Auckland’s passenger rail system past Britomart to connect to the existing regional rail network at Mt Eden.
- Britomart will become a through station with new stations near Aotea Square and Karangahape Road, and a redeveloped station at Mount Eden.
- The current phase is to confirm and protect a route to enable future construction.
- The CRL will use twin 3.4km long tunnels up to 42 metres below city centre streets.
- It’s estimated to take five and a half years to build at a cost of $2.5 billion when inflated to 2024.
Costs and funding
(As identified in Auckland Council Long Term Plan, discussions are continuing with central government)
- Cost of $2.5 billion (inflated to year of spend).
- 50% central government funded.
- 50% local government funded.
Key facts
Two new underground stations at Aotea (11m depth) and K Rd (33m), and a redeveloped Mount Eden Station.- Cut and cover construction along Albert Street and at Eden Terrace.
- Majority will be with tunnel boring machine (TBM).
- 7.5metre diameter TBM (about half the size of Waterview TBM).
- About 1million cubic meters of spoil - more than Waterview because of station excavations.
- 88 subterranean properties affected by tunnels.
For more information on this project
Phone: (09) 355 3553
Mail: City Rail Link, Private Bag 92250, Auckland 1142
