Auckland Trains Up And Running After Winter Upgrade
Press Release: KiwiRail
Another successful partial rail closure complete as network readies for CRL .
Auckland rail services are back up and running following a successful partial closure to progress significant upgrades across the metro network in preparation for the City Rail Link (CRL) opening in 2026.
Around 400 team members worked night and day over the school holidays to upgrade and renew rail infrastructure at priority locations on Auckland's railway system. KiwiRail and our partners used the partial closure, which affected passengers on the Southern Line south of Puhinui, to continue to prepare the network for the more frequent trains the CRL will bring to the region.
'KiwiRail teams worked at more than a dozen sites in locations such as Homai, Te Mahia, and Takanini stations in south Auckland to rebuild foundations under rail lines and install new drainage,' said Dave Gordon, KiwiRail Chief Metro and Capital Programme Officer. 'KiwiRail would like to thank our neighbours living near these locations for their understanding as we undertake this critical 24/7 work.
'Our thanks also extend to the travelling public for their flexibility during this year's series of full and partial rail closures. When trains aren't running on parts of the network, our teams can remove the rail and sleepers and do the substantive work to the foundations and drainage which gives confidence that the network can support the additional trains CRL will enable.'
CRL will mean more train services across Auckland – not just the city centre – and shorter journey times. Upgrades and renewals are happening at priority areas across the rail network to get it ready for this change in 2026.
KiwiRail's Rail Network Rebuild (RNR) programme to upgrade and renew rail foundations and drainage is in its final stages. RNR work will continue for priority areas throughout the September/October school holidays, alongside some weekend work starting later this month in suburbs including Parnell and Newmarket.
Other work happening across the network includes cable and fibre installations, signalling upgrades, level crossing investigation work and the ongoing construction of the new Drury stations.
KiwiRail is continuing to upgrade drainage around Henderson Station in west Auckland so it can install new tracks and extend the platform before CRL opens next year. Auckland Transport has recently finished its project to install new lifts and escalators in the station.
More information about the range of rail improvement work in Auckland is available at: https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/our-network/our-regions/amp/
Where KiwiRail is working
For more information on where KiwiRail is working, clickhere: https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/our-network/our-regions/amp/upcoming-work/
Notes:
The City Rail Link will bring Auckland closer together
· City Rail Link will double the number of Aucklanders within a 30-minute train journey to the central city and increase rail capacity by at least 50 per cent on its opening day.
· It will also significantly cut journey times – for example Henderson to the city centre in just 35 minutes (save 24 minutes). Another example is Maungawhau Station (formerly Mt Eden) to Waitematā (Britomart) in under 10 minutes, which is about half the current time.
· Trains will run more frequently - every four minutes through the central city, every six minutes at least from all stations north of Puhinui on the Southern and Eastern Lines, every 8 minutes on the Western Line from Henderson and every 10 from Pukekohe.
© Scoop Media
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