Weekly Roundup 18-September-2026
Kia ora, and welcome to our weekly roundup of stories about transport, cities and housing. Our header image is by Scott Caldwell, and shows a celebratory banner over Karangahape Road this week: “We’ve got a new train!” This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday, we reported on the sights and delights of Day One of the City Rail Link, great stuff all round!…
9 Comments City Rail Link: credit where due
This post was originally published as an op-ed in The Post on 11 September 2026, just before the City Rail Link opened. The header image shows Len Brown, first Mayor of the SuperCity and “godfather” of the CRL addressing a Greater Auckland gathering on opening day. …
Want good housing policy? Speak up on revised PC120
It’s time for another round of consultation on Auckland’s housing policy.
After intervention by central government, an amended version of Plan Change 120 (aka PC120) is now up for public feedback. It’s open until 5pm on Thursday 24 September 2026, so hop to it!…
Absolutely chuffed: our report from CRL opening day
What a day! Sunday saw the first running of passenger trains through the City Rail Link tunnels and stations. Some of us were up before the birds to catch the very first train, while others took a more leisurely approach.
Below, we each share our thoughts and impressions from Day One – and we look forward to hearing yours.…
Weekly Roundup 11-September-2026
Kia ora, and welcome to our weekly roundup of stories about what makes cities great, including our own. Today’s header image shows our Matt Lowrie and Patrick Reynolds, with the godfather of the City Rail Link, former Mayor Len Brown, at today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.…
Rail ridership stats ahead of the CRL opening
The City Rail Link is being officially opened today – as in, a ribbon-cutting, with trains commencing from Sunday. So with passenger services just two days away, what better time to take a look at look at how the rail network has been performing, to help provide a bit of a benchmark for the transformation the CRL delivers.…
A vision realised: what the opening of the CRL means
Celebrate!
From Sunday 13th September 2026, an actual real Auckland Rapid Transit (ART) network will exist, for us all to use and enjoy!
You can see it – and its artful name – on the map below.
Comprised of three rail lines and five rapid bus lines, all in various stages of development, this multi-modal retro-fit of Aotearoa’s biggest city is one hell of a massive achievement.…
An appreciation of Auckland
This guest post by our esteemed planner friend Darren Davis appeared on his excellent blog Adventures in Transitland, and is reposted here by kind permission. With City Rail Link opening this Sunday (13th September), it’s timely to appreciate the sheer breadth of Auckland’s public transport transformation since the turn of the century.…
Let’s build resilience, reform government and reimagine our cities
The Post has been running a series of think-pieces on how to fix the country, and invited Greater Auckland director Matt Lowrie, among others, for an ideal “first 100 days” plan. We’re happy to share Matt’s take with our readers. Turns out you can say quite a lot in 750 words!…
How we got the CRL: Interview with Simon Bridges
To mark the opening week of the City Rail Link, here is the second interview in our ongoing series on the origins of the project. This one is with former transport minister, and former leader of the National Party, current chair of Waka Kotahi/NZTA, and CE of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Simon Bridges.…
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