Following on from discussions earlier this week about a possible future Metro for Auckland, I have got drawing with Photoshop! This is only the Auckland City part of the East-West Metro and would certainly be built much later than the Manukau City part (which follows the alignment in this post).
The outcome is below:
For a much more zoomed in version click here.
Blue sections may be able to be built above ground, red sections would probably need to be underground. 17 stations in all I think.
Processing...
Hi – is that route based off anything in the Australian report or just an idea?
Thanks Jarbury.
before you get too excited, remember that the metro will cost billions which we don’t have.
I actually think that you may be doing a diservice to public transport in promoting such a pipe dream, and we should instead focus on concrete proposals, such as integrated ticketing, the CBD rail loop, to be built now, instead of metros to be built decedes into the future.
A more realistic alternative to the metro would be the Howick/Botany line, the CBD rail loop, and building the Auckland section of the proposed metro as light rail, using dedicated lanes on roads for it.
On a slightly different note, could you rename your blog the NZ transport blog, and have a few posts about Wellington (where I live) and Christchurch and the rest of the country. I quite enjoy this blog, and would like it more if Wellington was not left out.
It is based off the Parsons Brinkerhoff report – at least my interpretation of it.
Nick – Yes there is the issue that this Metro idea could distract from important public transport projects that need to happen in the next decade or two – like all the ones you mention. However, I think it’s also good to have a plan for what we do if/when our rail system (with the CBD loop, Howick/Botany Line, Airport Line) becomes saturated. There will be a limit to the number of trains that can run through the CBD loop for example, and I dont really think it’s feasible for us to build that loop with 4 tracks.
Regarding the rest of the country, I would like to but I simply don’t know anywhere near enough about cities outside Auckland to speak with any authority on their transport issues.
I know this a very old post, but I do think it still has some relevance today for Auckland’s light rail project.
If light metro is selected for CC2M, the east-west city tunnel under Wellesley St could long-term accommodate both the North Shore-Mangere service pattern and a Northwest-East service pattern as illustrated in the above map and the Parsons Brinkerhoff report’s aspirational metro map.
Additionally, such an east-west city tunnel could also potentially allow for two future branches – a second harbour crossing from Quay Park under Devonport and Takapuna, and a second Isthmus metro corridor – which could create a third Northeast-Southwest service pattern assuming that 75-90 second headways are achievable with automated light metro.
e.g.
Line 1: Hibiscus Coast – City – Manukau Rd – Airport, every 4-5 minutes
Line 2: Whangaparaoa – Takapuna – City – Huapai, every 4-5 minutes
Line 3: Sandringham Rd – City – Botany – Airport, every 4-5 minutes
(not forgetting of course a crosstown line and in the long run a Upper Harbour line)