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. Did you ride the trains yesterday? How was it? What did you see and hear?
But first, a roundup of some of the great coverage of Sunday (and see our previous post for coverage of Friday’s official ribbon-cutting).
How things went, and how it was reported
Things got off to a flying and very early start, only to hit a bit of a snag with a small electrical fire at Waitematā Station, which was unconnected to the CRL itself, and quickly extinguished. This led to precautionary evacuations (including at Karanga-a-hape and Maungawhau) and delays to services while Fire and Emergency staff worked on turning off the alarm.
After that, things got back on track fairly quickly, and by the end of the afternoon, Auckland Transport was saying:
At 5pm today, approximately 61,000 people were recorded getting on the train network so far by door counters, which is well over three times more than was recorded by the same time last Sunday.
This morning, Auckland Transport provisionally confirmed what we suspected: that yesterday’s ridership was likely a record for any Sunday (also, busier than any day since the advent of COVID):
Early estimates suggest yesterday was the busiest ever Sunday on Auckland’s rail network. about 70,000 people were recorded stepping through the doors of Auckland’s trains throughout the day – at least three times more than the previous Sunday.
This data suggests there were a lot of Aucklanders getting on and off trains to experience the City Rail Link and new stations, rather than travelling from A to B. It was great to see so many people on the network.
Karanga-a-Hape was the busiest new train station, followed by Te Waihorotiu and Maungawhau. Waitematā Station was also busy throughout the day and was a popular point for people to start and finish their train adventures.
Looking at the wider coverage, 1News broadcast its 6pm bulletin live from Te Waihorotiu last night. Impressive work by Melissa Stokes, literally a stand-up performance. Be sure to watch it here before it disappears. (This episode should really be publicly archived – ahoy, NZ OnScreen! It’s not often that your main news channel spends almost an entire half hour reporting on public transport, and in such a positive way.)
Not to be outdone, this morning John Campbell broadcast live for RNZ from the same station. In this interview with Len Brown (featuring vox pops with passengers), Len notes the ultimate aim is to carry 54,000 people and hour at peak times on our rail network – the equivalent of “about twenty lanes of traffic”. Talk about productive!
We also liked Jonathan Killick’s story in The Post, which includes this snippet:
Transport lobbyist Connor Sharp of advocacy group Greater Auckland was beaming from ear to ear when spotted by The Post at the new Te Waihorotiu station.
“This is like Christmas for transport,” he said.
His colleague Patrick Reynolds said: “It’s wall to wall nerds”.
We got a shout-out in RNZ’s reporting too:
Director of urban transport lobby Greater Auckland Patrick Reynolds said the CRL was good value for money – and far cheaper than motorways.
Speaking on board that packed first CRL train, he said nobody would regret the network being built.
“Instead of a train full of very tired nerds, this will just be everyday, it will be completely ordinary. Getting a train is just a thing you do,” he said.
Simon Wilson’s newsletter hit the nail on the head, as always, arguing that this shifts the Overton window politically, and both major parties now need to race to catch up:
“We see people living like this all round the world,” [Prime Minister Christopher Luxon] said [at the Friday ceremony]. When Sir Dove-Myer Robinson said such things in the 1970s, few people were listening. Even 20 years ago it used to be only urbanists on the fringe who said it. Now it’s normal. This is what cities do.
And yesterday’s editorial in the NZ Herald sang a welcome positive tune:
When we consider the logistical construction nightmare of the CRL, which involved digging foundations under skyscrapers, contending with a live network in a densely populated city – not to mention contending with a global pandemic – the fact that we can celebrate its opening is no small thing. We are here.
To err on the side of optimism is essential for growth; otherwise, nothing would ever happen.
Also, this well-timed piece from RNZ’s Sunday show Culture 101 features two of the artists behind the artworks at the stations (audio here).
By the way: this was the Greater Auckland post a decade ago, yesterday (thanks to alert reader Sam for reminding us!). As Matt wrote on 13 September 2016:
This week is shaping up to be an important one for the future of transport in Auckland with updates expected on both the government’s funding of the City Rail Link and the final Auckland Transport Alignment Project report due to be publicly released.
Happy tenth birthday to that observation! Now, on with the personal reflections on yesterday’s experiences…
Matt
When you’re approaching Ōtāhuhu at 4:30 in the morning and see scores of people walking the streets approaching the station, you know it’s going to be a special day – and boy was it.
Inside the station there were hundreds of people queued up and ready to catch the very first train along with various politicians and senior staff from various agencies. Photo by ML
The trains were busy but not crowded, and there were so many smiles and wide eyes, both inside the trains and on the platforms as trains arrived and departed the new stations, or as people got off trains to explore the stations – and of course so many phones and cameras out capturing it all.
So it’s no surprise to hear Auckland Transport confirm that over 60,000 people used trains yesterday. Three times the previous Sunday, and on par with a typical weekday at the moment.
There were also quite a few hints of the greater potential the CRL provides. The timetable means there are often a few trains close together through the tunnels. Having one train depart and the next one turning up just a minute or so later really does give a metro vibe. As services increase in future, this will become more common and can only add to the value of the project.
Some of the collectable items available from the stations. Photo by ML
There are always hiccups when projects like this open, and yesterday was no exception with the small fire at Waitematå. While it was certainly frustrating, there were at least a couple of benefits from it:
- It was better it happened early in the morning, and on a weekend, before most people gave the CRL a try. It would have been a lot more disruptive had it happened later in the day or on a weekday.
- It was probably useful that a lot of senior managers got to feel the real passenger experience. While they likely knew quite quickly what was going on from their own channels, it was still quite some time before customers had any comms as to what was happening. Witnessing that period of disruption and disorientation up close will surely be useful for continuous improvement.
Hopefully that’s the only disruption of note, and the rail network is smooth sailing from now on.
Patrick
Fabulous day, loved it all, beautiful community vibes everywhere. Lotta love on all the platforms, trains, and surrounding areas. A few random thoughts:
- In a way, the fire was quite instructive; it gave Auckland Transport’s emergency protocols a good live test, and they seemed to come through well, even getting the system back and running reasonable quickly. Though what are the chances? A cable that had operated perfectly well for 23 years choose CRL Day One to go on the fritz – almost like Waitematā Station was having a little tanty because it’s about to be challenged for busiest station…
- While it’s clear that users from along the western line will see the biggest travel time savings from the new direct route and new city centre stations, it was interesting to hear Councillor Andy Baker say that the combination of the new CRL stations and route plus new Southern Line stations, means that his commute into City Hall is now half an hour shorter each way – saving an hour every day! Instead of driving to Papakura, train to Britomart and a walk up Queen St, he now has a shorter trip to Drury Station and a one-seat ride to Te Waihorotiu. Higher productivity for our elected member!
- Even so, it’s the (newly named) East-West line that has the biggest shift, thanks to the new through-routing. Those new apartment dwellers in Henderson can go straight to IKEA for example or Meadowbank people can go direct to events at Eden Park, and all via the three city-centre stops. This is not just changing the shape of the network, it’s potentially life-changing!
- I feel now the Puhinui airport shuttle can really work, with both main lines heading directly there. I will have a reliable 45min trip, for example, with just one change at Puhinui, which is pretty seamless. And Puhinui is essentially the airport – I have been on shuttles between termini at other airports that take as long as that shuttle.
- It also strikes me that as both main lines enter the city centre at Karanga-a-hape, that is now our gateway station, whereas perhaps once Newmarket was, or really there was only Britomart. Very keen to witness the impact on the K, my new home station.
Greater Auckland had a wee gathering to celebrate, with special guest Matua Len, godfather of it all. He generously gave a stirring impromptu speech too, which was wonderful:
Len Brown addressing crowd at No7 on CRL opening day. Photo by a friend.
Advocate and Minister approving of ART branding for our strategic public transport network. Photo by PR.
Connor
The morning of transport Christmas, I was up at just after 3am, to catch a special Auckland Transport bus to Ōtāhuhu so I could be on the very first train to go through the tunnel!
Ōtāhuhu Station before the first CRL train – never usually this busy at this hour! Photo by CS.
The vibes were immaculate, despite the early hour, and there were smiles from ear to ear wherever you looked. There was something so endearing about hearing the chants of ‘Tunnel! Tunnel! Tunnel!’ as we approached the opening to Karanga-a-Hape Station. A smooth ride in! We then hopped off at Waitematā to zoom back to Te Waihorotiu.
Hopping off at Te Waihorotiu to mingle and chat, we had a longer wait than anticipated as that one little cable decided today was the day to make its mark. But it was awesome to see the professionalism of the Auckland Transport staff dealing with the impacts. And the recovery was impressive from all involved, which speaks well for the resilience of our new train network!
I want to give a massive shout-out to the staff from Auckland Transport and their partner agencies, who always had smiles on during the day, and have put in an incredible amount of work to make the opening as amazing as it was!
During the wait, we saw the dawn break outside Te Waihorotiu, overlooked by the Wāhine sculpture and the big eel down Victoria Street. That was pretty special.
From there, it was a quick detour back home, before heading to our wee breakfast celebration with some of the many named and unnamed heroes of CRL.
As someone who’s sort of the new kid on the block, its been incredibly inspiring and motivating to meet and learn about all the awesome people who’ve come together to make something like the CRL happen.
Notably, the big man himself, Len Brown, who stopped by and gave a rousing speech. But also all of those who worked behind the scenes, and all of those who support advocates like us to do our thing.
A special thank you to those who spotted us and stopped by to say hi – it was great meeting you! Likewise those who came all the way from Wellington, and even the West Island.
Next was a bit of a tour to collect all of the beautiful new commemorative HOP cards (available at the new stations while stocks last). We started as a big group, but through all the excitement there was a lot of losing and re finding each other along the way – the great thing being, even when people didn’t hop on or off in time, another train was always only a few minutes away!
After collecting all three cards and the cute origami cardboard stations, I dropped into another celebration on Karangahape Road. It was especially amazing to see Mercury Lane really shine, as a place a lot of people could move through and linger – our work to rescue Project K already paying off massively. (Bring on Cross St!)
From there, the rest of my afternoon and evening was taken up with a CRL-adjacent pub crawl with a whole bunch of friends old and new, heading to places at all of the central stations! It was such an excellent evening, and I didn’t get back home until almost midnight.
The day was so good, I didn’t really take many photos – I was too busy soaking in all of the joy and happiness at this amazing bit of infrastructure we now have. It really did feel like Christmas for transport, from the anticipation the evening before, to the wonder and amazement throughout the day!
Somehow I also got snapped in a few pictures from the media as well, from The Post’s Jonathan Killick…
…to appearing on the front page of the NZ Herald!
The opening of the CRL was amazing. I hope everyone else who gave it a go yesterday enjoyed themselves as much as I did – and that others get a chance to enjoy it soon!
Jolisa
There’s a story about a physics prof at Harvard who, when asked to teach a 9am seminar, is said to have replied “Oh, I can’t possibly stay up that late.” That’s me: as a night-owl, I was never ever going to be on the very first train!
Instead, my plan was to “trip-chain” to town (by bike + train), and catch up with the earlybirds for breakfast in Beresford Square with a very special former Mayor.
So, I missed the early drama and delays. When I saw the initial headlines (fire! evacuations!), and then read the fine print (small fire, sorted), it felt a bit like that moment on Christmas morning when one parent is sent off to the dairy to fetch batteries (not included) and superglue (suddenly needed).
Except that in this case, the wise parents had laid in spare batteries and superglue well in advance – only to be foiled by the old toaster tripping the smoke alarm, leaving the whanau standing out on the lawn in their pajamas for a while.
Anyway. Having timed our run, we bowled up to Baldwin Station and rolled right onto the first E-W train that showed up. Luckily, it wasn’t too full, so our bikes could ride the train too. (Plan B had been to park them at the station.)
At Morningside, a TVNZ team hopped on! Jason Walls conducted a very smooth live-cross to Jack Tame for Q&A,and my companion and I played it cool in the background (“Hi Mum!”) as we all chugged through Kingsland and Maungawhau.
“Hi Mum!” Impressive stability skills from TVNZ’s Jason Walls on a live-cross to Jack Tame.
From the time stamps on my photos I can tell you that exactly ten minutes after getting on the train at Baldwin Ave, we rolled off the train at Karanga-a-hape. What an incredibly quick trip to town! No more tedious three-point turn at Newmarket; just sailing along in a sweet straight line…
… and up and out! At Karanga-a-hape station, the capacious lifts carried us and our bikes plus a family with several kids (and a baby in a stroller) up to street level, where we all popped out onto Pitt St amongst the people.
And that moment, for me, captured the practical magic of the City Rail Link project.
I’d sort of expected a thrilling shimmer of excitement and unreality to hover over the whole experience. But instead, it felt completely real and everyday, entirely delightful and entirely ordinary. Like Narnia, but normal: open the wardrobe doors, and step out into your city.
I’m far from the only one to make the point about this magical mundanity: just this morning, the Mayor and Ryan Bridge were falling over themselves to say how absolutely normal it is to ride a train, through a tunnel, in a city, and they’re right.
TL; DR: We caught the train to town and it was great!
Other observations from the day:
- Len Brown’s modesty and generosity: he constantly turned the conversation back to everyone else who helped achieve this. And yet, when we ventured down into Karanga-a-hape station, so many people spotted him and thanked him by name: “Thank you for the train, Len Brown!” ‘Hey, Len, thanks so much for this!” The ultimate “Thank you, driver” for the man who steered the project into existence.
Like an Oscars selfie, but for trains. Patrick, Matt, Len, Jolisa, Connor.
- Biking down Queen St to check out the vibes at the other stations, we saw the city at its liveliest on a sunny Sunday. Friends “meeting at the eel” (whose nose is developing a lovely shine from all the patting!). People congregating in the public spaces – an integral part of the whole City Rail Link endeavour, which was never just about stations and tunnels and trains. Families on wheels, everywhere you looked.
The precinct is called Britomart and the station is called Waitematā, for anyone still catching up. Photo by JG
“It’s on in Auckland”. Photo by JG
Te Komititanga means the gathering place, but you don’t have to tell people that, it just happens. Photo by JG
Hospitality aplenty in the Karanga-a-hape precinct. Photo by JG
- Hearing all sorts of other stories from those I bumped into. Someone at Te Waihorotiu, hopping on the earliest train, evidently heading home from a big night out – bye-bye walk of shame, good morning cool train ride! A pair of young people on their way home, each clutching a brand new Blahåj stuffed shark – they’d made a spontaneous (and now one-seat!) trip to IKEA, just because they could.
It was all so satisfying. Transcending a decade of doubt, dust and yes, disruption – all of a sudden a long derided and deferred dream was absolutely real, and completely normal. It was as if Auckland had woken up and realised: oh yeah, we do actually live here, in this place, in this moment: look what’s possible when we put our minds to it!
On my way home, I stopped off at Aotea Square and gave Robbie the glad news that his vision had become reality. He seemed quietly chuffed.
“Hey guess what – you did it!”
BONUS: some social media moments….
Richard Hills captured Len Brown’s speech at our small gathering. Watch it till the end, which sums up the motivation for going so hard: the thousands of Aucklanders he met, who were frustrated at sitting in a gridlocked city, and just wanted a choice: “Len, you’re the mayor of the Supercity – do the super thing!”
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Chants of ‘Tunnel, Tunnel, Tunnel’ have rung throughout the train as the service departs Grafton and begins entering the CRL Tunnels.
— NZ Transit Buzz (@nztransitbuzz.bsky.social) 2026-09-12T17:22:53.484Z
https://bsky.app/profile/jameslittlewood.bsky.social/post/3mveikdl52c2c
First CRL train about to leave Otahuhu. And this was the Hop card I got when we launched the first electric train 12 years ago!
— Russel Norman (@russelnorman.bsky.social) 2026-09-12T16:57:49.364Z
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What a fabulous day! Just marvellous! All the best people take the trains!
I did wonder about the two errr, rail lines at Waitemata – are these going to be repurposed for Te Huia and Northern Explorer?
They have to wait until they’re electrified as no ventilation for the diesel fumes. Technically they could switch locos @Pukekohe, but better to wait until the Pukekohe – Tron gap is closed, then it’d need no swap for Te Huia (no sane company will spend vast sums on diesel when they can pay stuff all for electricity) and a swap in Palmie for the Northern Explorer.
Thank you for that!
Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later. Imaging arriving downtown on Northern Explorer!
It would really help improve tourists’ impressions of New Zealand’s cities. Arriving into Wellington by long-distance train is magic, but Auckland and Christchurch’s inter-regional railway stations are the very definition of underwhelming.
Surely it would be cheaper to install ventilation in Waitemata station than to electrify those north island routes?
Depends, ventilation would also be needed in the Kaimai tunnel, and ideally track straightening and improvement work would also be done to increase train speeds on the lines. Ongoing costs i.e. diesel need to be considered, plus the cost of new rolling stock whether that’s electric trains or carriages to be hauled by existing DMUs. Some work should be done either way like restoring dilapidated stations on the route (e.g. Hamilton Central).
My hope is that one day we can clean the soot off Waitemata’s ceiling to restore it to the original shine.
It would be cheaper, but KR has already said they don’t want to pay for it, and AT isn’t going to pay for something none of their services need.
They need to close the electrification gap anyway for freight – as we’ve electrified the whole NI from Palmerston North to Auckland bar that small gap between Pukekohe and the Tron, and it makes freight trains significantly more expensive to operate using diesel/having to switch locomotives multiple times. And that’s ignoring all the environment/less money going offshore/resilience from supply shocks benefits.
KR big picture is planning to close the gap, along with some form of electrification to Tauranga and further extension around Wellington’s network north and the national network south of Palmerston (Wellington uses a different type of electrification compared to the rest of the country).
Way better and cheaper to do a combination of battery trains and strategic electrification. Which is exactly what the official Kiwi Rail studies conclude.
But hold on a second – when the station was built, as Britomart, all those years ago, it was vaunted as the world’s “first underground diesel train station” and a big deal was made of that – so it has been designed as diesel capable since day one. Plus, with only one Northern Explorer train every two days and two Huias per day, it is hardly going to overload the system, is it? Why not just let them use it for the next year until they have the new dual energy source system sorted?
As said above: “KR has already said they don’t want to pay for it, and AT isn’t going to pay for something none of their services need.”
I can’t recall if they physically removed the fume extraction equipment but at the very least it’s been shut down.
Freddy. Britomart/Waitemata station is now purely an CRL only station as is no longer configured as a ‘terminal’ station for inter-regional and long distance passenger train services.
With the reduction of overnight stabling of AT Metro trains at The Strand stabling facility, it is time to start upgrading The Stand for inter-regional and long distance passenger train services.
With all the rail disruption pre-CRL, I wonder whether should have put in a permanent additional station on the E-W line, at The Strand.
Could be basic at first and enhanced later. Would allow for transfers to/from the Northern Explorer to the main network and plan for the future growth in that area. In fact, it would probably get fairly decent use already for events at Spark Arena, etc.
Or bowl it and make Parnell the intercity station
Tbf they would probably be better off terminating the Onehunga line on one platform @Mt Eden, and in the interim terminating interregional trains @Mt Eden on the other platform. As we don’t at present have multiple interregional trains around the same time, and far better onward connections. Only infra investment would be some points roughly under Mt Eden Rd so that there wasn’t conflicts with the other lines with reversing.
I don’t think they’re going to spend the big bucks on building a better station @the Strand until there is a specific project for it. My guess is a stadium (hopefully not anytime soon as our current stadiums are fine). As they’d have to add platforms/connections to at a minimum the Eastern Line, to make the interregional station stack up. With that same money, it’d do far more for interregional trains investing that money in services (like providing opposite direction trains to Te Huia so it works for Aucklanders).
A Strand should probably happen at some point but especially if the port ever moves and that land is redeveloped
Having the station be slap bang in the middle of a major junction is just not a good location for passenger access imo
Never mind, putting stations at junctions is standard practice. Maybe redevelopment is the way to go
I noticed that one of the bay platforms at Waitemata between the current platforms 1 and 2 has actually had the track disconnected. Why was this necessary?
Simplified for resilience I would think. Yeah we need an agency to sort out medium to long term regional rail planning and implementation. Battery/electric units while on going electrification is carried out.
Yes Grant we do need an agency the currant setup is silly. And wouldn’t it be good if we could get regional and long distant trains and buses together on the same site. And not just in Auckland but also Hamilton and eventually Tauranga if it ever becomes possible to run a passenger train through the Kaimai tunnel. In a way the CRL has just made things more difficult. Puhinui Station is already becoming a defacto main station for Te Huia with good connections to the city center, airport and the Manukau bus Station. The Intercity buses at the Sky tower is close to Te Waihoritiu so that’s a positive. Still it’s all a bit confusing for traveller’s and most locals.
In some ways the CRL has made it harder for regional and long distance trains and buses. Wouldn’t it be good if we could get them all together on the same site. Puhinui is becoming the defacto main station for Te Huia maybe we should turn our attention there. After all it’s very well connected to the Auckland Network and the airport.Intercity buses at the sky tower is close to Te Waihoritu.
Grant – Britomart/Waitemata station is now purely an CRL only station as is no longer configured as a ‘terminal’ station for inter-regional and long distance passenger train services,
With the reduction of overnight stabling of AT Metro trains at The Strand stabling facility, it is time to start upgrading The Stand station for inter-regional and long distance passenger train services, especially with projected 12 inter-regional (between Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Tokoroa, Rotorua and Te Kuiti) and currently 1 long passenger (Auckland and Wellington) train services terminating at The Strand.
There wasn’t enough space in the junction to increase the P1 speed to 40km/h from 25km/h while maintaining the P2 connection as the curves needed to be eased.
My own Day 1 journey with whānau: west -> K’Road -> Ellerslie (pirates and fairies festival) -> Ōtāhuhu -> Sylvia Park (foodcourt and Lego shop) -> directly home
Reddit seems to be featuring more than its fair share of people angry that they can’t go directly west -> Grafton/Newmarket any more. Someone actually said it was the last straw and they were leaving the country. Another quite symptomatic reaction is puzzlement that the central city stations weren’t full of the predicted “crackheads” urinating on everything, wondering whether the cops had locked them all up for the day
My bold plan to appease this constituency: double track Penrose->Onehunga so that O-W can go to Henderson all day.
“Someone actually said it was the last straw and they were leaving the country.”
Wait till they discover cities in other countries have normalised trips with transfers too. Shock horror!
Also now southern line users have the direct connection to Grafton instead of western line ones. And, considering this now connects Middlemore and AKL Hospitals with a direct link overall that’s a pretty good switch.
Then there is the point that way way way more people from the west are heading to the city centre, the minor dis-benefit for the smaller number of west to Grafton or Newmarket riders is a fair tradeoff.
Small time cost in transferring, or having to time with O-W line, it seems on balance the right choice.
It’s a worth sacrifice in general, but I do have a lot of sympathy – a commute from Morningside to Newmarket will likely double in length in peak times (or at any other point you at which there is not a convenient OW train) and that’s presuming a smooth transfer, which is not guaranteed because of the spikey nature of EW line headways.
Asking people to switch trains is fine, but it’s a harder sell when you don’t have metro frequencies. Newmarket and Grafton’s are popular stations, and if the stats bear out that a significant number of people have had their commutes increased, I could see an argument for short running some trains between Henderson and Newmarket (where there’s capacity to run and turn around 6 car trains) at peak?
@Colemagoo as level crossing issues are resolved there’ll (in theory) be more space to improve O-W line frequencies, right?
@M The goal by the start of the next decade is to extend the half-hourly O-W services to Henderson at peak times as well as off-peak, plus an peak overlay service between Henderson and Newmarket to increase frequency there to every 15 minutes.
Combined with the E-W line, this will mean a train every 5 minutes each way at peak times at all stations between Henderson and Maungawhau
Presumably this is contingent on the closure of the minor level crossings on the Western Line, all the way out to Henderson – but in the Auckland Rail Programme it seems like 12TPH per direction (24 trains per hour total) is tolerated across level crossings without grade separation.
https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/assets/Uploads/Our-Regions/Auckland-Metro/Strategic-Rail-Programme-PBC/Documents-Appendices/AppendixH_Options-Development-Report-Part-2-REDACTED.pdf
Simplified for resilience I would think. Yeah we need an agency to sort out medium to long term regional rail planning and implementation. Battery/electric units while on going electrification is carried out.
Good point re the two hospitals now connected directly.
Grafton was so popular due to students etc grabbing buses to get to midtown which is exactly where the CRL can take you now.
the Ow, Ew, and Sc (Sick) line names make more sense when you realise all lines serve at least two hospitals
Did you point out to them that Luxon said it will add $2billion to the economy? (Pity it cost $5.5billion but nobody is mentioning that.)
He said $12b actually
That’s extra economic activity, not benefits. Comparing the figures with costs is comparing apples with oranges.
Actually I googled it since I posted and I think the $!2bn is a benefits figure. Time will tell whether the projections are realised.
Looks like he did say 12 and it looks like Katy Bradford missed the 1.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hundreds-to-attend-ceremony-marking-the-opening-of-the-city-rail-link/2NYBLG2G3VFERK3UHWMP2YXMYU/
There’s already been multiple billions in economic activity due to it, such as a lot of the redevelopment along Albert St and the upcoming Downtown West development to replace the carpark.
Bask in the glory G.A. You deserve it!
Now for the harbour crossing!!
We have a couple of those already.
What we need is grade separation on rail network.
Reflecting on the day;
– there is a large pool of deep knowledge gained from this project. About how to plan for a project, how to design a project, how to finance a project, how to build and finish the project. Hopefully that knowledge stays in AoNZ to benefit us, and not skip over-seas.
– great to see so many cyclists ‘test’ the stations, which points to the way the new network generates different choices about getting around.
– I gamely left my bike behind Karanga-a-hape at Beresford station, relying on the small sign that said 24hr CCTV. It was still there some 6 hours after I left it. Having bike parks at stations means you can cycle there, lock it up, and hop on the train before returning.
– Are the days of trains stopping at Newmarket and a train driver getting out of his cabin to walk down to the other end of the train to the other driver cabin over?? Really? Did someone remember to record this for posterity?
Just my current 2c.
Casting around for another project I did think a station on North Shore would be excellent – running under the harbour to Waitemata or perhaps Te Waihorotiu.
Now that you Aucklanders have a bunch of extra time from the shorter commutes, better make the most of it and close the gap between Pukekohe and Palmerston North North
I was passing through Te Waihorotiu station while 1News was live on air, and agree it was so heartening to see such positive media coverage.
Was generally awesome. Just start building Airport to Albany metro already.
A few small things. Some train queuing at Waitemata but understandable on first day. Some people hanging around the doors and not disembarking fast enough. Needs some comms or encouragement. Especially some of the school kids.
Te Waihorotiu is awesome. Needs better wayfaring. Suggest a clear North and South exit. “Wellesley St W and Mayoral Drive” seems like a mouthful. Also curiously there’s no reference to Aotea Square or Centre on signs or exits. Sky Tower gets a symbol for the North Exit, but for South Exit there’s nothing for Aotea Centre.
Site of Symphony Centre seems landscaped now. That’s good but wonder when that building is coming.
Also, pedestrian priority needs fixing at lights on Albert St. Too many people waiting too long for only a few cars.
But these are minor things – congrats to those involved!
A Budget and Performance Committee agenda item seems indicate some changes around the Bledisloe House redevelopment
https://aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/meeting/13545
Symphony Centre – likely completion early 2029. Dates have been pushed back a few times.
It’s unlikely that the Symphony Centre will go ahead in its original form.. It might not go ahead at all.
Apparently they didn’t even sell one apartment. Te Waihorotiu Station is not a good location for expensive apartments – or office space.
It has been shelved. There is no completion date because there is no start date.
I also spotted the signage issue at Te Waihorotiu, as I’m sure a number of people will be going to the likes of the Aotea Centre or the Civic so a few signs would be useful.
I’ve also noted the traffic light issue for pedestrians on both Wellesley Street and Victoria Street intersections with Albert Street. There can be minimal traffic in either direction and the lights take too long to change for pedestrians.
Overheard pulling into Te Waihorotiu: “Wow it’s like a right-proper station…”
Very high praise from typical Kiwi understatement.
Can anyone point me to where AT said that the E-W line will be running at the intended frequency in November or December?
They’ve told us directly that the plan is to increase the main lines to 8 trains per hour per direction within 6 months of opening – they’ve never said November or December. Also and frustratingly the 8tph on the western is likely to only go to Henderson, not Swanson like it should
I could swear I read somewhere, maybe one of the blog posts, that the target for E-W was November or December
It is really good. Just one thing is bugging me. Couldn’t they have got a real person to voice the station announcements (on the train) and make sure that they pronounce the te reo names correctly. In a project this $$$, it wouldn’t be too much to ask. And it’s te wiki I te reo maori!
The massive concourse of Te Waihorotiu gives strong China vibes being typical of their metro stations. Gave Robbie a pat on the shoulder. Should be able to get from the Aotea auditoriums to the platforms in ten minutes. Yah! Out of the CRL the ride seems bumpier than it was at the beginning of this year after the track ballasting. What do others think?
Extension of the electrification south to TeRapa virtually straight away is a no brainer.
But (there is always a but) I have heard of no firm discussions to get on and do it while the expertise used on CRL is lost.
I have Beca/Systra North Island Electrification Study which exactly mirrored my ideas to close the gaps.
A previous commentator mentioned the different system in Wellington, which is easily overcome with dual voltage locomotives and/or hybrid trains, which are on order for Wellington for delivery in 2029.
Japan’s system (except the Shinkansen) is 1067mm track the same as NZ. So could be the source of the said locomotives as they have decades of experience with freight locomotives whereas most of their passenger trains including long distance are EMU’s.
That report is long superseded. But how lovely for you that it matches your idea.
Much more recent information has been provided elsewhere on this blog.
Business case is underway, but you got to get the govt to fund it.
Did anyone else find themselves thinking ‘blue line, green line’ while browsing the maps and indicator boards rather than using the official designations of ‘south-city’ etc?
absolutely
If the ART name sticks, then the lines could be the Red ART line, Green ART, Blue ART, Yellow ART etc? or ART Rata, Kowhai, Kaka, Kahurangi?
bilingual Te Reo and English colour names should’ve been the way to go
Hard agree
Yeah I was using line colour names in my chats with people.
Yes! I absentmindedly said oh take the green line to Morningside when I was chatting to someone on Sunday.
First day using it today for my Monday commute. Loved it, a true game changer for everyday commuting and for our city and the stations function and look amazing. Now for more good stuff: rail (light or otherwise) over the new harbour crossing and light rail down Dominion road and more etc. Bring it on!
At Te Waihorotiu Station via Albert Street entrance, I caught the South City Train to Grafton only took 6 minutes. Quick trip through the tunnels. At Grafton wanted to Xfer to Onehunga train, but the 30 minutes frequencies are too long to wait & rely on. Short walk to Bus stop to catch 30 Bus to Onehunga every 15 minutes.
Can adding a Passing Loop on the Onehunga Branch Line fix this? Installing a mid-point passing loop would be cheaper than Full Double – Tracking this Line.
They need to fix the trains at Newmarket that say “Pukekohe – first stop Parnell”.
Newmarket is in a similar situation to Sydney’s Central station – trains there say City Circle via and then once past Central change to whatever the final destination is.
Hard agree- should say city centre
The platform displays already say city centre which is so much more intuitive, the trains need to match that. I think the platform needs a ‘first train to Waitemata’ display. I found it really hard to decide whether to board the train say waiting to start the service or wait for the northbound.
Our interlined and folded-back on itself network is inherently confusing.
I know of no other system in the world where the PIDs on opposing sides of the same platform, serving trains heading in opposite directions, can both, and accurately, say: AIRPORT.
Clarity in wayfinding and comms even more essential here than anywhere.
Disclaimer – I like trains and I think the CRl is a good investment… but I can also be objective.
I took the train from GI to Te Waihorotiu, and back, today.
At rush hour, in both directions, it was pretty quiet. Bit surprised at how quiet it was.
It’s all done very nicely. Didn’t blow my mind – but nor does it need to. It’s a well executed solution that will work for this city.
Overnight , Central Auckland feels so much brighter with this great asset.
It’s a real shot in the arm. The past 6 years have often been a bit gloomy for this city.
Onwards and Upwards!
“Overnight , Central Auckland feels so much brighter with this great asset.
It’s a real shot in the arm. The past 6 years have often been a bit gloomy for this city.”
This.
I think the FIFA Women’s World Cup was a bright point in the Covid – CRL time. But tbf that did have a shooting.
Thank you GA team for sharing your personal reflections and for all your advocacy for the project (going back to Transport Blog days). It really is a super exciting time for Tāmaki Makaurau. I loved riding the trains on Sunday and seeing so much joy for the long escalators, the stunning station design, and the beautiful artworks that reflect our special place. And just having a proper grown up train experience with lots of happy people! CRL is so much more than a 3km tunnel and 3 new stations.
It was also great to see Len acknowledged for his vital role. Hip Hip Hooray!
Reminder to ignore usage numbers. They will dip and people will be disappointed. This is natural. It’s gonna take a while for what is now possible with the CRL to reach the average person who isn’t a super train nerd (no offence guys I’m one myself).
March madness next year will be a true reflection on usage increases as that will be when more services will run and a new wave of students and new workers usually get cracking.
I suspect October and November will be on the surface a bit disappointing in terms of usage.
Ignore the NZhearld and Mike Hosking when they inevitably say it was a complete waste of money because of a small period of underwhelming usage.