Auckland, June 2, 2016
Construction of the City Rail Link is officially underway and will be a catalyst for many millions of dollars in development around Auckland’s CBD, Transport Minister Simon Bridges said.
“Today’s ground breaking event marks the official start of the long awaited CRL.
With Auckland’s population predicted to grow by more than 700,000 people over the next 30 years, the CRL will play an important role in getting people in and out of the city with ease,” he added.
In January, the Government agreed to work with Auckland Council to bring forward a joint business plan for the CRL and formalise our funding commitment from 2020, allowing construction to get underway.
Funding commitment
Details of the project are now being resolved, including how project risks around costs, construction and operation are addressed.
“A formal funding commitment will bring construction forward and provide more investment certainty for large-scale projects in the CBD as well as opportunities for development around the new and improved stations at Aotea Square, Karangahape Road and Mount Eden,” Mr Bridges says.
The 3.4 kilometre underground train line will run from Britomart station in downtown Auckland through the CBD to connect with the existing western line at Mt Eden station.
“With an estimated cost of around $2.5 billion the CRL will be one of New Zealand’s largest-ever infrastructure projects. It will double the capacity of Auckland’s rail network, provide two new stations in the central city and see travel times for commuters reduce significantly,” Mr Bridges aid.
Strong focus
He said that the government has a strong focus on meeting Auckland’s transport needs.
“The Government is investing over $1 billion each year in Auckland’s transport, delivering new and improved roading corridors, strengthening public transport services and accelerating the urban cycling network. The government has also completed a $1.7 billion upgrade of the Auckland metro rail network and trains, which has enabled the roll out of frequent, reliable services,” he said.
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