Auckland faces years of holiday train shutdowns due to major upgrades of rail network

Tuesday, 26 February 2019

A 'breakthrough' at Auckland's City Rail Link project brings the completion of one of New Zealand's largest transport projects one step closer.

Aucklanders could face six years or more of summer and holiday shutdowns on the commuter rail network with major upgrades of the network underway.

The city's rail network could be disrupted by major line closures across 19 days next summer, but officials hope it might make normal services available for the first time on New Year's Eve.

Auckland Transport, which runs the rail service, said work connected to the City Rail Link project – due to be finished in 2024 – would ramp up.

It said that to minimise disruption it would try to avoid clashing with major spectator events and improve the quality of bus services that replace the trains.

* Auckland Transport apologises for delayed trains on busy night

* Train line open so rugby fans can get to Eden Park test

* Train fault at Auckland's Britomart station causes headaches for commuters**

AT said the work done by track owner KiwiRail was essential and targeted over long weekends and summer holidays when patronage was at its lowest.

The absence of most train services was criticised after New Year's Eve when parts of the city became severely congested after midnight.

'I think there was some information shortfall with New Year's Eve this year, in all honesty,' AT's Stacey Van Der Putten, the manager of Metro Service Delivery, said.

The council's event agency ATEED boosted entertainment and activities on the waterfront for the first time, but AT said it hadn't been flagged in its system as a special event.

AT hoped trains might be able to run on all major lines next New Year's Eve.

'We are absolutely looking at what our options are with that, we've got nothing confirmed right now,' Van Der Putten said.

Schedules of work obtained by Stuff showed shutdowns on most long weekends, including 15 days in the summer of 2021/22 which may clash with the start of the Prada Cup regatta for America's Cup challengers.

Auckland Transport said work was arranged around big events where possible.

The recent Lantern Festival in the Auckland Domain had additional train services serving it after planned work was moved to the previous weekend.

'In June, a Super Rugby match is scheduled – work during this period has been suspended until a later date,' KiwiRail said in a statement.

Shutdowns have been a regular feature of life for Auckland rail users for at least 12 years as the network was electrified and double-tracked in places.

The City Rail Link project focuses on twin tunnels under the CBD, but also includes a junction at Mt Eden and track and station changes at Ōtāhuhu and Henderson to accommodate higher frequency services.

A third track is to be built along the southern line to boost rail capacity and changes are needed due to a new motorway overbridge at Takanini.

'We appreciate that it can be frustrating, and that's why we are working really hard to improve the backup processes with buses,' Van Der Putten said.

She said the completion of the CRL would bring its own issues.

'It's going to be a high-frequency network so there's going to be a high level of maintenance required to go with it,' she said.

A public transport advocate said AT and KiwiRail needed to find ways to minimise disruption.

'For example, over Christmas and New Year when the tracks at the Strand were moved, why couldn't they at least run services to Newmarket to maintain some level of connection?' said Matt Lowrie, an editor at GreaterAuckland.org.nz.

'I think what would help is AT and KiwiRail being more open about just what is happening - it would be nice to know there's a light at the end of the tunnel,' he said.