On Sunday 13 September Auckland will be marking a major milestone for the future of public transport. The City Rail Link is opening to passengers Infrasructure Comnmunications Person Lisa Lee says, “The City Rail Link is New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project. It includes twin 3.45km rail tunnels under the
city centre, two new underground stations at Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape, and a redeveloped Maungawhau Station. For the first time, trains will run directly through the city centre instead of stopping at Waitematā Station. This will help create faster, more frequent and better connected journeys across Auckland, with easier access to the city centre and more ways to connect between trains, buses and ferries”. Lee adds,
“The stations are far more than transport infrastructure, they reflect the stories, culture, and identity of the whenua, with mana whenua values and narratives embedded throughout their design and customer experience.”
These would be the first trains heading into the CRL on Sunday 13 September, 2026: Pukekohe 5:15am, Swanson 5:23am, Newmarket 5:26am, Manukau 5:33am and the first arrivals, from each direction would be arriving at Karanga-a-hape Station at: 5:45, 6:04, 6:18, 6:28.
Be among the first to step inside Auckland's transformational new City Rail Link stations before they open to passengers.
Tickets are now available to walk through these impressive stations before trains begin carrying passengers. Enjoy entertainment and activities celebrating the local community while discovering how the City Rail Link will make journeys faster, easier and more connected for generations to come.
• 8 August – First Look at Maungawhau
• 15 August – First Look at Karanga-a-Hape
• 22 August – First Look at Te Waihorotiu
Book your ticket now!
Credit must be given to the politicians that made this happen, in particular, Len Brown for convincing then transport minister Simon Bridges to get this thing going.
Subsequently Mayor Phil Goff made sure the stations were future proofed to take 9 carriage trains which controversially pushed costs up, as did the covid epidemic. However, now that it is complete, it is good to know that there is room to expand its use in future times, something that is rare in New Zealand infrastructure.
Other politicians that set the groundwork for the CRL with the building of the Britomart station and the development of the Auckland rail system are Christine Fletcher for getting Britomart done and Mike Lee for being a long-term advocate for the rail system we have now, especially from his time chairing the Auckland Regional Transport Authority. He never let up!
Niall Robertson, the national coordinator of The Rail Advocacy Institute of New Zealand (TRAINZ) says, “It is important to acknowledge to work of politicians in cases like these, because there is so much resistance to such ideas, that it literally takes years of advocacy, argument and debate to make it all happen.” Robertson adds, “Often, it is a lot of luck when the planets line up and suddenly people in higher places are listening”. This happened with Simon Bridges and earlier with the Clarke Labour government.
Robertson says, “This is a happy time for advocates, and for the people of Auckland as they now have a world-class railway to be proud of, and I know what it was like when we started!”
Robertson says, “Hopefully, now that the work is done and the system is fully functional, Aucklanders will flock back to using rail in Auckland and the true value of this project will become apparent”.
TRAINZ wishes Auckland all the best with the new CRL!
Pictured above: Niall Robertson
