Launch of the CRL: Let's Get Auckland Moving

The launch of the CRL system is about to revolutionise the way Aucklanders move around our big little city, by Dean Kimpton, Chief Executive of Auckland Transport.

November, 2024.

It’s amazing to consider that 2025’s summer edition will land when Auckland is on the cusp of experiencing the modern, world-class train network it deserves.

Our communities and customers are going to have a whole new train network; the scale of this change hasn’t been seen in New Zealand for generations.

For this year, it is good to celebrate just how far we have come to achieving this goal. Much of the physical works for the catalyst for this change – the City Rail Link (CRL) – have been completed. The tunnels and most of the stations are finished and we’ve received the first of our 23 new electric trains.

And while we can talk about steel and bricks, tunnels and tracks (all 3.5km of them), it does a disservice to the real transformation. That is, how Aucklanders get to move around, experience and live in our city. The profound impact of CRL will be akin to when the Harbour Bridge was delivered in 1959.

The facts and stats are staggering. The connections CRL will unlock means it will move over 24,000 people per hour and that will increase over time – eventually getting to 54,000. Double the number of Aucklanders will live within 30 minutes of the city centre. The inverse will also apply, making the Auckland isthmus easily accessible from the city centre.

A world-class public transport system means every Aucklander and visitor has transport choices; you can choose how you travel in the same way you do when visiting other world-class cities. Driving is always a choice, but not the only one. This all adds up to enormous positive ramifications for business and tourism in areas like Newmarket.

Many train journeys will be significantly quicker, and many stations will see more trains coming more often. There will be new route options, fewer transfers, faster journey times and more seamless, stress-free travel on our rail network.

It doesn’t just stop at the trains themselves. For when CRL goes live, we will realign bus and ferry timetables so that they continue to complement each other. This will result in a more reliable, frequent, and faster journey across the entire public transport network. It’s a game-changer. We’ll be able to carry about 50% more people.

As public transport frequency and reliability increases and travel time decreases, it helps remove traffic from congested roads, meaning those that need to drive also have more reliable journeys, it reduces carbon emissions (on a fully electrified rail network) and connects more people to more places.

I get that this can seem like a lofty promise, given the disruption to date. This transformation has also required KiwiRail and AT to work closely together to complete a widespread rebuild of the rail network including track and signalling upgrades, ultimately allowing CRL to deliver significantly better passenger services.

Unfortunately we’re not quite there yet and some ongoing disruption will continue as the rebuild progresses, and upgrades, testing and commissioning of the new track and other assets continues. Government’s most recent additional investment of $208m means the team can finish what they need to do to ensure the successful operation of CRL when it opens in 2026. Work that would normally take a decade to complete will now be done in time.

In the same breath, I recognise that disruption fatigue is very real for the communities, businesses and residents who have been impacted. We’re thankful and grateful for everyone’s patience, particularly as we all work to find the last bit of grit to get to the finish line. I’m confident that once it’s done and in place, Aucklanders will be delighted.

Speaking of that – we are working in partnership with the Newmarket Business Association and major retailers to support our customers with their journeys this busy shopping season. Newmarket is well served with public transport options, with hundreds of buses and trains passing through the area each day. Many of our frequent, popular bus routes stop right outside the main shopping areas, making it a door-to-door service for shoppers without the stress of driving and parking. Newmarket is also home to a busy train station, with Western, Southern and Onehunga rail lines stopping there.

Summer, and transformation, is in the air. Wishing you a safe and seamless journey ahead.

For the latest information from Auckland Transport, click here.

And for more on the City Rail Link, click here.