Auckland is growing at a rate of one new resident every 20 minutes and urgently needs a transport system that moves people faster and more easily.
Rail trips have increased from 2.2 million trips a year to more than 16 million, but further growth is limited because Britomart can’t take more than 20 trains an hour.
In addition, the city is over capacity for buses coming into the city along Symonds Street.
City Rail Link: Unlocking Auckland's network
The City Rail Link (CRL) will unlock the city’s rail capacity, doubling the number of trips an hour during peak times and providing a train every 10 minutes for most Auckland stations.
It will allow 30,000 people to travel every hour during peak time, up from 15,000 currently. In comparison, a single motorway lane can carry only 2400 people an hour.
By allowing trains to run both ways through Britomart, Auckland Transport can create more frequent bus and ferry connections with bus feeder routes into key bus/train interchanges.
More people using trains and buses means more road space will be freed up for those who need to drive. Improved accessibility, particularly to the city centre, is the key to Auckland’s economic growth.
Connecting Auckland
“The City Rail Link will rejuvenate and connect many parts of greater Auckland and unlock the productivity of our inner city, allowing us to be internationally competitive for jobs and investment,” says Mayor Len Brown.
“It will also move more people out of their cars and into public transport, resulting in cleaner air and water, which in turn will dramatically reduce our vehicular greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the estimated 120 annual air pollution-related deaths in Auckland.”
Reshaping the city
The CRL will also reshape the city. Two new city stations, Aotea and Karangahape, along with a redeveloped Mt Eden station, will be only three minutes apart, linking downtown, midtown and uptown.
The areas surrounding these stations will become a magnet for businesses and residents, offering the greatest potential for mixed-use urban development in the country over the next few decades.
Travel time savings mean areas like Henderson, Panmure and Manukau will be much closer to the city, providing a catalyst for growth and development in town centres too.
