Auckland, New Zealand's NZ$5.5 Billion City Rail Link Officially Opens

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The City Rail Link (CRL) in Auckland, New Zealand has officially entered passenger service. This is New Zealand's first underground railway and the largest transport infrastructure project in the country's history. An official opening ceremony was held on September 11, followed by public opening on September 13.

The CRL has a total investment of approximately NZ$5.493 billion, jointly funded by the New Zealand central government and Auckland Council. The core works include two 3.45-kilometer underground railway tunnels with a maximum depth of approximately 42 meters, connecting Waitematā Station in the city center and Maungawhau Station on the Western Line. The project also includes the construction of two new underground stations, Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape, as well as the upgrade of Waitematā and Maungawhau stations.

Following the project's commissioning, Waitematā has been converted from a terminus to a through station, transforming Auckland's existing rail network from multiple lines terminating in the city center into a network that can run through the city center. The new timetable features three lines: East-West, South-City, and Onehunga-West, with train intervals of approximately 4 to 5 minutes at the new underground stations during peak hours.

The CRL project also reserved operating conditions for 9-car electric multiple units and simultaneously implemented upgrades to existing railway nodes including The Strand, Ōtāhuhu, Henderson, and Newmarket. The project achieved substantial completion by the end of June 2026, after which City Rail Link Limited handed over the station and tunnel facilities to Auckland Transport and KiwiRail for operation.

On the first day of operation, approximately 70,000 people rode the Auckland rail system, at least three times the typical Sunday ridership. During the first weekday morning peak on September 14, approximately 24,000 people had traveled by 9 a.m., an increase of about 25% compared with the same period the previous week, with train punctuality reaching 99%.