Back to top anchor
Back to content top anchor

New Aotea Station designs and CRL project update

News story
Monday 12 Feb 2018

Just over two years in to the planned eight year build of the City Rail Link, we're seeing significant progress being made, getting us closer to the future of quick and easy public transport to and from Auckland’s city centre.

In recent weeks, we've seen the completion of the D-wall structure in Britomart, meaning the 90-tonne piling rig Sandrine and the big red silos are now on the way out. With the Albert Street excavation reaching full depth in places, workers have poured the first concrete for the base of the tunnel box.

While progress on the project is exciting for the city and the people who use it, construction does bring impact. Find out more below about the development response work City Rail Link, council and ourselves are doing with businesses to help navigate these challenges.  

New Aotea station designs

Like the other stations on the CRL route, the design for Aotea station has been developed by CRL and Mana Whenua and references cultural concepts including the Māori creation story and Te Whaia (the light).

At the station's Wellesley Street entrance, hundreds of rods suspended from the ceiling will create a lighting effect that mimics water and creates a ripple effect as people pass underneath. 

Within the station, seven skylights will represent the seven stars of the Matariki constellation, bringing light from above into the underground concourse and platform areas. The internal station walls and acoustic panels reference Maori woven patterns. 

You can see a full gallery of concept images for the Aotea Station at the bottom of this page.

Image: City Rail Link

Current and upcoming project activity in the city centre

Britomart

  • Now - mid 2018: Commercial Bay tunnel construction continues
  • March - May 2018: Secant pile walls installed across lower Queen Street between CPO and Commercial Bay
  • Mid - late 2018: Excavation across lower Queen Street 
  • Late 2018 - 2020: Tunnel construction across lower Queen Street
  • 2020: New Lower Queen Street square open and Britomart Train Station main entrance from Queen Street reopened

Albert Street

  • Now - end 2018: Excavation and tunnel box construction to be completed and joined to Commercial Bay tunnel
  • Mid - late 2018: The trench will be backfilled between Wyndham and Swanson Streets and road reinstatement starts at the end of the year

Aotea Station (and Albert Street between Victoria and Wellesley Streets)

Ahead of the main construction on the Aotea Station and the tunnel south of the station, some enabling works are being completed early.

  • March - September 2018: The canopies of four buildings on the west side of Albert Street, including AA, Manhattan, SkyCity and Auckland Council, will be removed
  • August 2018 - c. April 2019: Utilities from the area will be relocated from the footprint of the new station
  • Late 2019 (expected) - March 2024: Aotea station construction

Visit the City Rail Link website for more details of the progress of the construction underway now and the procurement for the next stages of the project, or sign up to receive the CRL newsletter here for regular updates.

Auckland Council is hosting tours of the CRL construction areas during March - find out more here.  

Minimising construction impact 

We are working closely with CRL and council on behalf of businesses to ensure as much as possible is being done to minimise the impact of the project and to help businesses navigate the challenges presented by construction. There are a number of initiatives underway including offering business mentors for businesses in the affected area, activations around the project area and traffic monitoring to ensure that people and goods can access and get around during the works.

In CRL’s recent update to council, they said that learnings from the traffic and pedestrian management of the early project stages will help them better manage these elements going forward. 

If you have any questions or concerns

if you have any specific questions related to the City Rail Link construction, please contact info@cityraillink.co.nz  

If you have any wider questions or concerns about City Rail Link or other development in the city, please phone our office on (09) 379 8000 or email us.

  • Aotea station for the City Rail Link - artist's impression showing the skylight on the concourse level. Image: cityraillink.co.nz
    Aotea station - artist's impression showing the skylight on the concourse level. Image: cityraillink.co.nz
  • Image: City Rail Link
  • Image: City Rail Link
  • Image: City Rail Link
  • Image: City Rail Link
  • Image: City Rail Link