Auckland's City Rail Loop
This week, Auckland Transport announced the route they have identified for the future Auckland City Rail Loop. There are a number of surface and underground titles that will need to be acquired to allow for the development, so Auckland Transport will be communicating with property owners in this regard.
Currently, our only central city train station is Britomart, which is a terminus point rather than part of a network. The City Rail Loop plan proposes adding three additional stations in the vicinity of the Aotea Centre, Karangahape Road and Newton with an interchange adjacent to New North Road. The existing rail line will be extended underground (via cut and cover in some parts) through Britomart, under Albert, Vincent and Pitt Streets, then beneath Karangahape Road and the Central Motorway Junction to Symonds Street before rising to join the western line near Eden Terrace.
Heart of the City is supportive of this latest step agreed by Auckland Transport and the Central Government, the designation and protection of the optimal route for the loop.
HOTCity CEO Alex Swney says that traffic congestion is Aucklands greatest challenge. "It hampers economic growth and exacerbates sprawl”. With current passenger growth levels, our train network will reach its capacity by 2020, and it has been predicted that we are nearing bus congestion also.
Completing Auckland’s rail network is the most efficient way of making the step change in reducing commuter congestion, as trains are far more efficient than roads (and buses) at moving high volumes of commuter traffic. Buses will continue to play an important role in the city’s transport network, with light rail connections being another future area of development.
For more information about the City Rail Loop, see the Auckland Transport website.
If you would like to discuss the City Rail Loop development and its impact on your business, you can contact Auckland Transport directly by email: CRLproject@aucklandtransport.govt.nz or phone: 09 355 3553. Please feel free to contact HOTCity to discuss this also if you would prefer.
