Business North September 2020

24 | Volume 19 | Issue 3 businessnorth Rail link will transform city transport The project’s southern tunnel portal at Mt Eden will be the launching pad for a tunnel boring machine. Karen Phelps T he City Rail Link (CRL) project will play a key role in the economic recovery of Auckland post Covid-19 and create much needed jobs to help get the economy going again, says City Rail Link Ltd’s chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney. He says Covid-19 has presented challenges to the project but that a number of steps – including double shifts and extending working hours - have been taken to respond to these challenges and maintain construction momentum. The steps have also helped kickstart the economy by getting the project delivered as quickly as possible. “Operating two shifts on a site means more people working and more money in their pockets to go and spend locally,” says Sean. The next big stage of the project, the Aotea un- derground station in central Auckland, was started in late June. Once completed it will be New Zealand’s busiest railway station with trains running up to every 10 minutes. The station connects with tunnels to the Brit- omart and Karangahape Stations and then links up to Mt Eden Station and Auckland’s wider rail network.” Aotea is being built by the Link Alliance as part of the project’s main stations and tunnels contract for City Rail Link Ltd. The alliance is comprised of City Rail Link Ltd, Vinci Construction Grands Projects S.A.S, Downer NZ Ltd, Soletanche Bachy International NZ Limited, WSP (NZ) Limited, AECOM New Zealand Limited and Tonkin + Taylor Limited. In February work commenced to start building the project’s southern tunnel portal at Mt Eden. Sixty six concrete piles between 38 metres and eight metres long have been driven into the ground to support the curved-shaped retaining wall 127 metres long and 25 metres high. The portal will take six months to build. When completed it will be the launching pad for a tunnel boring machine, which is due to arrive in sections from China in October. The machine will be reassembled at the Mt Eden project site before starting the first of two 1.6-kilometre underground drives from Mt Eden to the Aotea Station in the central city to connect with the twin tunnels already built from Britomart Station and under Albert Street. It will start tunnelling in April 2021. Transport Minister Phil Twyford says that the City Rail Link (CRL) will be a game-changer for Auckland, bringing huge benefits to the liveability and productivity of New Zealand’s largest and fast- growing city. “It is not just a transport project – it is a transfor- mational place-making project, which will catalyse economic growth and development that Auckland and the rest of New Zealand will benefit from. CRL will transform the Auckland rail network by signifi- cantly improving passenger services. “This will significantly improve access to jobs, education, health services, as well as other oppor- tunities like the arts and cultural activities the city centre has to offer.” He says that a fast, efficient rail network will en- sure passenger rail is an attractive option allowing more people to travel on the rail network instead of private cars, reducing congestion on roads and re- sulting in a more productive and liveable Auckland. It will also free-up major bus routes, particularly in the city centre, which are quickly reaching capacity. DEVELOPMENT - AUCKLAND » City Rail Link The $4.4 billion CRL is the largest transport infrastructure project in New Zealand. Sean says that the aim is to deliver a modern rail system an international city like Auckland needs for future growth. Construction below central Auckland includes twin 3.45 kilometre long tunnels linking the dead- end Britomart Station and a redeveloped Mt Eden Station on the Western Line. Two underground stations in the central city - Aotea and Karangahape - are also part of CRL. The project is being funded by the Crown and Auckland Council and is due for completion in 2024. Auckland Transport figures indicate that public transport use in Auckland is growing fast. Every day 270,000 trips are taken on public transport. Auckland Transport figures show that Auckland train services totalled 22.0 million passenger boardings for the 12-months to February 2020, an increase of +5.4% on the previous year. In June 2019 a milestone was reached: Aucklanders had made 100 million public transport trips in the past year, mak- City Rail Link a “game changer” ing it the biggest year for buses, trains and ferries in the city since 1951. Once completed CRL will double the city’s rail capacity. It will carry 54,000 people an hour dur- ing peak times, reduce rail journey times and will double the number of Aucklanders living within 30 minutes of central Auckland. “This is the rail equivalent of an additional 16 lanes of traffic, or three Auckland Harbour Bridges, into the city centre at peak times,” says Sean. Benefits of the project include a train at least every 10 minutes in peak, significant travel time savings, easing congestion on roads by providing commuters with a viable transport alternative to their car and significant commercial and residential development opportunities around the stations, with more than 70 large building projects already underway or proposed along the CRL route. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says the project “will create a better Auckland, reducing traffic conges- tion and transforming our city centre into a vibrant place to spend time in”. City Rail Link - Quick Facts • Twin 3.45km rail tunnels up to 42m underground between Britomart and Mt Eden stations. • Two new underground stations - Aotea and Karangahape. • Britomart Station redeveloped into a two-way through station. • Mt Eden Station redeveloped to include the new CRL line and a modern station building. • Wider network improvements at The Strand, Otahuhu, Henderson and New- market. • Provision for nine-car electric trains. “It’s estimated a six-carriage electric train takes about 625 cars off the road. CRL is now planning provision for nine train carriages to meet passenger demand. As Auckland’s rail network is shared by pas- senger, freight and inter regional rail, all rail users will benefit from CRL.” Phil says that CRL is also expected to be a magnet for development around its stations, spurring private investment. “The Britomart Transport Centre is a real-life exam- ple of rail infrastructure transforming its neighbouring surrounds. With the improved travel times across the rail network, living and working in close proximity to the rail network and train stations will become more desirable and will drive transit-oriented development. “This creates more sustainable communities by making it possible to live without complete depend- ence on private vehicles. Investment is expected in medium-high density developments, with a mix of housing and commercial activities. These will be vibrant, safe and attractive public-places that encour- age active travel, such as walking and cycling.” In addition to development opportunities across city, the redevelopment of Mt Eden Station and new stations at Aotea and at Karangahape Road provide significant opportunities for urban renewal The council-owned Bledisloe Car Park site and the site over the Aotea Station is proposed for the development of a building with a floor area of up to 41,000qsm. He says that the new uptown Karanga- hape station and Mount Eden station redevelopment will unlock further high-density residential buildings and generate urban renewal. “This will provide much-needed housing to help reduce Auckland’s chronic housing shortage over time. The Mt Eden station precinct offers a unique opportunity for more affordable homes, with over 100,000sqm of residential and commercial land to be developed.” “This will significantly improve access to jobs, education, health services... and other opportunities.” “This is the rail equivalent of an additional 16 lanes of traffic, or three Auckland Harbour Bridges, into the city centre at peak times.” Sean Sweeney