Auckland gets airport-city rail link

By David Flynn, March 24 2017
Auckland gets airport-city rail link

Ready for a bit of time travel? Good, because you'll need to set the dials for a jump ahead to the year 2047 if you want to ride the new train line between Auckland Airport and downtown Auckland.

We kid you not. As much as that rail link is needed now – and has been needed for the past many many years, as any time spent sitting on the gridlocked roads will tell you – it won't be in place for another 30 years, reports The NZ Herald.

When the trains start running back and forth shuttle-style, it'll be a light rail tramway system rather than conventional suburban-style 'heavy rail', according to the agreement between Auckland Transport and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

And it'll come with an NZ$1 billion price tag that's sure to increase as the years tick by. The NZTA reportedly ruled out the heavy rail option last year because it was estimated to cost NZ$2.2 billion.

So what's happening to ease the traffic jams between 2017 and 2047?

Auckland Transport and the NZTA have settled on a busway corridor as a "credible solution" for the next 30 years, which will then see a "staged transition" to light rail – although that busway might not be operational until the mid-2020s.

The NZ government says that it will soon begin work on defining a mass transit corridor between the airport and the city and protecting it from development.

David

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

04 Mar 2014

Total posts 204

still in with a chance of opening before the "new" Berlin airport then..

24 Oct 2010

Total posts 2563

If we had a 'Comment of the Week' award, I think you'd have just won it!

GM
GM

Air NZ Airpoints

12 Mar 2014

Total posts 36

Can I upvote jrfsp's comment twice please mods? :D

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

15 Mar 2016

Total posts 167

Good grief - we saw them working on this early last year. I figured it would be almost done by now!

you probably saw them working on the inner city improvements..
...or you were actually time traveling last year - in Auckland.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

15 Mar 2016

Total posts 167

There was major construction between the airport and CBD and on the major freeways and the hotel staff said it was for this?

AT
AT

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

14 Sep 2012

Total posts 382

I just had to double check the date wasn't 1st April.

Etihad - Etihad Guest

06 Apr 2012

Total posts 124

Great Scott !  2047 !!  We should all have flying cars and hoverboards by then....

24 Feb 2012

Total posts 58

Still, they will probably have a "rail" line from the airport to CBD before Melbourne!

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

18 Sep 2015

Total posts 11

I'll ride it for my 106th birthday!

GM
GM

Air NZ Airpoints

12 Mar 2014

Total posts 36

Don't worry, rail to AKL will happen long before 2047. The only holdouts against it now are the current government's inner circle. (Rail to the airport is following the same pattern of denial, delay, arguing and then acceptance as the City Rail Link project did). Developments will be quick once they're voted out.


In the shorter term, some sort of bus priority will be implemented soon by the looks of things - at the moment there is nothing. So if you are using AKL, allow plenty of time to get there. Things sadly have to get bad before they get any better...

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

02 Jul 2011

Total posts 1374

There is also the current 380 bus to Papatoetoe and Onehunga train stations - Papatoetoe generally preferred due to the traffic on the Onehunga route, and greater train services.


It's not particularly direct - a bit like the 901 to Broadmeadows in Melbourne, but equally substantially cheaper

23 Feb 2015

Total posts 260

I was going to make a derisive comment, and then remembered I was from Melbourne ...

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

26 Feb 2016

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Meanwhile, the Vic government will be able to finish the preliminary study on the Melbourne airport rail.

Emirates Airlines - Skywards

11 Mar 2015

Total posts 190

should have left this article till april's fools day who cares what happens in 30 years? 

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

11 Dec 2016

Total posts 74

Consistent theme here. Same as Sydney's new BC airport not going to have a train line because. 

The federal liberals have regularly stated they don't support public transport.
As the nationals/conservatives in NZ follow the same path I assume??

So Melbourne state not being able to afford​ their train line without federal backing, Sydney the same and also NZ. Quite a pattern here.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

02 Jul 2011

Total posts 1374

Turnbull very much supports public transport - catches it regularly. Agree Abbot was more anti

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

07 Apr 2018

Total posts 1

Current Government wants to start building by 2021. Mind you, with no spare construction workers in NZ at present, 2047 is probably realistic for completion!


As a weekly commuter to Auckland, they have to do something to get people off the airport to city Motorway, and fast. New tunnel to city helps - all motorway now airport -> city but that’ll be clogged in a few years .

I see the largest challenge as physically building things (anything) in Auckland. Construction seems to take forever compared to Sydney.


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