Kia ora neighbour,
It may look quiet at the CRL stations but something special is happening here. As part of testing and commissioning, we’re ensuring that our stations are reliable, safe and functional for all passengers. This includes testing all equipment, services and amenity in the station and on the platforms. Once individual functions are tested, we connect multiple functions and test them as a integrated, cohesive system. Hearing loops must work with audio systems. Emergency announcements must work with emergency egress doors and other safety systems. Read on to hear more about the fascinating work of the testing and commissioning programme, which will continue through until CRL opens.
This month has also ended with the announcement from Government ministers, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, that the upgraded Auckland public transport network with City Rail Link (CRL) at its heart will open to passengers in the second half of 2026.
Read the official announcement on the Beehive website at https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/light-end-tunnel-crl-construction.
As always, if you have any questions about our construction activities coming up, don’t hesitate to get in touch at mteden@linkalliance.co.nz or 0800 CRL TALK press 5 for Maungawhau Station.
You can also follow Link Alliance’s progress by clicking the social media buttons below.
Ngā mihi,
The Maungawhau Station team.
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Testing and Commissioning
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This is what a high-frequency service looks like. Over the weekend, we carried out our second round of timetable tests to simulate 18 trains per hour through the CRL tunnels and stations, as the trains looped around the inner city.
The testing allows us to check many things, such as whether the trains are too close together or too far apart, and whether they are stopping and opening their doors in the right place for the right amount of time. These may seem like little things, but they all contribute to ensuring we can provide a safe and reliable journey when the City Rail Link opens.
Next year, we'll be testing the timetable on a bigger scale with network-wide testing, as the CRL enables more trains, more often, right across Tāmaki Makaurau. It was a huge effort between City Rail Link, Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, AOR and Link Alliance, with many people putting in big hours on the day and during planning and preparation for the testing.
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Timetable testing has seen us run 18 trains through the tunnel every hour.
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Systems
On Monday (10 Nov and 17 Nov), the system integration team successfully executed system integration dry-run tests. This integration is critical to ensuring life-safety functions and tunnel airflow control during emergencies.
These tests verify the coordination between the fire alarm systems, tunnel ventilation system, and air conditioning systems at Maungawhau and Newton Junction. Each of these systems has multiple layers. For example, the fire alarm systems include the obvious fire alarms and doors, but also must include coordination with turnstiles opening, lift doors opening and closing and moving to ground, emergency egress lighting and escape systems. Each system must coordinate with a complex range of other systems. The testing is challenging due to the required timing and logic synchronisation.
We are pleased to share that all these tests passed and can be ticked off the to-do list.
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Testing engineer actively monitoring the status of the mechanical systems controlling the stair pressurization and sump exhaust fan.
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Upon receiving the fire mode, the air conditioning and stair pressurization systems responded appropriately by activating its associated equipment as part of the Emergency Mode – Equipment Action test.
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The status of the stair pressurization fans was verified. The redundancy of the Stair Pressurization System was successfully confirmed during the fire scenario.
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Speaking of systems integration, have you heard?
It looks quiet here too on the CRL platforms at Maungawhau Station, but something special is happening as we test a facility to help our future CRL passengers who have hearing issues.
Imagine it's 8.00am on a busy Monday morning, passengers are rushing for the train, school children calling out, rain, traffic and the general hustle of crowds coming in and out of the station is all around you... this can be a daunting scenario for anyone experiencing hearing loss.
Hearing loops are an assistive listening technology for individuals with reduced ranges of hearing. A hearing loop takes the sound source and transfers it directly to a hearing aid without background noise, or interference with acoustic distortion solving this very real problem for a lot of people.
Our teams are running functional checks to ensure these loops integrate seamlessly with station audio systems. Some testing happens overnight when surrounding noise pollution will not interfere with test results. The good news is this will be available also at Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape Stations.
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Don’t be fooled, it may look quiet here on the CRL but if you are wearing a hearing device, you may hear a pin drop.
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This month we look back at the programme of work formerly known as C3. The main site works at Maungawhau Station that involved the crazy complicated and astounding work to build 32 metres down, accommodating four tunnels, the two TBM drives, and all of the resources required to launch the TBM from site. It includes the station building, vent building and platforms.
Following demolition of the existing buildings and site establishment, the public had an opportunity to see the scale of the vast site first-hand at the Boring Day Out in December 2020. A massive event that drew a crowd of 5000 people. A few short months later the TBM was launched with great excitement metres below ground into mined tunnels to start the beginning of two incredibly 'boring' drives.
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Relive the moment in this video that captures the mood of the moment and the incredible infrastructure surrounding and supporting the two tunnels.
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Key achievements during the tunnel boring phase included:
- The TBM placed 1067 segment rings and removed 130,000 tonnes of spoil from the twin tunnels (each 1.6kms long from Maungawhau to Te Waihorotiu Station)
- More than 64,200 cubic metres of concrete was used to build the CRL tunnels – the equivalent of 25 Olympic-sized swimming pools
- The Dame Whina Cooper tunnel boring machine weighed 910 tonnes, was 130m long and had a diameter of 7.15m
Once the tunnel boring was complete, Dame Whina Cooper was dismantled and lifted above ground. It was then transported to the port for shipping back to its manufacturer, Herrenknecht in Germany, for parts to be repurposed.
Speaking of purpose, a big part of ours is sustainability
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Throughout the project Link Alliance have had opportunity and responsibility to share stories and information in the community. This has included signage to show businesses are open, manage foot and vehicle traffic and to share community resources such as the boards with QR codes that took you to our construction calendar, art offerings and wellbeing space.
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This poster might be familiar - these were placed around our construction site during the major building and demolition phases.
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Now that the boards are no longer needed for the project, it’s time for them to find a new home, and a new life. Our supplier Benefitz is here to help.
Benefitz will pick up our corflute boards from across the CRL stations and give them a new shape and purpose as premium fence posts, through their partnership with Future Post who create posts that are 100% environmentally friendly, don’t leach and are perfect for organic farming.
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Christmas block of line works
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Yes, planning and scheduling is well underway ahead of another ‘Christmas’ Block of Line between 27 December and 27 January 2026.
There are also some extra track maintenance works scheduled for earlier in December which will include the Western Line between Morningside and Maungawhau Station, so we're keen to share these plans with you ahead of time too. These early December works are part of Kiwi Rail's ongoing track maintenance programme, so are no doubt familiar to many of you who live along the Western Line.
From 30 November, work to ballast and tamp in the CRL rail corridor will begin with delivery of ballast to site. Tamping and ballasting along the line (the noisier night work) will begin on 4 December and continue intermittently through to 22 December.
Specific dates, for these night works are:
- 30 November and 3, 4, 5 December - ballast drops
- 10-16 December (including the weekend) - tamping
- 16-22 December - tamping
These dates are subject to change. Please register to receive our weekly works updates so we can notify you of changes as they occur.
Christmas BOL works will begin on 27 December and run until 27 January. Rail services will be closed during this period to allow for the important maintenance and testing works to conclude.
Summary of works confirmed to date include:
- Track maintenance, train testing and electrical works along the line and into the tunnels, construction snags and general tidying works around the station building and on the vacant development sites surrounding.
- The schedule of works will be relatively quiet between Dec 27 – 3 Jan.
- Remaining dates across January will see an increase in activity and crews in the area, with significantly busy periods running concurrently.
For more detailed information, ensure you are signed up to receive our weekly works updates every Friday – email mteden@linkalliance.co.nz.
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Christmas block of line works will see train services paused, to allow for intensive maintenance works throughout Auckland's rail network. Here at Maungawhau we will be working in and around the rail corridor testing, finishing and checking the new CRL line and the station surrounds.
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Is your workplace CRL ready?
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Auckland Transport’s CRL Ready Travelwise team offer a free service for organisations with over 100 employees. This partnership helps businesses take full advantage of the benefits CRL and the new network will deliver for commuting and business travel next year.
We support businesses to encourage staff to use public transport, cycle, or walk to work by providing:
- Incentives to make public transport easier and more attractive
- Tailored information on upcoming bus, train, and ferry changes
- Journey planning services for staff
These changes can help organisations to:
- Lower costs related to parking, fleet vehicles, and business travel
- Enhance staff safety, wellbeing, and satisfaction with their commute
- Meet company sustainability goals by reducing commute emissions
Take advantage of this opportunity to make commuting smarter and greener for your business and employees.
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Contact TRAVELWISEBUSINESS@AT.GOVT.NZ for details.
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Each month we look at technical terms from construction and ‘translate’ them into easy-to-understand language. This month we will look at: Aaronia Biconical and MFD antennae.
Less jargon buster, more ‘weird object alert’. These antenna are being used across CRL to measure electrical and magnetic field emissions by the trains.
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The Aaronia BicoLOG 30100 biconical dipole antenna (left) shown here in the horizontal configuration, is also used along with a spectrum analyser to measure electric field emissions in the frequency range off 30 MHz to 1 GHz.
The Aaronia MDF 930X active loop antenna (right), used in conjunction with a spectrum analyser, measures magnetic field emissions in the frequency range of 9 kHz to 30 MHz.
Once this data is recorded, it will be compared to the acceptable emission limits defined in the international standard (EN50121-2 standard) also known as being the "Emission of the whole railway system to the outside world."
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Summer's sounding great in Uptown
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On December 13th between 11am and 3pm, Basque Park will play host to the first of three summer community events in Uptown.
Anya Vitali, famous for her Cross Street Festival events, is leading the initiative here in Uptown and will be working with local music academy Eliettes to ensure a great line-up of musicians, DJs, and performers.
Supported by the Uptown Business Association, this event promises to be a great day out for family and friends - live music, markets, performances, food, and workshops will keep everyone happy.
Volunteers from a range of local non-profits will also be turning out for the day - a great chance to get to know the various Uptown organisations who are doing such great mahi for our community and environment.
The Basque Park Summer Series will continue in the new year with events confirmed for 21 February and 21 March.
For the full 13 December line up and event details visit https://www.basqueparksummerseries.co.nz
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The park’s natural amphitheatre, shady trees, sculptures, seating, and pathways make it the perfect Uptown location.
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Join us for our final tour around the perimeter of the Maungawhau Station site for 2025.
This coming Tuesday 2 December, we’ll be taking to the streets and sharing some of the exceptional stories and insights behind the construction of the landmark CRL project.
The next perimeter tour details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday 2 December 2025
Time: 4:30pm (approx. 1-1.5 hours)
Venue: CRL Visitor Centre at Te Manawa, 1 New North Road, Eden Terrace.
Please note that this is a walking tour around the perimeter of site and not into the Maungawhau Station which is still a working construction site.
A moderate level of fitness is required as there are hills along the way, so bring your walking shoes.
Secure your spot on the tour by emailing the team at mteden@linkalliance.co.nz .
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