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Power on for CRL’s steel and concrete “Christmas Tree”

20 December 2023

Twenty-two thousand volts of mains power is now surging into City Rail Link’s Te Waihorotiu Station, marking a significant development towards the completion of New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project in November 2025.

Energising Te Waihorotiu is a hugely important and big step for us,” says Wayne Cooney, City Rail Link Ltd’s Systems Director. “Until now we have relied on temporary power sources for lighting and tools. Introducing a permanent power source gives us the electricity resilience and independence needed to plan ahead for another critical milestone - testing trains and the station’s facilities later next year.”

“What begins from here is complex staging and progressive energization of our new stations, tunnel systems and permanent equipment - it’s an early Christmas bonus for us,” Mr Cooney says.

The permanent power source will fuel every single aspect of the station during the remainder of construction and will power all of the needs of the station once it is operating, from speakers, lights to lifts to escalators.

“Twenty-two thousand volts is a lot of juice to handle. It’s not as simple as flicking on a switch at home. While there is a big focus on engineering, safety is our first priority. Being our first major energization event, we are uplifting on-site regulations and processes to reduce risk and keep people safe.”

Link Alliance’s one team approach has been key to achieving this milestone. It has led the testing and commissioning of energization as construction and fit-out continues and working closely with stakeholders like power distributor Vector.

The power-on sequence continues next year when mains electricity is connected to CRL’s Karanga-a-Hape and Maungawhau stations.

CRL all go amid the Ho! Ho! Ho!

17 December 2023

While Aucklanders switch to relax mode for the Christmas holidays, City Rail Link (CRL) will take advantage of a temporary closure of the city’s rail network for substantial work essential to help ensure the project remains on track for completion in November 2025.

The closure, known as a block of line, extends from Boxing Day, 26 December, until 20 January.

CRL’s block of line work centres on the Maungawhau and Waitematā (Britomart) Stations.

“The block of line provides an excellent, important opportunity for our crews to work safely on or adjacent to railway lines,” says Francois Dudouit, Project Director for Link Alliance, CRL’s main contractor. “I want to thank our neighbours for their support and co-operation. During the extended hours of our work, we’ll monitor activity and do everything we can to minimise impacts from noise, dust and lighting.

Maungawhau Station

In addition to work on or around the tracks, including destressing and tampering, CRL’s busy schedule at Maungawhau Station and in the rail corridor includes:

Fenton Street Bridge construction, including the installation of glass panels and steel framing, painting, welding, and lifting materials over the rail corridor
Cladding installation on the Western Line platform canopy, as well as concreting and tiling works on the platform floor
Remedial and cabling work on the Western Line platform, involving craning materials over the rail corridor
Civils remedial work along the Western/North Auckland Line (NAL) between Boston Road and Normanby Road
Signalling works, installing communication cables, cable containment and monitors throughout the rail corridor
Track and overhead line equipment works in the rail corridor, which involves track lowering, destressing, rail cutting, ballasting, tampering and welding.

Any questions or concerns the community may have about these works can be directed to 0800 CRL TALK (Option 5 for Maungawhau Station) or mteden@linkalliance.co.nz

Waitematā (Britomart) Station

Signalling, testing and commissioning on the tracks and in the tunnels and signalling equipment transported into and out of Waitematā to be installed and tested.
Minor asset recoveries that involve removing track and/or equipment to accommodate a new track layout.
On the station platform Auckland Transport will start installing acoustic panels to help to reduce noise levels. Link Alliance is completing the installation of platform balustrade, glazing and tactiles to ensure the platforms are safe and accessible for everyone

Waitematā’s platforms will be renumbered with the completion of the upgrades. Platform 2 will be decommissioned, and there will be only four platforms in operation. Platform 5 will be renumbered as Platform 4.

Passengers planning to travel on the rail network over the Christmas/New Year holidays are advised to use Auckland Transport's planned disruptions website for updates: [Auckland Transport Planned Rail Closures].

“We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday – an important time for CRL to make further progress towards the completion of a project that will mean so much to the city,” Mr Dudouit says.

Christmas Cheer for City Centre as CRL transforms Victoria Street

8 December 2023

Karakia rang out across the dawn sky in Tāmaki Makaurau’s city centre this morning as City Rail Link (CRL), the project’s delivery partner Link Alliance, and mana whenua marked the opening of new and improved public space around the Victoria and Albert Street intersections in time for the Christmas holiday period.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei representatives from CRL’s Mana Whenua Forum acknowledged the extensive work above and below Victoria and Albert Streets to deliver bigger and better spaces for pedestrians and city centre dwellers.

At the heart of midtown’s regeneration, CRL construction over the past few years on Victoria Street has involved diverting pre-existing utilities like gas, water and communications away from the station footprint; constructing 20-metre-deep piled station walls and the concrete roof; removing thousands of truckloads of dirt and building three public entrances to the new underground station.

CRL’s transformation delivers wider and upgraded footpaths with more space for the thousands of commuters expected to use the station every day. 1200 square metres of new paving, new LED streetlights and traffic lights will be joined next year by street furniture and trees to replenish the urban ngahere.

City Rail Link Ltd’s Chief Executive, Dr Sean Sweeney, thanked Aucklanders and those living and working around the Te Waihorotiu site for their patience and support during the streetscape works.

“Taking up space in the city centre including closing roads, is one of the many challenges we face building a huge and complex project like CRL in the middle of a city and that support plays a very welcome and very critical role in getting our work done successfully, quickly and safely.

“We’re delighted with this early ‘Christmas gift’ of new places and spaces for the city centre, just in time for the busy shopping and holiday season - it’s another very important step in the journey to deliver Te Waihorotiu Station and to help make the city centre a modern and dynamic destination,” Dr Sweeney says.

Two hundred metres of heritage bluestone salvaged from the area line Victoria Street between Albert and Federal Street. Eagle-eyed pedestrians will notice three subtly different shades of grey pavers surrounding each of the Te Waihorotiu Station entrances. These shades and their pattern are unique to Te Waihorotiu Station and allude to Waihorotiu Stream which runs through the city centre. The pavers integrate with existing paving in the city centre for a seamless experience.

Auckland Council’s Director Infrastructure & Environmental Services, Barry Potter says the opening up of the area has come at the perfect time with the summer period and encourages people to come and see the change for themselves and enjoy what the diverse businesses in the area have to offer.

“The pace of change along Victoria St over the last couple of months has been incredible. I strongly urge people to come and check it out. We’re now seeing the beautiful urban environment emerge that Aucklanders can already enjoy now, and which even more Aucklanders will enjoy in the years to come once the station opens. Congratulations to the City Rail Link team on yet another major milestone,” he says.

Auckland Council will complete the next phase of its Te Hā Noa project - the footpath upgrade works on the northern side all the way down to Queen St – within the next few months, before work begins on the southern side.

As well as opening new spaces for shoppers to wander through from late next week, the road will be re-opened to improve local access to the area. Drivers will be able to travel east on Victoria Street West as far as the Albert Street intersection and turn into Albert Street southbound. By Christmas, people will be able to drive either east or west on Victoria Street West through the Albert Street intersection.

Albert Street northbound, meanwhile, remains closed to road traffic from the intersection for final streetscape reinstatements in this area.

“Fantastic” City Rail Link scores awards hat-trick

15 November, 2023

The commitment by the country’s biggest transport infrastructure project – Auckland’s City Rail Link – to leave the city a better place when its work is completed has been recognised three times over by New Zealand’s Procurement Excellence Forum.

CRL swept up the Forum’s Supreme Award and also added the Forum’s Social Impact and Environmental Impact Awards to the project’s trophy cabinet.

“Fantastic recognition for the incredible dedication of our procurement, social outcomes, and sustainability teams,” says City Rail Link Ltd Chief Executive, Dr Sean Sweeney.

“Right from the start CRL adopted an unshakeable commitment to make this huge and complex project an exemplar when it comes to protecting the environment, reducing our carbon footprint, and supporting vulnerable communities with employment and business opportunities. We have proudly pushed higher the bar for positive social impact and sustainability practices for others to follow,” Dr Sweeney says.

Procurement is the method projects use to obtain the goods and services they need to allow them to complete their work successfully.

CRL’s Principal Sustainability Advisor, Nick Braxton, says CRL’s positive environment protection and sustainability targets have been incorporated into the supply chain.

“We’re facing a climate crisis and procurement is a hugely powerful tool to achieve the emissions reductions needed to address that,” Mr Braxton says.

Spring in the air as CRL “branches out”

27 September 2023

There’s a timely spring in the step of the huge City Rail Link (CRL) project as it teams up with Auckland’s Uptown Business Association to celebrate the community’s Branch Out Spring Festival on Saturday, 7 October when Nikau Street will be closed to cars for a street party.

“It’s a chance to show there’s more to us than holding a jackhammer or pouring concrete around our Maungawhau Station site, and to welcome spring’s longer, warmer days with our fantastic neighbours,” says Francois Dudouit, Project Director for Link Alliance, CRL’s main contractor.

The Branch Out Spring Festival includes a family-friendly street market, music, street and stage performances and crafts on Nikau Street near the redeveloped station between 9am and 1pm. On the food front there will be something for everyone.

“It’s a great opportunity for CRL to show how an already buzzing and innovative uptown community will become even more vibrant by people drawn to the area by new housing and commercial development around the station.” Mr Dudouit says.

“Link Alliance is delighted to support the Branch Out Spring Festival with the Uptown Business Association and we hope as many Aucklanders as possible – people and pets - can come and join us and discover what a great part of the city this is.”

Uptown Business Association Chair Emma Sparks says that previous events in collaboration with Link Alliance have been great at introducing new people to the Uptown business district, as well as helping our residents discover more of what’s here.

“Our partnership events have been excellent in showcasing what Uptown has to offer. Next week’s Branch Out Festival is a great initiative, and we are all really looking forward to it - it’s shaping up to be a fantastic day!”

For more information on the festival’s programme, visit “Branch Out Festival” Uptown | Facebook or Uptown | What's On

One down, one to go – New Zealand’s newest railway in place

22 September 2023

The first of the two 3.45-kilometre-long tracks for Auckland’s newest railway line – the City Rail Link – has now been laid connecting, underground, Waitematā (Britomart) and Maungawhau Stations.

“On a project bristling with huge achievements and milestones this stands out as one of the most significant,” says City Rail Link Ltd’s Chief Executive, Dr Sean Sweeney. “It was challenging underground work where the terrain was steep and tunnel curves tight, but it helps mark a big physical crossover from a heavy construction project to the development of what will become a world class railway with a huge impact on Aucklanders lives.”

Installation of the first track began in August 2022. Work started just as CRL’s tunnel boring machine, Dame Whina Cooper, was nearing the end of its tunnel excavating drive.

Click on photos for bigger size

CRL Ltd’s main contractor, Link Alliance, and railway infrastructure company, Martinus New Zealand, installed the track on what is one of the steepest sections of railway in New Zealand. From Waitematā, which sits below sea level, the track climbs around 70 metres to Maungawhau. At its deepest point, the track runs 42 metres underneath Auckland’s busy Karanga-a-Hape.

In the tunnel near Te Waihorotiu Station in central Auckland, two of the track laying team, Alexandra Favre, a Link Alliance track engineer, and Amy Khune, a Martinus surveyor, locked into place the last of more than 21,000 rail clips that secure steel track weighing 340 tonnes in total to their foundations.

Laying the track also included pouring 4,400 tonnes of concrete and completing more than 280 rail welds, which smooth out the “clickety-clack” joins where track sections meet, to give people a smoother ride.

To complete the job, Link Alliance became the first construction organisation in New Zealand to gain a Rail Operators and Rail Access provider licence under the country’s Railways Act.

“Getting the licence was an innovation that helped underline the excellent work of first-class teams involved in the track laying and gave us more flexibility to carefully plan our programme of work and get the job done to the highest standard,” says Francois Dudouit, Link Alliance Project Director.

Martinus New Zealand General Manager, Graham Bradley, also acknowledges a huge undertaking that began during the Covid pandemic.

“We assembled teams who have outstanding expertise and commitment to getting the mahi done, often 24/7. A restricted rail corridor brings all sorts of challenges that you can never expect and brings out the best in people. Working together to bring CRL to life as a transformational project is something we’re all really proud to be a part of,” Mr Bradley says.

The newly laid track will carry trains south from Waitematā to Maungawhau.

Laying the track successfully is one part of a complex tunnel fit out underway that includes the installation of electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, safety and communications systems.

Work to fit-out the line in the second CRL tunnel, which will carry trains north from Maungawhau Station to Waitematā, will be completed next year.

“Remarkable” City Rail Link wins trans-Tasman praise

14 September 2023

Auckland’s ambitious City Rail Link (CRL) project has been recognised by the rail industries on both sides of the Tasman for its “remarkable” efforts to protect the environment.

CRL’s main contractor, Link Alliance, won the Australasian Rail Industry (ARI) Sustainability & Environmental Excellence Award at an event attended by 800 people in Melbourne.

Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Chief Executive, Caroline Wilkie, congratulated Link Alliance for what she describes as a “significant” achievement.

“City Rail Link has successfully embraced several sustainability initiatives at all levels of this major project, leading to a significantly reduced carbon footprint. It is a remarkable project and Link Alliance has set new benchmarks for incorporating environmental, social and cultural benefits into infrastructure projects,” Ms Wilkie says.

CRL’s Principal Sustainability Advisor, Nick Braxton, says the award is a proud honour.

“From procurement, through design and now construction the whole Link Alliance team has been focussed on reducing our carbon footprint, avoiding waste and leaving a positive social and cultural legacy for Auckland, and we’ve had great support for this mahi from our mana whenua partners,” says Mr Braxton.

City Rail Link’s Chief Executive, Dr Sean Sweeney, awards at this level are keenly contested by some very big industry players.

“Recognition like this does not come easily. It’s a fantastic outcome for a lot of hard work and sustained commitment over the years by people determined to deliver a project that’s world class in many, many different ways.”

Earlier this month a CRL manager - Berenize Peita (Kaiwhakahaere Hua a Hapori) – won the ‘Enduring Impact’ Award from the Australian-based Infrastructure Sustainability Council for the impact her sustainability leadership was having on CRL and the wider infrastructure industry.

What impressed ARI’s judges in numbers

Reduction in mined tunnelling by up to 45 per cent
Replaced 21 per cent of cement with fly ash in concrete mix designs
More than $135 million spend since 2019 on Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses
Successful 16-week internship programme for Māori and Pasifika youth with 33 interns graduating – over 73 per cent have since been employed
Use of advanced 3D BIM computer technology to track CRL’s carbon footprint – a high-tech first for New Zealand

“Re-shaping” Aotearoa wins International recognition for CRL Manager

12 September 2023

A City Rail Link (CRL) manager - Berenize Peita (Kaiwhakahaere Hua a Hapori) – has won international recognition for her “profound efforts in reshaping how future infrastructure projects in New Zealand will unfold”.

In Melbourne, the Australian-based Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) awarded Berenize its prestigious ‘Enduring Impact’ Award for Individual Contribution to a Sustainable Future.

Berenize, employed by City Rail Link Ltd as the Social Outcomes Legacy Manager inside Link Alliance, the project’s main contractor, leads initiatives that promote a more diverse workforce and support Māori and Pasifika businesses. Under her guidance, a successful Progressive Employment Programme helps rangatahi (youth) successfully graduate into the workforce, and CRL contracts valued at more than $95 million have been directed towards Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses.

ISC Chief Executive, Ainsley Simpson, describes Berenize’s leadership as “profound efforts” to reshape future infrastructure projects in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

“Ongoing commitment to her work has created a permanent legacy for the tikanga Māori and te reo Māori people involved, and for the way project managers can work with similar groups to achieve these outcomes on other projects and their communities.”

“Through her leadership, with the support of CRL Mana Whenua partners, Berenize has elevated te ao Māori (the Māori world) as a valued part of the Link Alliance’s operational approach. Her efforts emphasize the value in social outcomes and fostering a diverse, inclusive workforce in Aotearoa,” says Ms Simpson.

Berenize says she is grateful for the recognition but says it represents the work of many.

“Particularly to the project’s Social Outcomes team, as well as to City Rail Link Ltd and Link Alliance for creating the space to prioritise these outcomes and support their delivery,” she adds.

City Rail Link Ltd’s Chief Executive, Dr Sean Sweeney, says the ISC award is fantastic and outstanding recognition for Berenize.

“From day one of this project we have worked with mana whenua to deliver an exemplar project – one that not only has enduring benefits for rail users and Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, but one that for years ahead equally benefits all the people and companies behind our successful project. The role Berenize plays in helping achieve that is immense and it is absolutely fitting she has won international recognition for her leadership,” Dr Sweeney says.

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council is the peak body for infrastructure sustainability, advocating for the delivery of cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits from all infrastructure assets

Big community “thank you” marks end of complex CRL works programme

10 September 2023

Auckland’s game changing City Rail Link starts two weeks of community celebrations tomorrow (Monday, 11 September) to mark the formal end of complex construction around the project’s Maungawhau station site on the North Auckland/Western Line.

The colossal construction programme spanning four years and well beyond one and a half million worker hours included the removal of unsafe level crossings, digging down almost 20 metres to build trenches, diverting utilities including a huge water main critical for the city, constructing new bridges and roads and paths, and building new sections of track to connect the existing line with the CRL tunnels.

“Now it’s time for us to say an equally colossal ‘thank you’ to our fantastic neighbours for the support and understanding they have given us over the years,” says Dr Sean Sweeney, City Rail Link Ltd’s Chief Executive.

“Disruption for a complex city-based project like CRL is unavoidable and we’ve done our best to reduce those impacts by working extended shifts almost every day of the year, sometimes in some pretty challenging conditions, to get the job done as quickly as possible.

“The success of any large-scale project is underpinned by a community’s backing and its patience and we’ve had that in truckloads from the many people who live and work next to our Maungawhau site.”

Dr Sweeney says CRL Ltd and its principal contractor, Link Alliance, are planning a number of community focussed events acknowledging the positive role local people have played in the successful delivery of a world class railway.

Construction along a four-point-six kilometre-long east-west stretch of railway was necessary to reposition the track and build an expanded new Maungawhau (previously Mt Eden) station and platforms to serve the Western Line and CRL.

“What we call our North Auckland Line contract is full of very big numbers – we measure the amount of spoil removed and concrete poured by the tens of thousands of cubic metres; we rolled out close to four kilometres of overhead electric lines and laid over four thousand new rail sleepers,” Dr Sweeney says.

The old Mt Eden Station was closed and demolished and the Western Line reduced to single-line running – two tracks temporarily reduced to one – to maintain rail services while keeping CRL workers safe in a narrow construction corridor.

The construction programme in four years was extensive:

1.3km of the Western Line replaced and repositioned - new lines built for a maximum train speed of 60kph
Replacing 3 level crossings with bridges to separate road and rail traffic
New bridges for pedestrians and sustainable modes of transport provide safe access above a section of the rail network expanding from two to four tracks
Repositioning and improving road and footpath
Diverting and upgrading utilities including part of the big Huia 2 watermain

Dr Sweeney also acknowledges the work of Link Alliance and teams, and the involvement of mana whenua, KiwiRail and its contractors, and Auckland Transport.

“A great team effort across many fronts: working together to keep Aucklanders moving, and recognising the cultural and historic past of Tāmaki Makaurau/ Auckland while we build for the city’s future growth and prosperity.”

Dual-line running through the worksite resumed on 10 July and some low-level programmes of work will continue until October when the North Auckland Line contract ends. CRL’s Maungawhau site will remain busy as work continues on other programmes of construction for the station and the CRL tunnels.

Fact Sheet

The return of Western Line dual tracks

10 July 2023

Commuters between West Auckland and Newmarket will from today enjoy a quicker journey thanks to the return of dual tracks on the Western Line.

The Western Line has been running on a single track through the Maungawhau Station worksite since mid-2020, to allow the City Rail Link’s delivery partner, Link Alliance, to rebuild a section of the Western Line while maintaining commuter services. Having a single line running while crews worked on the other line, has meant that the project could proceed at pace while keeping around 400 workers safe from the risks of a live rail line.

To thank commuters for their patience, City Rail Link, Link Alliance, Auckland Transport and KiwiRail representatives this morning boarded Western Line trains and handed out coffee vouchers and biscuits to commuters.

City Rail Link chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney says the work on the Western Line between Grafton and Kingsland stations is an important component of the overall build, with the rebuilt lines making room for the new City Rail Link lines that will in time take passengers down into the tunnels towards Waitematā Station (Britomart).

Link Alliance project director Francois Dudouit says “this morning’s giveaways were a small gesture to thank the public for their patience and support which enabled safe construction during single line running”.

KiwiRail’s CEO Peter Reidy says “the dual tracks will benefit commuters by helping improve travel times and service reliability on the Western Line. It is another incremental step towards a world-class rail network for Auckland.

“Our teams are working hard across the city on a range of other complementary improvement projects – from our Rail Network Rebuild, which is raising the standards of the tracks across the whole network; building a Third Main Line in South Auckland to better separate commuter and freight trains; extending the electrified network to Papakura; and building new stations to support housing growth around Drury.”

Auckland Transport’s Executive General Manager Public Transport Services Stacey van der Putten says Western Line passengers will benefit from meaningful time savings now that trains can use both tracks through Maungawhau Station in Mt Eden.

“Customers on the Western Line will spend less time travelling as a result of this change, with even more significant time savings in store when the City Rail Link opens,” Ms van der Putten says.

“We’re really grateful to our customers on the Western Line for their patience over the past three years and we’re glad to be able to improve the speed and reliability of their journeys from today.

“I’d also like to thank our AT operational teams and Auckland One Rail train crews for their hard work over the past few years to make sure that our Western Line services could run safely and with the least possible disruption while we were down to one line through Maungawhau.”

The works involved the replacement of 1.3km of dual track, with the total length of the ballasted track built totalling 2,860m, including connections to the City Rail Link lines.

The rebuilt section of line involved approximately 4,375 sleepers, 10,751 tonnes of ballast, 71 sections of 70m-long rail, 50 masts, more than 3.7km of overhead line contact wire and 1.6km of feeder wire. More than 150,000m3 of spoil was removed for Western Line tracks and the location of new City Rail Link tracks at western and eastern links. Sustainability efforts saw 81,720kgs of temporary prop steel beams on the eastern grade separation sold to a company that will store and resell to another project for reuse.

When complete and operational, the City Rail Link project will deliver significantly improved travel times for commuters. From Maungawhau Station, it will take only three minutes to get to Karanga-a-Hape Station, six minutes to Te Waihorotiu Station and nine minutes to Waitematā Station (Britomart).

CRL statement about PR campaign, Road by Karangahape cologne

7 June 2023

City Rail Link Ltd today unequivocally acknowledges the concerns of the Mana Whenua Forum, representing eight Tāmaki Makaurau iwi who are CRL partners, about the public relations campaign "Road by Karangahape," a cologne, designed to promote a CBD district.

Chief Executive Dr. Sean Sweeney says the project had no knowledge of the PR campaign, was not asked for permission, and was not involved in any way or form.

"Mana whenua are concerned and deeply offended about the inappropriate appropriation and use of their ancestral name Karanga-a-Hape, and we wholeheartedly acknowledge and respect their concerns," says Dr. Sweeney. "This is particularly important given the honor mana whenua have bestowed on the project, gifting the name Karanga-a-Hape for the CRL station in this area, which has recently been formally adopted by the NZ Geographic Board."

CRL Ltd staff contacted the PR company concerned following the launch of the campaign to ensure the company desisted from making a false statement about the stone used for the cologne stopper being stolen from a CRL site.

No stone was supplied to the company, and CRL Ltd has accepted assurances that the stopper material came from a variety of sources, including broken asphalt found on the street adjacent to a CRL site.

End of the tunnel for mining

6 June 2023

The City Rail Link project continues to chalk up milestones with the completion of mined tunnelling at Maungawhau Station in Mt Eden last week.

The tunnelling crews successfully completed the final 99.5m mined tunnel section, known as the cavern, adjacent to where the Tunnel Boring Machine slid through on its second CRL tunnel drive in 2022.

This marks the end of all tunnelling from Maungawhau Station which has used three types of tunnelling – the Tunnel Boring Machine Dame Whina Cooper, cut-and-cover tunnelling and mined tunnelling.

Mined tunnelling, which has been taking place at Maungawhau Station since 2020, involves creating a tunnel with machinery such as a jumbo drill, excavators, and a shotcrete machine to stabilise the ground. The area is then waterproofed and concreted with tailormade self-travelling formwork.

During the 2.5 years of mined tunnelling, crews excavated approximately 15,000m3 of spoil, used about 10,000m3 of concrete and shotcrete and installed around 250 tonnes of steel and 4,500m2 of waterproofing membrane in creating mined tunnels extending 296m, about the height of the Empire State Building.

Link Alliance project director Francois Dudouit says the completion of mined tunnelling is a significant achievement.

“These people have been on a long journey, literally and figuratively speaking,” Dudouit says. “The team has faced many technical and environmental challenges and have shown both fortitude and innovation in overcoming those obstacles.

“The completion of this stage of the project is a cause for celebration and a source of great pride,” he added.

The occasion was marked with speeches, awards and flags showcasing the multinational team that has delivered this essential part of the CRL construction.

Work is now beginning on the fit-out of the mined tunnels, including electrical works, signalling, ventilation and installation of the rail tracks upon which the new CRL trains will run.

CRL sets higher bar for environmental sustainability

17 May 2023

The City Rail Link project is setting new benchmarks for construction and environmental sustainability, this year’s Health Safety, Environment and Sustainability (HSES) report shows.

The 2022 report records that nearly 60,000 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill since the start of construction, while 6,508 tonnes of waste was reused. More than 8,000 truckloads of concrete was effectively removed from the project’s carbon footprint through cement replacement and more than 5,000 cu m of water was also captured and reused on site.

The HSES findings underpinned an Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) award of a “Leading” design rating presented to the project this month, the highest possible rating in the ISC scheme.

Commenting on the HSES findings, chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney says he takes great pride in the tūkaha (passionate energy) the CRL Ltd and Link Alliance teams brought to raising the bar on environmental and sustainable construction practices.

“The ISC award is recognition of the hard mahi to make the CRL an exemplar project, one that sets a new benchmark for construction, workplace safety and environmental sustainability,” Dr Sweeney says.

A key initiative was the minimisation of cement use in concrete, as cement has an embodied carbon footprint of almost one tonne for every tonne used.

Maximising replacement of cement with fly-ash (a waste product with a much lower embodied carbon footprint) was implemented at the start of construction, leading to the elimination of 18,444 tCO₂e from the Project’s footprint thus far, a reduction of more than 20%.

The cement replacement rate achieved to date is more than 10 times higher than the average for New Zealand, despite Covid-impacts on international supply chains requiring the CRL to ration fly-ash use.

Dr Sweeney says he is particularly pleased the CRL initiative encouraged the local concrete supply chain to increase the use of materials that can replace cement: “This is a real-world impact and one that will have lasting benefits to the construction industry in New Zealand, which is a source of pride for the CRL and Link Alliance teams.”

Significant social outcomes were also achieved, the report shows, particularly around supplier diversity and supply chain opportunities for Māori, Pasifika and socially innovative businesses.

A total of 41 contracts have been signed with Māori and Pasifika businesses, with $79 million already spent during the calendar year (about 7% of the Link Alliance total spend), including $188,000 with mana whenua companies (CRL Ltd has a formal relationship with the Mana Whenua Forum, representing eight Auckland iwi).

Dr Sweeney says CRL’s policy on supplier diversity adheres to Government and Auckland Council policy to increase supplier diversity: “We have succeeded in building both capacity and capability in the Māori and Pasifika construction sector, benefiting the broader construction industry by increasing diversity in the supply chain.”

CRL’s social outcomes inititatives were also recognised last year at the Infrastructure Sustainability Council awards, with a highly commended award. Among the initiatives is the flagship Progressive Employment Programme (PEP), which provides a 16-week training course to help bypass barriers preventing rangatahi (youth) from gaining meaningful employment.

Two cohorts of six rangatahi went through the PEP programme (in addition to intakes in previous years), with six offered fulltime construction positions, another four on track to receive fulltime employment and two leaving after realising construction wasn’t for them. The programme is continuing to operate this year.

Link Alliance project director Francois Dudouit says he is delighted at the outcomes, particularly for Māori and Pasifika rangatahi.

“We’ve been particularly proactive in reaching out to schools, hosting more than 100 students from 10 different colleges and more than 1,000 students were engaged through the Link Alliance presence at youth, career and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) events,” Dudouit says. “Our scaffolding Through Sisterhood initiative, where eight wāhine joined our team during the April and July school holidays, was particularly effective in opening up new employment pathways for young women who might not have considered a career in construction or infrastructure industries.”

Other highlights from the HSES report include:

• More than 20% savings on energy-related construction emissions projected

• 2,569 ground and building movement monitoring points installed

• 400 environmental site inspections completed

• 66 environmental management plans approved

• 31 stormwater catch pits protected

• Nine air quality monitors and seven water treatment plants installed

Dr Sweeney says the results set out in the HSES report demonstrate what can be achieved when there is full buy-in from all companies involved in large construction projects.

“This is important work that is making measurable differences in the environmental and social spaces of large-scale construction projects. The CRL has raised the bar for the entire construction industry and it is our ambition that these initiatives and practices become embedded in construction and infrastructure industry culture.”

Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability Report 2022

CRL awarded highest-possible rating for infrastructure sustainability

08 May 2023

The City Rail Link project was last night awarded an Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Design rating from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC), with a score of 93, corresponding to a “Leading” rating, the highest possible in its scheme.

CRL Ltd chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney says the independent assessment from the Australia-based ISC is a ringing endorsement of the values and hard mahi the CRL and Link Alliance team brought to New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project.

“We have, from the get-go, worked our hardest to make the CRL an exemplar project, to set a new higher benchmark for construction, workplace safety, environmental sustainability and to form partnerships in our community to provide opportunities for people who face barriers to entering the workforce,” Dr Sweeney says.

“This award is recognition of achieving that ambition and, on behalf of the CRL and Link Alliance teams, I want to thank everyone involved and acknowledge the tūkaha it’s taken to reach our goal,” he says.

The ISC independent assessors highlighted three innovations that were critical to award the highest possible rating: the incorporation of Māori cultural values into the IS framework; using the BIM model (a digital modelling tool) to track the carbon footprint during design; and the use of battery-powered Multi-Service Vehicles with regenerative braking (which converts the kinetic energy lost during deceleration into stored energy in the vehicle’s battery) to supply materials to the Project’s tunnel boring machine, the Dame Whina Cooper.

Other highlights include:

An 18% reduction in the footprint of concrete used, equivalent to eliminating more than 7,000 truckloads of concrete
Reducing mined tunnelling and associated concrete and steel by 11% in the redesigned Karanga-a-Hape Station
Maximising the use of grid electricity during construction to achieve around 80% reductions compared to diesel generators
Minimising use of carbon-intensive shotcrete and reinforcing steel associated with mined tunnelling and maximising use of lower-carbon bored and cut-and-cover tunnels at Maungawhau

The assessors also focussed on the delivery of positive social outcomes, particularly the efforts to provide meaningful training and employment to Māori, Pasifika and youth.

CRL Ltd and Link Alliance implemented a 16-week paid internship for rangatahi (youth), including training and wrap-around support, career development, mentoring and pastoral care programme to create confident, capable people with improved career pathways. They also created supply chain opportunities for Māori and Pasifika businesses, social enterprises and socially innovative businesses.

Sweeney says it has been a privilege to partner with Mana Whenua on many initiatives and to witness the positive and enduring outcomes from this good work.

“It is particularly pleasing to see that for the first time the ISC has incorporated cultural values into its Infrastructure Sustainability technical manual and is now sharing it across Australasia and with its partners around the world,” Dr Sweeney says.

“This is a direct result of our world-first innovation, in partnership with the Mana Whenua Forum, to create a manual, Mahi Rauora Aratohu, to incorporate mana whenua cultural values to guide the project and against which its outcomes could be assessed,” he says.

ISC chief executive Ainsley Simpson says: “The partnership and development of the Mahi Rauora Aratahu manual has not only delivered great outcomes for the CRL project and the people of Tāmaki Makaurau, but have inspired the further development of the IS Rating Scheme related to Indigenous People of the Land.

“At the Council, we have taken significant steps in our latest Technical Manual update to recognise the importance of culture, connection and partnership and shared the CRL experience and action with the infrastructure sector across Australasia and with our international partners.”

Mana Whenua Forum member Edith Tuhimata says: “Te ao Māori has sustainability at its very core and we have a great responsibility to future generations for the way we conduct our businesses and the impacts that has on the environment and the people, the wellbeing of the whenua and he tangata.

“Mana Whenua bring an holistic approach to the CRL project to ensure whakapapa links are acknowledged and the best practical environmental, sustainable, social and cultural outcomes are achieved,” she says.

Dr Sweeney says it has been an honour to ensure te ao Maori values drive our work in building New Zealand’s biggest transport infrastructure project.

New Porters Ave Bridge opens

01 May 2023

City Rail Link Ltd and Auckland Transport celebrated a significant milestone today with the opening of the lifts on the new Porters Ave Bridge in Mt Eden and official handing over of the infrastructure asset to owner Auckland Transport.

The occasion was celebrated at a dawn ceremony at the site, with karakia courtesy of CRL partners, the Mana Whenua Forum representing eight Tāmaki Makarau iwi, followed by coffees with community as locals traverse the bridge via the lifts for the very first time.

Francois Dudouit, project director for Link Alliance, the CRL Ltd delivery partner, says the new bridge, which replaces the previous level crossing, will improve people’s safety by separating pedestrians from rail services, and adds to the Māori narrative told throughout Maungawhau Station.

It is a feat of engineering where a single span was lifted into place last year using three 500-tonne cranes, Dudouit says. Design features ensure safety and privacy for local apartment dwellers, while the side panels of the bridge showcase triangle shapes representing the 48 maunga (mountains) in Auckland.

Conceptually, the Porters Ave Bridge is likened to a sculpted and honed karā toki (basalt chisel) of the maunga, which would have been used to carve out the extensive earth works on Maungawhau, and dig, plant and harvest kumara pits. The bridge responds to this idea of being a newly carved and carefully honed tool of the maunga, representative of lava in its solid state.

Artist Tessa Harris (Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki) has expanded on this narrative in the patterns on the glass fritting of the lift tower and the bridge’s perforated screening. The pattern represents the cross-binding of a chisel blade to a handle, and, in this case, the binding of the bridge to the lift shaft and the bridge site.

“Porters Avenue is one of four new bridges we are building for the CRL to provide greater connectivity to the new Maungawhau Station,” Dudouit says. “It is with great pleasure we are able to hand over this bridge, which ensures safe passage for pedestrians across two rail lines.”

Auckland Transport Group Manager Public Transport Development, Christian Messelyn says it is incredibly exciting to see City Rail Link start to tick off more and more milestones.

“Ultimately this bridge is about providing safe, easy access for communities on either side of the railway tracks,” says Mr Messelyn. “The bridge is fully accessible, with 26-person lifts at either end to take wheelchairs, prams, bikes and mobility scooters. There are also push ramps alongside the stairs for bikes.”

The old level crossing was closed to vehicles in April 2020 to enable construction of the new Western Line that, together with the City Rail Link, will connect Maungawhau Station with the city centre.

CRL Ltd chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney says he would like to acknowledge the patience and support of local businesses and residents during an extended construction period and associated disruption.

“We understand the frustration for people going about their lives and work,” Dr Sweeney says. “But I can assure people we are progressing this project and the opening of Porters Ave Bridge is one of many milestones we will achieve in the coming year that will improve people’s ability to get around their neighbourhood.”

Progress on Auckland’s Western Line

11 April 2023

The City Rail Link (CRL) project has taken a significant next step towards completing a new Western Line that will connect Maungawhau with the city centre.

As of today, commuters travelling between Newmarket Station and West Auckland will be travelling along a new piece of track which has been rebuilt to make room for the new City Rail Link lines that will eventually take passengers down into the tunnels towards Waitemata Station (Britomart).

Link Alliance Project Director Francois Dudouit says; “It’s taken a lot of hard and technical work to get to this point. We’re rebuilding the Western Line in a different alignment to accommodate the new lines that will directly connect West Auckland and the city centre.

The team have had to complete one track at a time to ensure passenger trains could still run on one single line – but we’ve progressed at pace and we’re looking forward to delivering immediate benefits for Auckland commuters when we hand over a completed Western Line to KiwiRail and Auckland Transport later this year,” he says.

KiwiRail’s Chief Planning & Asset Development Officer, Dave Gordon says commuters will notice an improvement in services from having two tracks operational.

“A return to dual running later this year in this section will improve travel times and reliability,” Gordon says. “Making the second line operational will be a key achievement in our delivery of an upgraded network and means trains will run on separate tracks east and west along the Western Line.”

Auckland Transport’s Darek Koper, Group Manager Metro Services seconded the sentiment. “Today’s milestone means that Aucklanders will soon return to dual line running through the Maungawhau Station in the middle of the year.

“Single line running will remain in place for a few months longer while the new tracks are integrated into the network, including timetables and staffing, and to allow for a small amount of construction work in the area, but we’re looking forward to reintroducing quicker trips of up to 3 minutes to commuters when this work is completed by the middle of this year.

“We know that single line running has caused some disruption for those travelling on the Western Line and we appreciate the public’s patience while this work has been completed.

KiwiRail’s Dave Gordon, Chief Planning and Asset Development Officer, says, “A return to dual running later this year in this section will improve travel times and reliability. Making the second line operational will be a key achievement in our delivery of an upgraded network and means trains will run on separate tracks east and west along the Western Line.”

The Western Line realignment has been a fundamental component of the CRL build. When services begin using the CRL, people travelling between West Auckland and the city will no longer have to reverse at Newmarket Station. Instead, they will have a direct service to the city via two new stations Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu.

Geographic Board adopts Te Reo Māori station names

16 March 2023

City Rail Link Ltd (CRL Ltd) and Auckland Transport (AT) are delighted the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa has formally adopted the proposed names for the four stations that connect the City Rail Link.

The names – Maungawhau Railway Station, Karanga-a-Hape Railway Station, Te Waihorotiu Railway Station and Waitematā Railway Station – were gifted to the people of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland by the City Rail Link’s Mana Whenua Forum.

Mana Whenua Forum spokesperson Kingi Makoare, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, welcomed the news saying “We as mana whenua iwi have drawn on our intergenerational wisdom in gifting these names which give meaning and purpose to our lives moving forward while reminding us of who we are as people.

“Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua – as man disappears from sight the land remains. This demonstrates the holistic values of te ao Māori and the utmost respect of Papatūānuku, the mother of the earth. People will come and go but the land will remain,” he says.

Adds Pāora Puru, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, ”We believe this whakapapa is a chance to share and celebrate the rich history of Tāmaki Makaurau with the wider community. It’s about reinstating the traditional names of the area – looking back to a time before concrete and skyscrapers - when people lived off the land. They reflect the mythology, atua, people and aspects of early life indigenous to the landscapes.”

“They are quintessentially Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa,” he says.

CRL Ltd chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney says the stations’ nomenclature celebrate the project’s strong links to history and story-telling, as well as more accurately reflecting the stations’ geographic locations.

“The names and station designs are a unique expression of a cultural narrative for both the people and the city that hasn’t been seen anywhere else in the world, evocative of both people and place,” Dr Sweeney says.

“The City Rail Link is designed to carry Aucklanders forward into a world-class rail-driven future but it is important to anchor our efforts to the past and the history of the people who have lived here.”

AT Interim Chief Executive Mark Lambert says the station names acknowledge the incredibly rich history of the area.

“The newly named stations represent an acknowledgement of the incredibly rich cultural history of the area. When CRL opens, we will have world class train stations with an identity that is truly unique to Tāmaki Makaurau.

“It has been a privilege to work with Mana Whenua on this journey, and we look forward to even stronger connections in the future.”

Maungawhau Station directly references the significant nearby dormant volcano, Maungawhau (the mountain of the whau, so named for the whau tree growing on its slopes and which was an important resource for Māori). Karanga-a-Hape Station is actually a correction of the existing name, Karangahape, and means the Call of Hape. It references how a kaitiaki (guardian) helped Hape cross the ocean and arrive in Aotearoa before the Tainui waka that had left him behind.

Te Waihorotiu will be New Zealand’s busiest rail station when the CRL opens and its name is a direct link to the past when the Wai Horotiu stream flowed below nearby Queen St and provided a service to local people. Waitematā is named after the Waitematā Harbour and the rail station itself is built on land reclaimed from where its waters and Wai Horotiu merged.

CRL submits funding request to Government and Council

15 March 2023

City Rail Link Ltd (CRL Ltd) today confirms it has submitted a formal funding request to its Sponsors – the Crown and Auckland Council – reflecting revised costs and time required to complete the project as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and associated impacts.

The cost of the project is now estimated to be $5.493bn a $1.074bn increase on the previous estimate of $4.419 billion, which was approved by the Sponsors in May 2019.

As part of the request, CRL Ltd has also provided the Sponsors with a revised completion date, with construction of the stations and supporting rail infrastructure now expected to be completed by the Link Alliance by November 2025.

Following the end of the construction programme, CRL Ltd will hand over the completed infrastructure to KiwiRail and Auckland Transport, who will then carry out the additional work required to open the CRL to its first passengers.

Chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney says the extra funding and additional time for completion is primarily due to Covid impacts – time lost on-site and the knock-on effect on the supply chain, resourcing, materials, and labour costs.

“People need to remember that in Auckland we endured two level four lockdowns, a further 280 days of restricted working conditions (Covid traffic light system) and we lost 3.2 million hours through illness among staff, with 800-plus workers infected.”

“The request for extra funding has not and will not delay continuing work on the project, which is progressing well,” he says. “Together with our contractors Link Alliance, we have got through Covid and surmounted its impacts and are now well advanced in our work to build New Zealand’s first underground metro rail network.”

The funding request will now be considered through established governance processes and CRL Ltd will be informed of the outcome in due course.

CRL hosts French Minister for Foreign Trade

7 March 2023

The City Rail Link was proud to host Monsieur Olivier Becht, France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade on yesterday, where he was joined by the French Ambassador to New Zealand Laurence Beau and the Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown.

Minister Delegate Becht is in New Zealand to promote and support commercial partnerships between New Zealand and French companies, among a range of diplomatic and business-related meetings and events.

French companies VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Soletanche Bachy are part of CRL partners, the Link Alliance, which is building the CRL and company representatives, including Link Alliance project director Francois Dudouit, were on hand to welcome the French delegation.

CRL chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney says the Minister Delegate’s visit was an honour and he assured the French delegation that VINCI and Soletanche Bachy’s work on the project was integral to its success.

Dudouit says: “The CRL is the first underground metro project in New Zealand and we are proud and excited to be involved with what will be a game-changer for Auckland’s transport network.”

Mayor Brown says: “Monsieur Becht appeared to be impressed by the size and scope of the project, and it was a pleasure to show him across the site, especially as the major contractor and technologies being utilised are French,” Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said.

The Minister Delegate is also meeting with Trade Minister Damien O’Connor and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, as well as meeting French communities in both Auckland and Wellington.

Underground drone tour shows CRL’s progress as streetscape work starts

7 March 2023

This drone footage of Te Waihorotiu Station was taken in January 2023 and is available for download here

New drone footage shows the extensive construction progress taking place beneath Auckland’s city centre as part of the CRL project, as work starts on the streetscapes above. The underground tour shows the shape of what’s to come in the months ahead, with the passenger concourse, platform and three main entrances all taking shape.

The City Rail Link (CRL) continues to make significant progress on Auckland’s world-class rail network with major works on the North Auckland Line (Western Line) tracks and overhead lines now largely complete.

This achievement means that by mid-this year, the new Western Line tracks will be operating in both directions, vastly improving train frequency. The North Auckland Line (Western Line) will connect to the new CRL line to create a seamless service between western suburbs and the inner city.

Also nearly complete are new rail tracks in the tunnels between Waitematā (Britomart) and Te Waihorotiu (Aotea), while the first rail track is being laid at the other end of the CRL, from Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station towards Karanga-a-Hape Station. This marks the first significant stage in the shift from civil works to rail systems works around the fit-out of the stations and tunnels, now that construction of the tunnels has been completed.

The fit-out, including architectural elements, includes installing the tracks, sleepers, electronics, safety systems and other essential componentry. The logistics involved are boggling:

more than 16kms of rail track
816kms of signal cables
247kms low voltage cables
86km traction cables
74kms cable containment
over 5,100m2 metal cladding and
Around 4,000m2 of glazing.

CRL delivery partner Link Alliance has established a Systems Integration Facility (SIF) at the old Chief Post Office in Britomart, reopened to public acclaim, to integrate the CRL software and hardware into existing KiwiRail and Auckland Transport systems.

This programme of work is difficult and critical to the success of the CRL when it opens. It’s taken seven months to acquire all the software and hardware (COVID-19 disrupted the supply chain), with two kilometres of cable just to connect the SIF and before it is even integrated into the system.

CRL Project Update - flooding and cyclone impacts (UPDATED)

17 February 2023

The City Rail Link has managed to get through Cyclone Gabrielle and the earlier Auckland Anniversary flooding event with minimal lasting impacts to the project.

Chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney says the condolences of the CRL leadership and staff go out to those people and businesses who suffered through both extreme weather events, the impact of which will be felt for many more months.

At the CRL construction sites, extensive flood response planning stood the project in good stead to withstand both the flooding and the cyclone, says Dr Sweeney.

The advance cyclone warning allowed CRL and Link Alliance crisis management teams to install additional measures for Cyclone Gabrielle, including dams erected in the Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station tunnels (see attached photo), he says. Other measures included installation of extra bunds, pumps across all sites and the removal of plant and machinery to higher ground.

There have been no reports of any significant flooding or wind related incidents across any sites as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Dr Sweeney singled out the Link Alliance workers who worked through the Friday night of Anniversary Weekend to ensure there was little damage and disruption to New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project

“To maintain the highest standards of professionalism in the face of unprecedented flooding, while tunnels were being inundated, speaks to our people’s expertise and bravery,” he says

At this stage there is no identified damage to infrastructure, permanent works or surrounding ground as a result of the flooding or the cyclone: “This is a direct result of the detailed planning for events such as Auckland has unfortunately recently undergone – the professionalism and bravery of CRL and Link Alliance workers has been tested and found equal to the task,” Dr Sweeney says.

The worst-affected site from Auckland Anniversary flooding was the city-bound cut-and-cover tunnel immediately south of the Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station temporary portal. The storm partially flooded these works and a mobile crane and several Elevated Work Platforms (EWPs) were inundated.

“This area was pumped dry within 48 hours and the good news is that other than damage to a waterproofing layer behind a reinforced concrete wall, which we will replace, we haven’t identified any damage to the permanent works at this stage,” Dr Sweeney says.

Elsewhere across the CRL, stormwater flowed from the inundated portal area in the city bound tunnel northwards to the Karang-a-Hape Station (Karangahape). With the weir at the north end, this turned the entire station into a 100mm-deep reservoir.

“Our teams were able to move all but one item of plant to high ground and we were relatively unaffected, other than a general clean up,” notes Dr Sweeney. “The bottom of our temporary access shaft at Mercury Lane is lower than the platforms and ended up about 1000mm deep. Again, after pumping out, we identified no significant damage to the permanent works other than some blocked under-platform drainage that we are currently cleaning out.”

Dr Sweeney says Te Waihoratiu Station (Aotea) was relatively unaffected with a minor inflow down the tunnel but stormwater did make its way to Waitemata (Britomart) Station through a combination of openings in the roof at Te Waihorotiu and from the main Waitemata train portal at the eastern end, nearest Vector Arena.

“Our partner Link Alliance has been supporting Auckland Transport by supplying pumps and labour to remove stormwater from the existing station,” he says.

CRL Project Update – flooding and cyclone impacts

13 February 2023

The Government has now declared a national state of emergency for only the third time in the nation’s history, reflecting the severity and widespread impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The thoughts and condolences of the City Rail Link leadership team and staff go out to those people impacted by this severe weather event, which has also affected the CRL project, particularly the earlier Auckland Anniversary flooding event.

At our City Rail Link construction sites, we are continuing to monitor the situation closely, aware weather predictions are for more wind and rain to come today.

The safety of our workers is paramount and our sites will remain closed for today, apart from skeleton crews and security to maintain critical equipment.

Following the flooding of 27 January, extensive preparation has taken place across all sites including:

installation of extra bunds
installation of pumps across all sites
removal of plant to higher ground

Inspections across the project will be carried out today and sites are expected to resume normal works tomorrow.

Statement from the Minister of Transport

Transport Minister appoints new City Rail Link Ltd Chair

10 February 2023

Today the Minister of Transport Michael Wood announced the appointment of John Bridgman as new Chair of City Rail Link Limited, replacing Sir Brian Roche.

"City Rail Link is New Zealand's largest transport infrastructure project and will have a transformative impact on businesses and residents in New Zealand's largest city," Michael Wood said.

"John has the right skills and experience to lead the Board as it navigates some of the most challenging conditions in New Zealand construction history, while maintaining its focus on delivering a world-class urban underground rail system.

The City Rail Link, as with other comparable international infrastructure projects, is being built under global pandemic conditions, with accompanying resource constraints and increased costs for both materials and labour.

“It is vital we have a Chair who has proven his ability to manage complex and challenging business conditions – and we believe John has those qualities,” says Wood. “John has significant experience in engineering and project management with an excellent working knowledge of civil engineering in a rail context and has led the delivery on significant infrastructure projects in New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the UK,” Michael Wood said.

“I would also like to acknowledge and thank Sir Brian Roche for his dedicated service, expertise and experience as Chair of City Rail Link Ltd. He successfully led the project through a crucial period, ensuring the project remained on track.

Sir Brian and Bridgman will work together for an effective handover in the coming months.

CRL to conduct full assessment from flooding event

1 February 2023

The City Rail Link project was, like most of Auckland, inundated during Friday’s severe weather event.

Chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney reports that Link Alliance crews worked through the weekend pumping water from the station sites and tunnels, and an assessment of the damage from the unprecedented flooding is underway.

“I would like to thank everyone involved for their professionalism and dedication to the job in preventing a worse outcome,” Dr Sweeney says.

“At this stage there is no known structural damage to tunnels, such as collapse or subsidence, but a full and detailed assessment of the sites must wait until this final band of weather passes,” he says. “Over the weekend and today, crews have been not only clearing and cleaning up but preparing for the severe weather event forecast for tonight through to tomorrow morning.”

Dr Sweeney says the flooding will almost certainly have impacted some equipment but understanding the extent of damage must wait until the machinery can be dried and tested.

A statement detailing impacts from the flooding on the CRL will be released once a full assessment of all sites, tunnels and equipment has been completed.

All CRL sites are now operational and work has resumed after Friday's extreme weather event. Detailed damage assessments are also underway.

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