KiwiRail's bold electrification plan is crucial for NZ's future
KiwiRail's trains and ferries move 17 million tonnes of freight each year - and we know this can - and needs to - grow.
It makes sense – for the economy, for the environment and for our customers across the national supply chain.
New Zealand's population is growing – we need more options for moving people around too. Sustainable options that take cars off roads, offer faster journeys and allow people to choose rail as the most convenient choice.
Avondale to Southdown – the missing limb in Auckland's rail network
Designated for rail since the 1940s, KiwiRail owns land that forms a corridor running from Avondale to Southdown (near Onehunga) in Auckland.
This has always been earmarked for the development of both passenger and freight rail.
This new east-west cross-isthmus link would deliver vast benefits for rail passengers and local communities – as wide-ranging as increased property values, improvements in accessibility and connectivity, not only opening up new rail routes but integrating with North/South bus routes too.
Improved productivity and efficiency would stimulate economic growth, as would residential and commercial property development around the new stations and along the rail corridor.
Building a new route for freight and passenger rail here unlocks a bottleneck at the converging Western, Southern and Eastern Lines.
It allows freight services to bypass the inner-city network – reducing congestion, improving efficiency for freight and logistics supply chains and supporting economic growth in and beyond Auckland.
For passengers, there would be enhanced accessibility and travel times, connecting communities across the isthmus – new routes into the city centre and further amplifying the faster, more frequent journeys benefits that will be unlocked by the City Rail Link.
KiwiRail's Avondale to Southdown corridor.
In developing the corridor, there is a real opportunity for private investment to help deliver the rail infrastructure, supported by housing and commercial urban development.
This co-development would help to fund the infrastructure and more broadly create economic growth - all benefiting Auckland and neighbouring regions.
The national rationale for this new infrastructure becomes all the more persuasive when you factor in the proposed increased freight movements from Northport via the Marsden Point Branch Line, which is currently under investment consideration.
Golden Triangle Electrification
Also crucial to this big picture of growth for rail is the proposed Golden Triangle Electrification project. This involves electrifying the busiest part of the rail network (outside the metros) between Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland to bring significant benefits to NZ Inc.
Rail is already an energy-efficient and low-carbon mode of transport, with KiwiRail carrying 25% of New Zealand's export products.
The proposed investment in electrification will help us respond to the growing customer demand for a net zero carbon freight option in the supply chain.
Listening to our customers' needs and helping them to meet their decarbonisation targets is a key priority for KiwiRail and it will support New Zealand's exports in remaining attractive to overseas countries by enabling carbon tariffs to be minimised.
Electrifying the Golden Triangle rail network will make a significant contribution towards New Zealand meeting carbon emission reduction commitments.
This project would help reduce rail emissions by 45% by 2035 in the Golden Triangle and 95% by 2050 (compared to 2019 levels).
Our strategy to electrify the Golden Triangle rail network is consistent with the Government Policy Statement for land transport to invest in the busiest part of the transport network to support economic growth.
And it's not just about freight - it includes a scenario for extending electric overhead wires for passenger rail south of Pukekohe to Te Rapa.
Being able to run electric trains south of the Bombay Hills would cater for the large population growth occurring as housing intensification takes place in these areas.
This would provide a sustainable transport option and reduce traffic congestion for the 130,000 more people who are expected to move there in the next three decades.
Peter Reidy, CEO KiwiRail.
To help grow the economy, plus provide an efficient and certain decarbonised transport option, it is vital there is an environment that fosters long-term, sustained investment and policy to unlock transformational rail infrastructure development as part of the national land transport system.
Each of the projects mentioned could work alone, but the benefits would be even greater if they are assessed, delivered and co-ordinated through a transport system lens rather than a road versus rail analysis.
It's big-picture transport demand thinking that New Zealand needs right now as we battle the only too visible impacts of population increases and climate change - we need to take meaningful action to address this.
Bold decisive moves to ensure long-term sustainable futures are needed and working together as an integrated supply chain system with customers, communities and agencies will accelerate options to address the challenges we face.
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NZ Herald
19 hours ago
- NZ Herald
KiwiRail's bold electrification plan is crucial for NZ's future
Being able to accurately forecast and meet the needs of growing and changing populations and transport movements is essential to economic growth. KiwiRail's trains and ferries move 17 million tonnes of freight each year - and we know this can - and needs to - grow. It makes sense – for the economy, for the environment and for our customers across the national supply chain. New Zealand's population is growing – we need more options for moving people around too. Sustainable options that take cars off roads, offer faster journeys and allow people to choose rail as the most convenient choice. Avondale to Southdown – the missing limb in Auckland's rail network Designated for rail since the 1940s, KiwiRail owns land that forms a corridor running from Avondale to Southdown (near Onehunga) in Auckland. This has always been earmarked for the development of both passenger and freight rail. This new east-west cross-isthmus link would deliver vast benefits for rail passengers and local communities – as wide-ranging as increased property values, improvements in accessibility and connectivity, not only opening up new rail routes but integrating with North/South bus routes too. Improved productivity and efficiency would stimulate economic growth, as would residential and commercial property development around the new stations and along the rail corridor. Building a new route for freight and passenger rail here unlocks a bottleneck at the converging Western, Southern and Eastern Lines. It allows freight services to bypass the inner-city network – reducing congestion, improving efficiency for freight and logistics supply chains and supporting economic growth in and beyond Auckland. For passengers, there would be enhanced accessibility and travel times, connecting communities across the isthmus – new routes into the city centre and further amplifying the faster, more frequent journeys benefits that will be unlocked by the City Rail Link. KiwiRail's Avondale to Southdown corridor. In developing the corridor, there is a real opportunity for private investment to help deliver the rail infrastructure, supported by housing and commercial urban development. This co-development would help to fund the infrastructure and more broadly create economic growth - all benefiting Auckland and neighbouring regions. The national rationale for this new infrastructure becomes all the more persuasive when you factor in the proposed increased freight movements from Northport via the Marsden Point Branch Line, which is currently under investment consideration. Golden Triangle Electrification Also crucial to this big picture of growth for rail is the proposed Golden Triangle Electrification project. This involves electrifying the busiest part of the rail network (outside the metros) between Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland to bring significant benefits to NZ Inc. Rail is already an energy-efficient and low-carbon mode of transport, with KiwiRail carrying 25% of New Zealand's export products. The proposed investment in electrification will help us respond to the growing customer demand for a net zero carbon freight option in the supply chain. Listening to our customers' needs and helping them to meet their decarbonisation targets is a key priority for KiwiRail and it will support New Zealand's exports in remaining attractive to overseas countries by enabling carbon tariffs to be minimised. Electrifying the Golden Triangle rail network will make a significant contribution towards New Zealand meeting carbon emission reduction commitments. This project would help reduce rail emissions by 45% by 2035 in the Golden Triangle and 95% by 2050 (compared to 2019 levels). Our strategy to electrify the Golden Triangle rail network is consistent with the Government Policy Statement for land transport to invest in the busiest part of the transport network to support economic growth. And it's not just about freight - it includes a scenario for extending electric overhead wires for passenger rail south of Pukekohe to Te Rapa. Being able to run electric trains south of the Bombay Hills would cater for the large population growth occurring as housing intensification takes place in these areas. This would provide a sustainable transport option and reduce traffic congestion for the 130,000 more people who are expected to move there in the next three decades. Peter Reidy, CEO KiwiRail. To help grow the economy, plus provide an efficient and certain decarbonised transport option, it is vital there is an environment that fosters long-term, sustained investment and policy to unlock transformational rail infrastructure development as part of the national land transport system. Each of the projects mentioned could work alone, but the benefits would be even greater if they are assessed, delivered and co-ordinated through a transport system lens rather than a road versus rail analysis. It's big-picture transport demand thinking that New Zealand needs right now as we battle the only too visible impacts of population increases and climate change - we need to take meaningful action to address this. Bold decisive moves to ensure long-term sustainable futures are needed and working together as an integrated supply chain system with customers, communities and agencies will accelerate options to address the challenges we face.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Auckland City Rail Link maps go up at Britomart
Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel A glimpse of a new era in Auckland Transport was unveiled on Monday. At Britomart Station, an updated map gives commuters a preview of the new stations and rail lines it will use when the long-awaited City Rail Link (CRL) opens. The over-budget and over-time CRL is nearing completion, but officials are not ready yet to say exactly when it will open. Auckland's Onehunga, Eastern, Western and Southern lines are being replaced by the Onehunga-West line, the East-West line and the South-City line, new routes detailed in the new map. It is hoped the re-configured network will make it easier for Aucklanders to get around town, as more trains run from more stations - like ones near Karangahape Road and in Mt Eden - more frequently, and link with express buses. Work began on the $5.5 billion CRL in 2017. It was due to be completed last year, and its initial cost was expected to be between $2b and $3b . Auckland Transport chief executive Dean Kimpton said capacity on the network had been boosted. "Currently at peak into the city, we have about 12,000 people per hour," Kimpton said. "The capacity we're creating though the new CRL, day one, will be up to 19,000. Quite the number of people will depend on demand, but we have that capacity ready and available to go." Dean Kimpton unveils the new CRL transport map at Britomart, August 2025. Photo: Finn Blackwell / RNZ Parts of Auckland's rail network had been temporarily closed this year for upgrades ahead of the CRL opening, causing significant disruption. Kimpton said the work was necessary. "We have got very specific planned disruption between our CRL-go-live, and that's designed to bring the network up to a standard to support the frequency that CRL anticipates, and that's the rail network rebuild programme." KiwiRail programme director Bobby Fischer said the short-term pain for commuters was part of a bigger picture. "We're going through a significant period of investment in the network that is all in the lead up to CRL opening, once the CRL is open that level of disruption will reduce significantly." She said KiwiRail has run more than 1600 test trains on the network since February. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel "There's a lot of system testing that's going on, from the signalling system right through to the station system - so the emergency systems testing, ventilation system etcetera, to make sure that when we open everything operates seamlessly as it's meant to," Fischer said. Auckland Councillor Andy Baker said the CRL build had been big for the city. "Politicians we're always pretty keen to find something to grizzle about," he said. "But I think there is, underneath it all, a level of excitement and acceptance that this is what it is." As for an exact date for next year's opening, Kimpton said that was still up in the air. "There's still a lot to be done, and we don't want to promise a date until we're ready to promise a date, but you can be sure when we know, you'll know." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Auckland's New Train Network
Press Release – Auckland Transport Three new central city stations – Maungawhau, Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu alongside a better-connected Waitemat Station (Britomart), are the cornerstone of the route improvements. More direct access to the city centre and a cross-city service are the key features of the just released 'Trains and Rapid Buses' map, that highlights the scale of public transport improvements which will come into effect when the City Rail Link opens in 2026. CRL allows for big changes in the way customers can travel across Auckland. The network has been re-shaped with Auckland Transport adding new train lines and bus connections to provide more choice and faster journeys. 'It's exciting to be able to give people a clearer idea of how their train journeys will change, as many people don't realise that City Rail link benefits all of Auckland and the whole public transport network,' says Auckland Transport Chief Executive Dean Kimpton. The re-configured network makes it easier for Aucklanders to connect to the places they love to spend time in, and more convenient access to the places where they work and learn. 'This is more than a map, it shows how people can more easily connect with friends and loved ones, attend events, shorten their commute or just explore a new part of the city by rail.' Three new central city stations – Maungawhau, Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu – alongside a better-connected Waitematā Station (Britomart), are the cornerstone of the route improvements. The new underground twin tunnels from Waitematā Station mean trains can travel straight through the middle of the city – unlocking capacity for more frequent trains and reducing travel times. 90% of all train services will pass through the underground tunnels and city centre stations on new routes replacing today's Southern, Eastern, Western and Onehunga Lines. The East-West Line (a merge of the former Eastern and Western Lines) will now connect via the CRL for a new cross-city service taking people direct from Swanson all the way to Manukau on a single journey. 'You could be shopping at LynnMall and if they don't have what you want, jump on an East-West train straight to Sylvia Park to see if they do, all within the $50 weekly fare cap' Mr Kimpton says. This will reduce travel time for future west Auckland commuters as Western Line trains coming into the city will reroute through the CRL tunnels, rather than the current route east of the city centre. For customers coming from the west, it will make journeys from Henderson to Wellesley Street around 24 minutes faster than current public transport times. 'City Rail Link will double the number of Aucklanders within a 30-minute train journey to the central city, offering an attractive alternative to driving,' says Andy Baker, Auckland Council's Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee Chair. Those currently using the Southern Line will see changes too, with the new South-City Line route looping around the city and returning south. The network map also highlights new southern stations coming soon. KiwiRail together with Auckland Transport are adding three new stations under construction now: Drury, Ngākōroa, and Paerātā. The current Onehunga Line will see an extension westward also, extending past its existing terminus at Newmarket, all the way to Henderson (initially in the off-peak times only) – forming the new Onehunga-West Line. All train lines, except Onehunga-West services, will travel via the city centre and the new City Rail Link tunnels. Trains will run more frequently – at peak times up to every four minutes through the central city, with more trains than today at stops on the Western, Eastern and Southern Lines. Along with trains, rapid buses are critical arteries of Auckland's public transport network. City Rail Link's new stations create key interchanges between Northern Busway and Northwestern rapid bus services, and AT is delivering key projects – like the Wellesley Street improvements – to make connections stress-free. 'By linking an enhanced bus network that seamlessly connects to the rail services, it provides a real opportunity to shift the way people travel around our city – helping to ease pressure on motorways and main roads,' Mr Kimpton says. It's not just about the new stations and routes. Critical rail network upgrades being delivered by KiwiRail before CRL opens in 2026 will support the changes – increased train frequency and integration with the CRL infrastructure, will help enable transformation across the entire network. Notes: Auckland Transport is currently finalising these service patterns and timetables. The train operating timetable is subject to approvals. More detailed information on specific route variations and services for each line will be released soon. Please follow Auckland Transport on social media for the latest updates. When CRL opens in 2026, train line names will change to reflect journey options
