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Waitematā Station (Britomart) newsletter - October 2022

Waitematā Station (Britomart) Works Newsletter

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27 October 2022

Waitematā Station (Britomart) Newsletter

Kia ora koutou,

This month's newsletter features:

Link Alliance works around the station
Making rail dreams come true
Teachers' day out
Britomart Place works
Meet the team - Evonne from Martinus
Bringing nature to the station
Platform changes in the station
Rail Network Rebuild 2023 - 2025
Meet the neighbours - Trelise Cooper
Jargon Buster - Hoardings and scrim

Link Alliance works around the station

The Link Alliance team has now completed the first section of railway track from Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea) to Waitematā Station (Britomart) inside the tunnel box closest to Platform 1.

The hoardings (see Jargon Buster below) have now shifted to Platform 5 to allow for work on the railway track in the tunnel box.

Before the rail was declared completed, a test train ran and new temporary signaling was tested. Then, Platform 1 reopened to passenger trains and Platform 5 closed.

Click to enlarge.

Now that this section of track has been completed the team will focus on installing safety walkways, power, the electrical overhead system, and communications and signalling trackside equipment.

To get the track inside the Platform 1 tunnel box to a finished state the team first had to deliver materials to the tunnel. Working late at night and into the early hours of the morning, materials were hauled via track from the Quay Park Yard site after the last trains had run.

Material was also delivered by a crane and lowered inside the station via an opening in the glass house structure behind the Chief Post Office, which is the main station entrance.

Once the blocks were distributed and laid into place, they were connected with the railway line and what is known as the ‘track skeleton’ was formed. Final adjustments were made to the alignment before concrete was poured and the railway track was complete.

Making rail dreams come true

Link Alliance, Auckland One Rail and Auckland Transport came together to make the dreams of one tamariki (child) a reality this month.

Nick (left) goes to Wilson School based at Albany Junior High and is a train aficionado. Last year, he participated in Link Alliance’s national school competition where students were asked to design their dream public transport station. When submitting Nick’s entry, his mother explained how Nick loved trains and one day wanted to be a train driver in London.

While Link Alliance have no trains to show, the team were happy to take Nick behind the scenes on a VIP tour to learn more about the CRL project and what needs to be done before trains hit the tracks.

Nick had a lot of questions. Fortunately, Carlenna (pictured in the pink hi-vis) from Auckland One Rail/Auckland Transport was on duty at the station. Carlenna is an Auckland Transport Customer Services Lead and has been working in rail for 18 years. Carlenna shared her knowledge and went above and beyond to help make Nick’s visit a special one.

Teachers' day out

Link Alliance recently hosted BLAKE Inspire for Teachers. The group of thirty teachers from around Aotearoa New Zealand visited Waitematā Station (Britomart) and Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea) as part of a week-long conference aimed to inspire teaching in areas of sustainability.

At the station the group learnt more about the ways in which Link Alliance works sustainably. The group visited the completed back of house rooms at the station and got a sneak peak of what was behind the scenes inside the tunnel boxes.

Link Alliance welcomes groups interested in visiting City Rail Link to email communications@linkalliance.co.nz.

Britomart Place works

Surface Works

On the corner of Scene Lane and Britomart Place, excavation of the second stage of works is now complete, as is the formation of the new beam and wall construction.

The majority of the engineer-designed propping has now been removed as well. The waterproofing of the enclosure has commenced and will continue with the next stages of work. In addition, works have commenced on the new waste water line improvements.

Tunnel works - South wall construction

Demolition temporary works in place, ahead of demolition of the old south wall.

During the last period, the Martinus team completed the formation of the new south wall. Further preparation works have continued during the recent rail network closure (Block of Line), in readiness for the demolition of the old south wall.

Drilling of bolts on existing south wall for December de-construction.

Upcoming works in Britomart Place:

Surface works

Completion of section end walls and end wall extensions
Complete waste water line improvements
Install new concrete lid onto void space

Tunnel works

Remove materials and scaffold from new wall formation
Install engineered propping in readiness for December Block of Line
Install working platforms

Meet the team - Evonne from Martinus

Name: Evonne Geluk
Company: Martinus Rail
Role: NZ Communications and Engagement Manager

I’m excited to have started with the Martinus team based at Scene Lane, who are working on the structures and track around Britomart Place, and are part of the essential works for City Rail Link. Being on site to see the complex work taking place on this transformative project in Auckland is a privilege. I’m the contact for all our lovely stakeholders and neighbours in this area.

I was born and grew up in Sydney, Australia before moving to London for five years and now we’ve been living in Auckland, New Zealand for the last eight years. My whānau and I love it here, except we can’t understand why cheese is so expensive!

My favourite quote is: “go big or go home”.

Bringing nature to the station

The artwork of Miriama Grace-Smith (Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Toarangatira and Ngāti Porou), whose art can be seen around the Link Alliance site compound on Tyler Street can now be enjoyed inside the station too.

Soon the 70-metre-long hoarding inside the station at platform level will be adorned with scrim (see Jargon Buster below) also with her fabulous art too.

The illustrations are inspired by a korero Miriama had with her brother, Himiona Grace about kaitiakitanga (guardianship). The work speaks to the responsibility tangata whenua (people of the land) have as guardians.

Platform changes in the station

A number of platform changes at Waitematā Station (Britomart) were introduced in October with the closure of Platform 5.

From Sunday 2 October:

Western Line services moved from Platform 5 to Platform 4
Southern Line services moved from Platform 2 to Platform 1
Eastern Line services remained at Platform 3.

These changes will be in place until further notice, to allow work to be completed to get the station ready for the opening of CRL.

Occasionally platforms are required to change unexpectedly so we recommend checking the information displays to make sure you are at the right platform.

Rail Network Rebuild 2023 - 2025

Auckland Transport is working with KiwiRail to rebuild the tracks and foundations of Auckland’s rail network. The Rail Network Rebuild will involve replacing old rail foundations and will transform Auckland’s rail network and improve passenger services.

To do this, the rail network will need to be closed in sections between January 2023 and 2025 with the aim for most of the work to be finished before CRL opens.

Much of the rail network as possible will remain open. While KiwiRail work on a section, trains will keep running on all other parts of the network in and out of Waitematā Station (Britomart).

For details of the work involved visit the KiwiRail webpage here: https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/what-we-do/projects/amp/rail-network-rebuild/

Why this work needs to be done

The rock foundations under Auckland’s rail network are up to 150 years old. Wear and tear over time has caused track faults and drainage problems.

KiwiRail will be:

removing rails and sleepers
replacing the foundations (formation and ballast)
fixing drainage issues
putting the rails and sleepers back in

The outcome

Once KiwiRail has finished this work:

temporary speed restrictions on trains can be removed
trains will be more reliable and punctual
there will be fewer unexpected shutdowns and slowdowns such as the one we are now experiencing near New Lynn
there will be fewer shutdowns as KiwiRail and AT will work to introduce a proactive maintenance management of Auckland’s rail network.

Meet the neighbours - Trelise Cooper

Our communications team stopped in at Britomart’s Trelise Cooper store and was treated to wonderful, helpful customer service, all dressed in smiles and laughter.

The latest buzz is that the summer range of fabulous fashion dresses are due in store. Now that spring has sprung, and our sublime summer on its way, what you need can be found in store or online.

There is a choice of labels; Trelise Cooper / Cooper / Coop / Curate, offering various price points to choose from, with shopping made easy with a no questions asked refund.

Here, there is something for all women of all ages. You could find that special Christmas present you didn’t know you needed!

The hours are 10am – 5pm, 7 days a week.

Jargon Buster - Hoardings and Scrim

Each month we'll take a look at the more technical terms from the construction and ‘translate’ them into more easy to understand terms. This month we will look at the terms ‘Hoardings’ and 'Scrim'.

Hoardings:

A hoarding is a temporary boarded fence or wall in a public place, usually erected around a building site. These walls are generally wooden and used to protect the public from site works whilst also being used to display advertisements and project information.

Scrim:

Scrim is a strong and coarse fabric that provides protection and security throughout the stages of construction. Scrim can often be used to add vibrancy, attractiveness and storytelling in the area. Across site, we’ve asked NZ artists to create colourful designs to add to our scrim.

Find out more
For information about Britomart and Quay Park Yard work click here.

How to contact the wider Waitematā Station (Britomart) team:
If you have any questions or concerns about our works, please email the Waitematā Station (Britomart) team at info@cityraillink.govt.nz or phone us on
0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) and press option 1 for Waitematā Station (Britomart) work.

Official use of gifted City Rail Link station names, including Waitematā Station (Britomart), is subject to a New Zealand Geographic Board decision. Visit www.cityraillink.co.nz/meet-your-stations to find out more about the naming process.

Ngā mihi nui
The Waitematā Station (Britomart) Team