Contract 8 includes improvement works at The Strand in Parnell
The works were delivered by KiwiRail to help create a more reliable and resilient rail service.
The Strand crossover
The former Strand train station in Parnell was re-opened in 2011 to be a stabling yard for Auckland Transport’s Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains, to be a platform for KiwiRail’s Northern Explorer and to act as an emergency back-up station to Britomart if needed.
Once the CRL is operational, The Strand works mean there can be an increased frequency of trains on the Auckland rail network.
KiwiRail’s construction work on The Strand crossover project ran until the end of January 2019. The modifications to rail infrastructure are needed to support the City Rail Link (CRL) once it is up and running.
This is an exciting milestone for City Rail Link Limited as the crossover project is the first construction project to be completed from a wider suite of contracts for the CRL.
It is also the first collaborative delivery between KiwiRail and CRLL on the wider network.
Over five months, KiwiRail installed a new track cross-over point, modified the track, overhead lines and signal equipment and relocated all of the underground services through the construction area.
Trains now have easier access to the ‘stabling yard’ in Parnell. This is the area where morning peak service trains which terminate in the city are ‘stabled’ before they come back into service for the evening peak.
The result is now more trains can run more often on the city’s network.
“We carefully co-ordinated and sequenced works to make the most of our access to the area during the blocks of line, to reduce the impact on neighbours and commuters. KiwiRail is proud to contribute to a more reliable and resilient rail service for Auckland city and to be a part of the largest transport infrastructure project undertaken in New Zealand”
Old and new
STRAND: The old track
NEW: The new look
The numbers
More than 300 trains per day run along this section of the line.
KiwiRail installed:
10 new traction masts
4 signal masts
Over 200 sleepers
140 metres of new rail tracks
Moved 1400 cubic metres of dirt
All undamaged, replaced sleepers and rail have been kept for appropriate reuse elsewhere on the network. KiwiRail recycled all cable and metal waste from the project.
This KiwiRail video explains the project.
VIDEO: Time lapse of the work
Here are photos of the work.
Consent plans for that project can be found at this link below
