A view up from B7 - the bottom of the Mercury Lane station entrance - 27-metres below street level.

Kia Ora

Earlier this month, City Rail Link Ltd confirmed its new revised budget and completion date. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent impacts on supply chain, labour costs, resourcing and materials, the cost of the project is now estimated to be $5.493bn.

City Rail Link Ltd has provided 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.

Click here to read the full media release.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at Karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz or call us on 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) and press option 4 with any questions or concerns you have.

Ngā mihi,

The Karanga-a-Hape Station team

Our station names have been confirmed

City Rail Link has confirmed that its proposed station names have been formally adopted following the statutory application process with the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa.  

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 City Rail Link’s Mana Whenua Forum. 

These names reflect the rich cultural narrative of the areas that these stations will serve – which will be mirrored in the designs of the stations themselves. 
 
Click here to find out more information and to view all of the Karanga-a-Hape Station renders.

Works update - Beresford Square

Throughout March the team continued to make excellent progress beneath the square with work on walls and columns and construction has moved above ground.  

At the western end of the square steel framing and scaffolding have been erected for work on the walls of a service building. The service building, a separate structure to the main entrance building, will house a retail section, emergency exit staircase, ventilation shaft and public toilets.

The crew continue to work on constructing permanent supporting columns to replace the temporary ones. The image below shows the two different types of permanent columns about to be poured. On the left is a standard square column between B1 and L0, on the right is the formwork for an architectural 'stadium column' about to be encased in concrete.

Above: formwork for the permanent columns; a regular column on the left with a stadium column on the right.

Completion of permanent columns means that the temporary supports need to be removed. Typically, the columns are cut up to enable removal, however with the temporary deck at Beresford Square gone some of these columns could be removed in larger segments as shown below.

Above: plunge column removal at Beresford Square.

Preparations for installation of the longest escalator continued throughout March with the completion of steel work and concrete slab pours, as shown below.  

The escalator slabs must be poured at a 45-degree angle – following the slope of the escalator. To prevent the concrete from flowing away a different methodology must be used. Thicker than usual low slump concrete is poured in a ‘hit and miss’ pattern with three-metre sections poured intermittently. Once these sections have cured the team can then return to pour the ‘miss’ sections.

Above: concrete slab preparation (L) and pour (R) for the 40-metre escalator.

Above: preparation for the over-track ventilation slab deep under Beresford Square.

Other highlights at Beresford Square during March include: 

• Progression of the B3-B2 walls, including completion of the western half of the station 
• Completed the B2-B1 stair walls and progressed the architectural columns on that floor 
• Progressed B1-L0 columns 
• Poured the MC 20 Southern portal 
• Shoring works for the B5 Over Track Exhaust slab in the MC20 track area.

St Paddy's return to the Pocket Park

After last year’s success, St Patrick’s Day saw the return of the Airihi Dance School to the Pocket Park for more traditional Irish dancing. 

As well as some light-footed entertainment, the team also provided sweet treats from La Noisette to passers-by to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland.  

The celebration also marked the first performance since our Pocket Park refresh by artist @shellybotticelli. She incorporated some of the vibrant colours from her first design but presented them in her signature 'wave' concept for a sunset beach design.

Works update - mined tunnels

The images above show the remarkable progress in the tunnels so far this year. Taken at the southern end of the southbound tunnel looking south, the images show completion of the concrete lining at the challenging junction and portal areas.

The images above are from the northern end of the southbound tunnel, looking south. The picture on the left is from January with the image on the right from March showing completion of the secondary lining, overhead track exhaust (OTE) and tunnel platforms. The OTE is essentially a void between the ceiling and crown of the tunnel which allows air displaced from trains to pass overhead.  

Another obvious and significant change is the completion of the five-metre wide platforms, which also signalled a changing of the guard.  The image above (R) shows the mined tunnels team at Karanga-a-Hape Station handing over the southbound platform tunnel to our track team after two years of hard work.

With the completion of the permanent lining and platforms in the southbound tunnel, the team have begun work on the internal structures within the adits. The images above show the construction of a junction box in the adit connecting the Mercury Lane entrance to the tunnel platforms. Inside the junction boxes is where the power cables for the trains are connected.  

Other highlights in the tunnels during March include: 

• A start to construction of internal structures in Adit 2, 3, 4 and 5  
• Secondary lining completed in two cross passages. 
• Secondary lining underway in two more cross passages and at the northbound portal.

Here's our latest stakeholder survey results

It’s time to share results we have received from the Q1 2023 Stakeholder Satisfaction Report and we're happy to report that Karanga-a-Hape Station received a 73% overall satisfaction rate. 
 
We’d like to highlight a couple of requests we have addressed: 

• Longer term updates would be useful: We will focus on key milestones looking forward in the next works update. A three-month lookahead will also be distributed as part of our weekly updates. 
• Asking for another video update: Filming took place late March with the new video update to be released in April. 

We’d like to thank everyone who provided their invaluable feedback on what you feel is going well at our station and the areas we can improve, so please continue to share your thoughts and feedback with us. 

You can reach us via email at Karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz or call us on 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) and press option 4.

Works update - Mercury Lane

Below ground, the removal of scaffolding and scrim at the Mercury Lane entrance has provided an excellent view of some of our work, namely the recently poured 25-metre architectural 'stadium columns' seen below.

At the deepest point in the Mercury Lane substructure – 27-metres beneath the street – the team are preparing for several pours to cover the B7 level and raise it to B6, platform level.

Prior to the pour, ducts for water, communications and electricity are laid. However, 70% of these ducts will be occupied with the remainder in place for future use.

Above: The superstructure is at full height, with all three floors poured.

Above ground you can see the current progress compared to the render below, including the installation of the lift shaft steel, as well as installation of the pre-cast panels (the beige panels on the right-hand side of the images). Inside the entrance building, once complete, allusions to the kauri tree will be shown through the large pupurangi shells on the entrance ceiling (these snails live on the tree's leaves).

On level 2 of the entrance building, the steel beams have all been painted with a fireproof steel coating and steelwork for block walls has begun as shown below.

Other highlights at Mercury Lane during March include:

• Pouring the collision wall from B7-B5
• Pouring small walls and elevator pits on B7 and B6
• Continuation of formwork on the southern perimeter wall and northbound tunnel arch on B4
• Propping for B1 suspended slab completed
• External walls on B1-L0 completed, prep works for stair installation ongoing
• Walls B4-B2 poured (main walls), works ongoing on the B2-B1 section
• Plunge column removal ongoing using two machines.

Meet…George Seilala, Steel Fixer, Beresford Square and Mercury Lane

What does your job at the Link Alliance entail?
My job on the project consists of steel reinforcement.

Where did you grow up?
I’m Auckland, born and raised. Auckland Blues all day!

Where were you working prior to this?
I was working at Wakefield High Rise.

What do you do when you are not working?
I spend my spare time with family and friends.

Any fun facts about yourself you want to share?
Well, that’s for me to know and for you to find out.

Enjoy ba'alawa and shawarma at the Lebanese Grocer

Beresford Square has welcomed a new neighbour earlier this month with an authentic middle eastern flavour. 

The Lebanese Grocer, situated at 65 Pitt Street, is a grocery store that also offer traditionally cooked food to eat in or grab on the go. From the daily shawarma and house made falafel to everchanging specials, you won’t be disappointed. 

Owner Elie Assaf has brought a taste of his native Beirut to this Auckland store, which is lined with authentic Lebanese produce, which Assaf curates and works with local suppliers to stock. 

Head down to the store Wednesday to Saturday, 9am – 4pm/sold out to enjoy stove-brewed Lebanese coffee with a selection of handmade treats. Keep an eye on their Instagram page for the latest weekly specials.

Kick off the Easter holidays a night early on K-Road

It’s nearly that time of the month again to head on down to the surrounds of Beresford Square to enjoy the latest edition of First Thursday on 6 April. 

If you’re someone with a sweet tooth, then this month’s food truck is for you. We have Bon Appetit Creperie parking up for the evening dishing up French delights. 

Don’t forget to stick around at the Pocket Park for the usual musical mash up, 5-9pm. 

For a full list of the line up and what else is happening on Karangahape Road this Thursday, check out the KBA event page.