Kia ora

October was a month of major milestones above and below ground, as both Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu stations moved closer to completion.

At Karanga-a-Hape, the long-awaited reopening of Beresford Square marked a defining moment — the first time the public has been able to enjoy the space since 2020. With native trees, te ao Māori artwork and new paving now in place, the square is already buzzing with community life. Meanwhile, down the hill at Mercury Lane, planting, paving and fit-out works continue to bring the station precinct to life.

At Te Waihorotiu, transformation is equally visible. The removal of fencing and protective coverings has revealed finished platforms for the first time, while crews complete final cleaning and touch-ups across all levels. Above ground, Albert Street is taking shape as buses prepare to return by the end of November, restoring a key connection through midtown.

Read on to see more highlights from both stations. If you have any questions or concerns about our works at Karanga-a-Hape or Te Waihorotiu Stations, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz or aotea@linkalliance.co.nz.  You can also call us on 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255).

Ngā mihi,
The Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu Station teams.

Karanga-a-Hape Station - Beresford Square

In a month of revelations, October saw the fences pulled back and the square opened to the public for the first time since 2020. A huge milestone.

The new square includes native trees to the rear of the service building, te ao Māori art and a new retail space that will open alongside CRL next year, adding to Beresford Square’s character as the place to meet, socialise and shop.

As can be seen below, the square is already springing to life as a true community space. The KBA (Karangahape Road Business Association) will host their incredible Freakout event on Friday 31 October, followed by the second FAM in the square, from 10am the next day.

Click on the image below to watch Auckland Transport’s video celebrating the opening of Beresford Square, and the transformation of the area surrounding Karanga-a-Hape Station.

Construction began in earnest in early 2020, and since then Beresford Square has undergone a radical transformation — especially underground. The timelapse images below, taken a year apart from our camera on the Pitt Street Methodist Church, show just how far we have come.

Above left: October 2020 - Electrical, sewer, stormwater, gas, water and telecommunication services have been diverted around the footprint of the underground entrance building.
Above right: October 2021- excavation is underway, with the first two of seven underground levels already formed.

Above left: October 2022 - Underground excavation is now complete with 33,000m3 of spoil removed. Concrete for the first two underground levels has been poured.
Above right: October 2023 - Steel framing for the entrance building has been erected, and fit-out works are underway below ground, including the installation of more than 700km of electrical cabling 

Above left: October 2024 - Traffic has been returned to the western side of Pitt Street to enable works on the eastern side of the street. Urban realm works are underway around the entrance building with concrete work completed in preparation for the pavers.
Above right: October 2025 - Paving and planting around the entrance building is complete. The fences have been pulled back and the front of the square is open. Note the addition of nikau palms on Pitt Street - part of Auckland Transport's precinct integration project. 

Underground at Beresford Square, the festival of fit-out work continues, with signage, balustrade and screen installation a focus for October. The image above reveals more of the concourse area, with much of the protective floor covering now removed, gate lines installed, and natural light streaming in from two levels above.

The image below highlights an important and much-loved detail: the installation of a floor-level drinking fountain, for our four-legged friends.

Other highlights at Beresford Square include signage installation and the commissioning of lifts and escalators.

Karanga-a-Hape Station - Mercury Lane

Some very noticeable changes above ground at Mercury Lane - both big and small. At the front of the station entrance new life is taking root with new trees and shrubbery now planted - as seen below. 

The team has planted four Elingamita johnsonii, also known as the Three Kings Elingamita, a native species found only on the remote Three Kings Islands. 
Compact and slow-growing, these trees are perfectly suited to Mercury Lane’s windy conditions and the constrained planting area above the underground station. Their size also ensures that the entrance and signage will always be in clear view.

A rare addition like this strengthens native biodiversity and brings a touch of the Three Kings Islands to the heart of the city.

And just downhill from the newly planted trees and shrubbery some big changes have taken place. The noise shed and temporary access shaft are distant memories, the portacabins are gone and the area paved and fenced with footpaths forming around the edge. 

Inside the station entrance - as at Beresford - it's another festival of fit-out activities. The background panels for the mighty pupurangi installation have been installed, and the entrance to the back-of-house area has been completed, as can be seen in the following images. 

Other highlights from the Mercury Lane entrance include the installation of handrails and fencing and the commissioning of air-conditioning systems.

Tunnel platforms

Over Labour weekend, during a scheduled rail network closure, the construction coverings and equipment on the Karanga-a-Hape Station platforms were finally peeled away, revealing the stunning finished product for the very first time. The before-and-after images speak for themselves—the change is dramatic, and it’s a thrilling glimpse of what’s to come.

This milestone marks another major step toward opening day, with the platforms officially handed over to KiwiRail as part of the staged handover process. Although the platforms may now look ready, there is still a considerable amount of testing and commissioning to be done before passengers can ride the trains in 2026.

Floor protection was removed to uncover the finished terrazzo tiles, while temporary fencing, mesh, sandbags and plastic ballast weights were also cleared away. These items had previously taken up more than a metre of space along the platform edge, so the transformation means the platforms feel wider, cleaner and more open.

Karanga-a-Hape Station - upcoming works

On top of ongoing testing and commissioning works, the coming weeks will see asphalt and footpath works around Canada Street, East Street and the bottom of Mercury Lane.

Te Waihorotiu Station update - streetscapes

In just one month, Albert Street will become, once again, an important route for buses in the city centre.  In preparation for the return of buses along Albert Street at the end of November, final layers of asphalt were laid during October.  From the middle of November, permanent line marking and painted bus lanes will be completed.
Along Albert Street, traffic lights, street lights, bollards and planting are largely complete, with just a few details to finish over the next month.
Work continues on the southern arm of the Albert Street slip lane, transforming a service lane into a smart city street by mid-December.

Above: Crews worked through several nights in October to lay the final asphalt along Albert Street and Mayoral Drive.  Long sections are completed at night to minimise the impact on travel through the city centre.  Now just line marking to demarcate vehicle lanes and bus lanes remains to be completed.

Te Waihorotiu Station update

Over Labour Weekend, a significant transformation occurred on the platform level of Te Waihorotiu Station.  Hundreds of fences that provided separation between the rail lines and the platforms were removed.  Protective surfaces on the floor were uplifted and a deep clean was undertaken, revealing sleek station platforms with sparkling terrazzo flooring.  The picture below captures Platform 2 just before the fences were removed, followed by both platforms viewed from the concourse level above.
With Te Waihorotiu largely complete, crew work in small teams to undertake cleaning and minor touch ups to finished surfaces across all levels of the station.

Above: Platform 2 partway through the process of removing fences from the length of the platform.  Across Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape stations, 1,266 sandbags used to weight down fences were removed.

Te Waihorotiu Platforms 1 and 2, are completed, cleared, and cleaned – viewed from the concourse above.

Above: In the Wellesley Street building, minor touch ups to the interior cladding are undertaken.

Above: A detailed clean of the escalator that connects the Wellesley Street building to the concourse is underway.

Te Waihorotiu Station - upcoming works

By the end of November, just a small section of the southern arm of the Albert Street slip lane will be under construction. Albert Street and Mayoral Drive will be reopened to traffic in both directions, and some buses will be rerouted along Albert Street. Keep an eye out for updates from AT on changes to some city centre bus routes. Meanwhile in the station, final touch ups of paint will be applied and the testing and commissioning of all aspects of the station continues!