The latest CRL Tunnel Vision Newsletter is below.
For individual station area newsletters go to these links:
December 2022
Kia ora katou,
Welcome to the end of 2022, which was a year of big breakthroughs for City Rail Link (CRL).
Throughout the year we introduced future users to their new stations with the release of the final station renders, and announcement of proposed te reo Māori station names.
In April our tunnel boring machine, Dame Whina Cooper, embarked on its second and final journey to bore twin 3.5km tunnels up to 40m below New Zealand’s largest city, Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). By July, it had reached the new Karanga-a-Hape Station (Karangahape), breaking through in spectacular fashion slightly earlier than expected.
Public support for the project was amplified with the first ever visit by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in September, who was “astounded” by the scale of work happening underground and said she was “looking forward to the day when New Zealanders will be able to see it for themselves”. Also attending the Prime Minister’s tour was Transport Minister Michael Woods, who spoke passionately about the benefits the CRL will bring to the City of Sails.
CRL and its construction partner Link Alliance continue to deliver work to the highest possible standard, a fact reflected by its ‘Excellence in Social Outcomes - Highly Commended’ at the Infrastructure Sustainability Council Awards, the Building Nations 2050 Impact Awards and Decarbonisation Outcomes Award (Projects over $20m).
Also in September, a significant milestone was achieved with the final breakthrough at Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea) and completion of the tunnelling phase. Hundreds of special guests and media attended the one-off event in the underground station which is set to be the busiest station in Aotearoa New Zealand when complete.
Work has already begun on the fit-out for Auckland’s future world-class railway, with the installation of a vast array of equipment including 16km of rail track and more than 1,500km of cable, as well as construction above ground of two new stations, Karanga-a-Hape (Karangahape) and Te Waihorotiu (Aotea), and the re-designed Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station and Waitematā Station (Britomart).
We appreciate your ongoing support for the project throughout the year and wish you and your whānau a Meri Kirihimete (Merry Christmas) and happy New Year.
