What’s in store for 2023

Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou (happy New Year) from the team at City Rail Link! We’re back and ready for a busy year working on the next phase of works – fitting out the tunnels and stations for Tāmaki Makaurau’s future world-class rail system. 

Last year we celebrated our biggest civil milestone yet, as the Dame Whine Cooper tunnel boring machine (TBM) had its final breakthrough under the city centre into Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea). This event marked the end of the tunnel-boring phase for the project and the completion of the two 3.45km-long CRL tunnels. 

Works this year will focus on laying the rail tracks in the tunnels and fitting out the three new stations – Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station, Karanga-a-Hape Station (Karangahape) and Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea). Progress will become more visible aboveground as the station buildings near completion, solid hoardings recede, and road cones are removed from the city streets to enable the start of the urban realm works. 

What you can expect to see from the project this year: 

• Laying rail tracks and systems, including overhead lines in the tunnels 

• Stations buildings receive their façades (architectural treatments), systems (such as electrical and plumbing) and station fit-out 

• Completion of North Auckland Line works and a return to double-track services for the Western Line at Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station  

• Announcement of the revised CRL project cost and completion date, taking into account Covid-19 impacts 

• Victoria and Albert Streets intersection, near the Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea), will reopen after a two-year shutdown 

• Solid wooden hoardings will be replaced by temporary fences for urban realm works (these are works to return the streetscape to normal) 

• The CRL visitor centre in Eden Terrace (at 1 New North Road) will be getting a refresh and the Te Pūkaki info centre near the Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea) will move closer to the Sky Tower