KiwiRail’s Busy Christmas Work
Passenger trains have returned to Britomart Station after a three-week closure over Christmas and New Years to allow for vital track maintenance and upgrades. While Britomart was temporarily closed to trains, a new scissor track crossing was installed at the eastern end of Britomart tunnel and worn rail tracks were repaired and replaced between Newmarket and the city.
A "scissor" crossing is where two opposing crossovers overlap each other letting trains cross between two parallel tracks in either direction.
KiwiRail’s David Gordon says along with installing a new track scissor in the throat of Britomart tunnel, rail crews replaced two turnouts running between Newmarket and Britomart. More than 350 trains travel on this section of line daily.
The new scissor crossing is part of work KiwiRail is doing to modify and improve the track layout into Britomart Station, to help future proof the line so that it’s ready for increased patronage once the City Rail Link opens.
Across the Auckland rail network, more than 200 KiwiRail staff and contractors replaced 18km of worn rail which is the equivalent distance of driving from Britomart to Ōtāhuhu.
To find out more about KiwiRail work please click here.
A "scissor" crossing is where two crossovers overlap each other. Photo courtesy of KiwiRail.