New dates for CRL’s Mt Eden closures after lockdown

New dates have been set for two significant closures in Mt Eden – Mt Eden Station and the adjoining Porters Avenue railway crossing - for City Rail Link (CRL) construction.

Porters Avenue will close permanently to vehicle traffic on Friday, 29 May, and the station will close on Saturday, 11 July, until CRL is completed in 2024.

The closures were delayed by the recent Covid-19 lockdown, which stopped work on all New Zealand construction sites.

Dale Burtenshaw, Link Alliance Deputy Project Director, says the decision to close Mt Eden Station for four years was not made lightly.

“Our priority is safety and if the station remains open, there is a risk to workers and the public walking through what will be a live and complex construction site. Building a temporary station was also investigated but there was not enough room inside our construction zone.”

Western Line trains in both directions will continue to run on a single line through the construction zone but will not stop at Mt Eden. Auckland Transport (AT) says single line running will have little impact on rail timetables, and a free bus service will also be introduced for people who use the station.  

PORTERS AVENUE (closing 29 May)

Mr Burtenshaw acknowledges that closing Porters Avenue to vehicles permanently will be inconvenient.

“The extra lines and all the other changes mean it will not be possible to maintain a safe rail crossing for vehicles between Porters Avenue and Wynyard Road, even when we’ve finished construction.”  

Access to businesses on Porters Avenue and nearby Fenton and Haultain Streets will remain open.  

Suggested new routes include New North Road or View and Wynyard Roads.

Access across the level crossing for people on foot, or with a bike, mobility aid, scooter or pram will be maintained until a footbridge is built. 

“We will make the level crossing as safe as possible but ask that people take care on the uneven surface,” Mr Burtenshaw says.

MT EDEN STATION (closing 11 July)

To help maintain public transport connections, AT will operate a free bus service between Kingsland and Newmarket past Mt Eden Station. The new 64 route will begin on Sunday, 5 July.

Buses will run on 15-minute intervals between 7am-7pm every day. The service will be less frequent outside those hours, matching rail timetables 

Upgrading Mt Eden Station and creating new opportunities beside it for housing and commercial development are key parts of CRL’s contribution to Auckland’s future growth. When completed, CRL will give Aucklanders access to more trains and faster journeys in and out of central Auckland.