First section of track laid

Hot on the heels of the final tunnelling breakthrough last month, the team has made great progress on the project’s next phase of works. The first section of railway track from Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea) to Waitematā Station (Britomart) inside the tunnel box closest to Platform 1 is complete.

Meet Wendy Chen, a Link Alliance Project Engineer. In this short clip she talks about one aspect of her wide and varied role – what happens once the track is laid.

To get the track inside the tunnel to a finished state the team first had to deliver materials into the downtown station near Platform 1. Working late at night and into the early hours of the morning, materials were hauled via track from Quay Park Yard after the last trains had run for the day.

Material was also delivered by a crane and lowered inside the station via an opening in the glass house structure behind the Chief Post Office, which is main entrance for Waitematā Station (Britomart).

Once the blocks were distributed and laid into place, they were connected with the railway line and what is known as the ‘track skeleton’ was formed. Final adjustments were made to the alignment before concrete was poured and the railway track was complete.

Now that this section of track is done, the team will focus on installing safety walkways, power, the electrical overhead system, and communications/signalling trackside equipment. Work will soon begin on the other CRL tunnel, closest to Platform 5 in the station.