Auckland rail: KiwiRail, Auckland Transport release plans

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KiwiRail’s Strategic Rail Programme for Auckland.
Photo: Supplied / KiwiRail

KiwiRail says its plans for rail network development are not dependent on whether Auckland light rail goes ahead.

At a round table earlier this week, Auckland Transport and KiwiRail released their vision for investment into passenger and freight rail over the next 30 years.

The Strategic Rail Programme includes a designated rail corridor across town, adjacent to State Highway 20 and through Onehunga.

KiwiRail chief capital planning and asset development officer David Gordon said it would share the space with the proposed light rail, if the latter goes ahead.

“In general terms, we’ll tuck ourselves as close to the motorway as you can, and they’ll be on the outside, if that proceeds,” he said.

Gordon said the Strategic Rail Programme was on a similar scale to proposed mega projects like the light rail.

In a statement to RNZ, Gordon said the programme had been developed with the assumption that light rail would go ahead, but it was in no way dependent on it.

If it were to be cancelled, he said, the demand on the passenger rail network would increase marginally, but not substantially, as they generally served different catchments.

The programme identifies six areas for investment over the next 30 years, including station upgrades, and the removal of level crossings.

The process included developing options, gathering feedback from key stakeholders, incorporating feedback and following approvals pathway through to submission to the transport minister.

AT chief executive Dean Kimpton said the programme had to work in collaboration with the Auckland Integrated Transport Plan.

“That’s the game plan for Auckland, how we deliver transport outcomes for Aucklanders into the long term,” he said.

“Aucklanders love rail, and we know that, they love to catch the train.”

KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy described the programme as a forward look into Auckland’s rail network.

Currently, the programme is unfunded, with AT and KiwiRail saying they needed to work with the Crown to deliver on the programme.

The estimated budget for the programme is about $22 billion.

The next steps were to go through the boards at Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, and Waka Kotahi for approval.