There will be 96 days of full closures on Auckland's rail network between this year's Christmas period and the end of January 2026 to allow upgrades to be completed before the opening of the City Rail Link.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown said to ensure the success of the CRL, the Rail Network Rebuild needs to be completed ahead of the CRL opening "to ensure Aucklanders can benefit from increased train services and improved reliability".
The Government is funding the $200 million Rail Network Rebuild project, which will require "a large programme of upgrades required over the coming year".
"These works will have a significant impact on passengers and freight in Auckland with KiwiRail undertaking a large programme of rail upgrades across the network over the next year. This is estimated to add up to 96 days of full network closure between this Christmas period and the end of January 2026.
"These closures will be disruptive but will enable Aucklanders to realise the substantial benefits of City Rail Link the day it opens, with faster and more frequent services, and means the Rail Network Rebuild will be completed prior to the City Rail Link opening, not afterwards which would be the alternative."
Brown said the work will include replacing ageing track foundations, including the "busiest" part of the network in South Auckland.
He added this will make "the network more resilient to weather by improving drainage and culverts; replacing worn rail and sleepers, improvements to bridges and a tunnel, and upgrades to critical track infrastructure, signals and power supplies".
“This will remove temporary speed restrictions from the network to deliver increased reliability and enable more frequent and faster trains when the CRL opens."
Work will be undertaken 24/7 to "make the most of every single hour the network is closed".
Acting Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson said the City Rail Link is "poised to fundamentally reform public transport in Auckland".
"For CRL to open and be effective from day one in 2026 disruption to train schedules is an unavoidable necessity. A full network upgrade, from rebuilding aging foundations to integrating the new stations into the network is needed to get the most benefits form this significant investment."
Auckland Transport director public transport and active modes Stacey van der Putten said for the CRL, everything is on track for opening in 2026, and Aucklanders can start to get excited about the new ways they will be able to travel around the city.
"Passengers will be able to just turn up and go with trains running more frequently – at peak, every four to five minutes through the central city, east and south from stations north of Puhinui Station. From the west there’ll be a train every eight minutes and from Pukekohe every 10 minutes."
She added it is "vital" to make the most of closures.
"That’s why we will be working 24-7 wherever possible. The hard work being achieved through Rail Network Rebuild is achieving a decade’s worth of work over 18 months - ultimately this will enable more efficient and faster train services. We thank commuters, passengers, and freight customers for their patience with these disruptions as we safely deliver the huge amount of work."
KiwiRail suggested this approach will mean relatively short sharp closures and less ongoing disruption when passengers and freight suppliers need the network most.
"We’ve aimed to have weekends where trains are needed to transport people to major events not impacted throughout 2025, as we know the important role that train travel plays in getting people to and from these locations," added van der Putten.
Meanwhile, KiwiRail chief infrastructure officer André Lovatt said the additional funding provided by the Government in the latest Budget has "allowed us to move forwards with certainty to plan and deliver much-needed upgrades on the rail network".
"These are essential to enable the faster, more frequent journeys that CRL and the other major projects we are delivering will bring."
Dates of network closures announced
(Source: Supplied)
In the above calendar, red dates represent full network closure, with no passenger trains running.
A yellow date is a partial network closure with trains running on a single line, at a reduced frequency.
An orange date means contingency, if needed, a partial network closure network will be in place with trains running on a single line.
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The following works will be completed:
- Major formation (track foundation) replacement work and drainage improvements on the Western Line between New Lynn and Swanson, the Southern Line between Newmarket and Britomart and between Otahuhu and Papakura, and on other parts of the network.
- Replacing aging sleepers on a number of bridges around Newmarket, Parnell, and near Tamaki Drive.
- Work on the Parnell Tunnel.
- Replacing aging track infrastructure (turnouts and crossovers) which allow trains to switch between tracks at Kingsland, Tamaki and Quay Park.
- Substation (power), telecommunications and signal system upgrades.
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