Auckland Rapid Transit System, New Zealand

With just four million people in a landmass roughly the same size as Great Britain, New Zealand is forced to impose strict limits on public spending, including transport. However, acute congestion in Auckland, the country's second city after its capital Wellington, means that plans to create an integrated rapid transit and bus network are now being turned into reality.

Part of the existing suburban heavy railway, currently only operational during the day using diesel multiple units, is to be used along with eventual construction of new light rail routes. A significant bottleneck is the present road-only bridge over Auckland harbour, linking the north and south areas of the city. Opened in 1959, it sparked rapid housing development on the north shore.

Auckland is New Zealand's fastest-growing region. A new dedicated high-speed North Shore park-and-ride busway will serve this area.

THE PROJECT

To be phased in stages it will group all the existing operators - heavy rail (Tranz Rail), buses (Stagecoach) and ferries (independent) - together within a co-ordinated network with single system, multi-mode tickets.

Phase One sees existing heavy rail services diverted to a new terminus, close to the heart of the centre at the bottom of Queen Street, the city's main shopping and commercial road.

Subsequent phases will see a three-line rapid transit network developed, which will take up to ten years. Land is being secured to enable four rapid transit corridors connecting north (busway), west, south and east sectors through the central area.

The total estimated cost of the project, to be completed in 2009, is NZ$1.08 billion, which includes developing a transport interchange at Waitemata Waterfront (near the new heavy rail terminus), a rail link to Manukau city centre and new trains.

The much-debated project started in 1999 with detailed planning and costing and physical work started in late 2001. From 2003-06 the Waitemata Waterfront Interchange will open, heavy rail stations will be built or upgraded, the western line will be double-tracked, some new train services will be introduced, a north shore busway (using the harbour bridge) opens, new rail vehicles will be ordered and an operator contracted.

Between 2006-09 the roll-out stage sees new heavy and light rail vehicles introduced, bus and ferry services integrated with rail and the new central transit route opened.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The first phase, to divert the existing heavy rail to the city centre, away from its present location near the docks on the edge of the commercial area, started in 2001. It involves building almost 2km (1 1/4 miles) of trackbed, of which almost half is in a cut-and-cover tunnel.

The new terminus will be in the ornate Old Post Office, which was the railway's original terminus. However, platforms will be underground, allowing the building to house ticketing offices and retail developments. Light rail and buses will depart from street level.

A new Central Transit route for light rail and buses will run from the new heavy rail terminus at the bottom of Queen Street to Newmarket, via the universities, hospital and Grafton. This will restrict private cars, with dedicated sections for light rail and buses.

The existing western heavy rail line between Swanson and Newmarket will be double-tracked. Light rail vehicles will leave the line at Boston Road and travel through the central business district to lower Queen St on the Central line, or Newmarket.

The heavy rail Isthmus Line from Queen St terminus to Pukekohe via the Eastern suburbs will also have a branch built to serve Manuka city centre.

ROLLING STOCK

City authorities have contracted privately-owned Tranz Rail to continue running the existing heavy rail lines until 2004. They will then be refurbished with new and improved stations and replacement rolling stock, to be diesel multiple units.

The existing stock comprises 18 two-car DMUs, transferred to Auckland from Perth, Western Australia in 1993. New vehicles will be ordered for the light rail system.

SIGNALLING/COMMUNICATIONS

Conventional colour light systems and tokenless block working is currently in use and will remain so until at least 2004. Options for a new signalling system are being considered.

With the total upgrading of all heavy rail lines and construction of light rail routes there is the opportunity to install a central control, communications and signalling centre.

THE FUTURE

Years of debate have dogged the project, but plans were finalised in 2000 when the city published a 50-year transport plan. It expects that by 2050 the population will almost double from 1.2 million to 2 million people and the phased approach of transport upgrades will cope with growth.

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