The City Rail Link project is a NZ$5.5 billion twin-tunnel commuter rail system running 3.45 kilometres beneath central Auckland, connecting Waitematā Station in the CBD to Maungawhau (Mount Eden) via two new underground stations. Since tunnelling concluded in late 2022, the project has advanced through the high-risk systems integration and testing phase, with a full test train completing the first end-to-end run through the completed tunnels in February 2025. Construction and testing are now expected to wrap up by June 2026, with Auckland Transport and KiwiRail targeting a passenger launch in the second half of the year, with August cited as the earliest realistic opening.

New Zealand Rediscovers Its Rail Appetite

The CRL’s imminent opening marks a turning point for rail infrastructure confidence across New Zealand. The project’s total cost settled at NZ$5.493 billion after a NZ$1.1 billion blowout in 2023, and Auckland Council faces an estimated NZ$235 million annually in operating and depreciation costs once services begin, prompting a 7.9% rates increase in the 2026/27 budget. Despite the cost pressures, the network effect is real: the CRL is expected to triple heavy rail capacity and carry up to 54,000 passengers per hour during peak periods. The opening has also renewed optimism for other rail investments in the country. Most recently, KiwiRail has moved swiftly to shortlist Acciona, a Downer/HEB joint venture, and Martinus Rail for a design sprint on the Marsden Point Rail Link in Northland, drawing directly on the market confidence and contractor capability demonstrated through Auckland’s underground build.

Project Overview

• Project Name: Auckland City Rail Link (CRL)
• Location: Central Auckland, New Zealand (Waitematā to Maungawhau via Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape)
• Developer / Owner: City Rail Link Limited (construction); KiwiRail and Auckland Transport (post-handover)
• Total Cost / Value: NZ$5.493 billion (final revised budget, 2023)
• Scale / Capacity: 3.45 km twin-bore tunnels; four stations; capacity for up to 54,000 passengers per hour at peak
• Construction Start: 2016 (preliminary works); major works from 2019
• Expected Completion: Construction and testing by end of June 2026; passenger opening second half of 2026
• Funding / Financing: 50% New Zealand Government; 50% Auckland Council (NZ$2.75 billion each)
• Current Status: Systems testing and commissioning underway; emergency trials and timetable validation completed
• Key Milestone: First full end-to-end test train journey completed through CRL tunnels in February 2025

Project Team

• City Rail Link Limited — Project Owner and Construction Oversight
• Link Alliance — Main Construction Consortium (tunnels, stations, rail systems)
• VINCI Construction Grands Projets — Lead Partner, Link Alliance
• Herrenknecht — TBM Manufacturer (Dame Whina Cooper)
• Auckland Transport — Public Transport Operator (post-handover)
• KiwiRail — Rail Network Operator and Co-Owner (post-handover)
• Auckland One Rail — Rolling Stock Operator
• New Zealand Government — Co-Funder (NZ$2.75 billion)
• Auckland Council — Co-Funder (NZ$2.75 billion)
• Waka Kotahi / New Zealand Transport Agency — Rail Safety Regulator

Reported 17th September 2022: The tunnel boring phase of the City Rail Link (CRL) project in Auckland, New Zealand has been concluded. The tunnel boring machine (TBM) Dame Whina Cooper broke through at Te Waihorotiu (Aotea) Station.

This phase required drilling twin, 1.6 km-long tunnels up to 42 m beneath the largest metropolis in the nation. Over 64,200m3 of concrete were used to build the City Rail Link tunnels. The TBM traveled more than 3.2 km to bore the twin tunnels from Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station to Te Waihorotiu Station. Thus this has led to placing 2,118 segment rings and removing 260,000t of spoil.

The Dame Whina Cooper TBM measures 130 metres in length and 7.15 metres in diameter. It weighs 910 tons. As tunnel boring is now complete, this TBM will be disassembled and raised above the ground. It will be delivered to the port so that it can be shipped back to its maker, Herrenknecht.

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City Rail Link to boost mobility in Auckland

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff issued a statement in which he said: “The tunnelling teams’ 13 months of arduous effort have finally paid off with the final tunnel breakthrough. When complete, City Rail Link will make it quicker and simpler to travel to and through central Auckland. This will instantly triple the heavy rail system’s capacity and eventually carry up to 54,000 people per hour during rush hours.”

A collection of firms known as Link Alliance is in charge of providing CRL with the main tunnels, stations, and rail systems. “The swifter conclusion of the second tunnel reflected operational improvements and efficiency benefits,” said Francois Dudouit, project director for Link Alliance.

The current project is an updated version of earlier rail access improvements to Auckland’s downtown. They were first proposed in the 1920s. A revived interest in the plan resulted from the rise in rail ridership in Auckland at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Additionally, it was partly caused by the completion of the Britomart Transport Centre in 2003. The CRL was identified as the most significant transportation investment for Auckland in the 2012 Auckland Spatial Plan. Thus, the project has great popular support.