The Auckland City Rail Link will begin carrying passengers on Sunday, 13 September, following public preview events and a programme of emergency response testing ahead of the start of operations.

Auckland train at Karanga-a-Hape Station on the City Rail Link
Archive photo of an Auckland train at Karanga-a-Hape Station on the City Rail Link. Photo: City Rail Link Ltd / cityraillink.co.nz

The 3.45-kilometre underground railway consists of twin tunnels and includes the new Te Waihorotiu, Karanga-a-Hape and Maungawhau stations. Its opening will also form part of a reconfigured Auckland rail network.

Before regular services begin, more than 43,000 people visited the CRL stations during First Look events, giving members of the public an opportunity to see the new stations and learn about changes to Auckland’s rail services.

Auckland City Rail Link opening-day services

A special timetable will operate on the first day, with trains due to start running from around 5 am. Auckland Transport expects high demand as passengers travel through the new underground route for the first time.

East West line trains will depart from Henderson, Swanson, Puhinui, Manukau and Waitematā, while South City services will begin from Pukekohe, Puhinui, Parnell and Newmarket.

Additional staff will be deployed across the network during the opening period. Auckland Transport will position ambassadors to help passengers navigate the new stations and services, with KiwiRail and Auckland One Rail also providing extra staff.

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Emergency testing before passenger services

Emergency services have completed a programme of exercises to prepare for operations within the underground railway.

The final multi-agency exercise brought together Fire and Emergency New Zealand, New Zealand Police and Hato Hone St John, simulating a fire on a train near Te Waihorotiu Station.

That drill was part of a wider emergency testing programme involving more than 1,400 volunteer passengers. Across 15 live exercises, around 200 personnel and more than 50 emergency service vehicles took part.

The scenarios covered station fires, train failures in tunnels, derailments, onboard medical incidents and evacuations. Ventilation and smoke extraction systems, alarms, communications, CCTV, lighting and control room operations were also tested.

Sections of the City Rail Link run more than 40 metres below ground, requiring emergency services and rail operators to prepare for the challenges associated with underground access, evacuation and communication.

What will change for passengers

The opening will also reorganise Auckland’s existing train lines. The Eastern and Western lines will become part of the East West Line, while the Southern Line will become the South City Line. During peak periods, passengers travelling from western stations to Grafton, Newmarket or Parnell will need to change trains or use connecting buses. Auckland Council also lists shorter journeys through the new network, including 35 minutes from Henderson to Te Waihorotiu, 21 minutes from Panmure to Karangahape Road and 15 minutes from Glen Innes to Te Waihorotiu.

Signage, maps and passenger information are also being updated across Auckland’s rail network ahead of the 13 September opening.

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