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Auckland rail services are back up and running as KiwiRail and its partners continue to deliver an ambitious work programme across the region including major infrastructure projects.
As passenger trains return to service today, Auckland’s rapidly growing Franklin community will benefit from trains running twice as often at peak times. This is possible because of the huge progress made across the rail network during the April rail closure.
Teams undertook upgrade and renewal works at more than 80 sites across Auckland’s rail network during the two-week closure. About 900 workers continued to deliver an ambitious programme including major infrastructure projects, as KiwiRail and Auckland Transport ready the rail network for the faster, more frequent train services the City Rail Link will bring when it opens next year.
The rail elements of the Wiri to Quay Park (W2QP) Third Main project are now complete and entering the operational readiness phase. This critical project on the Southern Line separates passenger and freight trains on the busiest parts of the Auckland network.
“Despite some appalling weather, all projects we’d planned for the 16-day shutdown are now complete after KiwiRail teams successfully managed a large amount of work safely within tight deadlines,” says Kiwirail chief capital planning and asset development officer David Gordon.
“I’m really proud of our hard-working staff and contractors who gave up their Easter and Anzac breaks to make a big dent in the upgrade and renewal programme needed before the CRL can open.
“The Wiri to Quay Park project completion is a major mark of maturity for the Auckland rail network, keeping freight and commuters moving into the future. The Third Main Line, the newly triple-tracked section between Wiri and Westfield, provides a separate track for freight trains, meaning faster and more reliable transportation for KiwiRail’s valued freight customers.
“This milestone follows the opening earlier this year of the Papakura to Pukekohe newly electrified section of the network, with a redeveloped train station at Pukekohe.”
KiwiRail also would like to take the opportunity to thank our freight customers for their understanding and cooperation with the use of roads to move their goods during the two-week rail closure.
The opening of the CRL next year will mean more trains on the network, doubling the number of Aucklanders who live within a 30-minute train journey to the central city and significantly cutting journey times. Ahead of this, an upgrade of priority areas, the construction and fit out of new stations, and the integration, testing and commissioning of new systems are required.
This has meant closing the entire rail network at its quietest times of usage – over public, school and university holidays. More closures will occur this year over long weekends, school holidays and the 2025-26 summer to progress more upgrade and renewals works, as well as three new train stations on the Southern line.
KiwiRail colleagues in the Link Alliance used the April closure to focus on completing works in the CRL tunnels and the connections to the rest of the railway.
Trains are now running down the CRL tunnels as part of a rigorous testing programme – covering everything from the infrastructure and rail systems interfaces, emergency procedures and scenarios, the stations and urban realm, and some simulated stress testing.
“We’re really pleased with the amount of work achieved over the April rail closure, and seeing everything is on track for CRL’s opening in 2026,” says Auckland Transport director public transport and active modes Stacey van der Putten.
“We know every time the rail network closes it causes serious disruption for our customers, but with each day the network is closed we get a step closer to having the modern, fast, frequent and reliable rail network Aucklanders deserve.
“Following this closure we’re also able to increase the frequency of trains to Pukekohe from today, with trains running to the city centre every ten minutes during peak times.
“I know it is inconvenient for people not to be able to catch the train, but AT and our partners at KiwiRail have a short time frame to deliver the necessary work to be ready in time for CRL opening.
“During the rail closure, we saw high uptake of our rail replacement buses and we’re continuing to listen to customer feedback and make improvements where possible. The bus stop changes in west Auckland saw better rail bus reliability and we’re currently investigating rail bus priority opportunities for future planned rail closures.
“These upgrades provide better experiences on our public transport network. Since Pukekohe Station reopened in February 2025, we’re close to reaching the same amount of people using this station as in 2019, even as people continue to work from home more often. We’re very pleased to see the high uptake.”
