Subscribe to RSSAirport Rail: Include Mangere
Today’s ARC transport and urban development committee had no hesitation in moving forward on Auckland airport rail but some councillors emphasised it should not be viewed as just a CBD to Auckland Airport route.
Deputy chair Brent Morrissey said it was great to see a coalition of interest coming to fruition on this but airport rail would also potentially have a great positive impact on people living in Mangere bridge area and he would like to see the alignment get closer to that community so they can use the network.
Councillor Joel Cayford agreed and said it should be considered more widely than a CBD to Auckland route and thought of the stops along the way.
Other councillors asked if the Auckland Transport body should be part of the memorandum so that they definitely will continue the work after ARC and ARTA go out of existence in November - that issue will be checked.
Although the rail link is not for some decades, the committee did formally agree the council should sign the memorandum, which starts the process as outlined here.
Hurry up rail - too many cars at Auckland airport
The parties involved - KiwiRail, ARTA, NZTA, Manukau City Council, Auckland International Airport Ltd and ARC - have now agreed to undertake a project to investigate investigate multi-modal transport routes to provide connections to the airport, how the requirements of each party can be met within the corridor and to prepare the documentation required to protect the route.
This project is to be known as the South-Western Airport Multi-Modal Corridor Study.
All parties need to sign the memorandum of understanding, which records the scope of the investigations, the outputs, and how the parties will work together.
10 Comments
It should include Mangere as a stop. It would make great sense to. Two stops even at Ascot Road and Miller Road.
not for decades? can i ask what we are waiting for? if banksie is making jokes about the olympics ( I full well know we can’t host it so please don’t give me a lecture) surely this would be the first thing on the list, i direct link from NZ’s largest Airport to Manukau and Auckland City?
The point that the line is a line for south west Auckland and not just an airport link is very important for the public to understand, but the idea of having suburban stations along the way has been a given so far.
The investigation refered to above suggested three stations between Onehunga and the airport, one at Mangere Bridge, one by Mangare town centre, and one at the industrial estate.
Of course you would do that! Good on them for tying it down now. It will make the trip a few minutes longer, but the patronage gains will be immense. Working in southern Auckland (City) and living in Mangere? - take the train. Working at the airport, and living pretty much anywhere directly north of it? - take the train. Arriving at the airport, and wanting to go to Greenlane, Newmarket or the CBD? - take the train.
Heck, one day we might even use “Arriving at the airport - take the train to Newmarket and then to Hamilton” as a perfectly reasonable response again.
How about arrive at the airport and catch the Hamilton train directly from there? No reason they couldn’t run the intercity routes via the airport if the built the full loop from Onehunga to Manukau.
I don’t think Hamilton airport will be impressed with that idea. (auckland airport-hamilton trains)
“No reason they couldn’t run the intercity routes via the airport”
Mmmmh, you’d presumably want a Hamilton-Auckland train not to lose time going through a side-track route. Especially one which is likely to be single-track initially.
“I don’t think Hamilton airport will be impressed with that idea. (auckland airport-hamilton trains)”
Who cares about Hamilton Airport? And it’s not like they get lots of 747s from Sydney or Singapore, so a rail link would be a net plus for Hamilton and no loss for Hamilton’s airport. In Europe, all the major airports have realised that having another way to get to and from the airport helps, rather than hinders their biz.
Karl, there is no way the airport line would be built as anything other than twin track the whole way.
It could also possibly save time as it would all be on new track with higher running speeds and widely spaced stations, and more importantly the lower part of the southern line could be looking very congested post electrification. They are however talking about a third line for freight to Southdown, possibly all along the eastern line to the port. If that was built running the intercity routes on the freight bypass would be the fastest run.
There are plenty of points along the rail network where a third rapid line could be developed. For example, between Westfield and Onehunga there are plenty of side tracks that don’t even seem used. The papakura-Newmarket express and limited stop services could be greatly improved if granted access along rapid tracks, plus regular trains could continue along as the express trains pass safely on the third track.
“Karl, there is no way the airport line would be built as anything other than twin track the whole way.”
A big statement, Nick R. Both looking at reality in Auckland and looking at the question of whether a single-track rail to the airport would be worth it compared to NO track to the airport. Further, one could have a loop - single-track Onehunga route to airport, and back via Puhinui Road and Manukau.
Of course double-tracking would be best.