Subscribe to RSSOverbridge Closed For Game
The Kingsland station overbridge that takes you across to either Kingsland village or Sandringham Rd - is going to be closed on Saturday from 3pm.
It’s one of the new measures being imposed on Saturday to further test RWC 2011 match arrangements.
The reason given for the closure is to stop Four Nations rugby league patrons heading off later for the Kingsland bars that way.
Which is fine - but not everyone is going to Eden Park when leaving the trains on Saturday.
The Eden Park patrons are discouraged from using the underpass to get to Kingsland either but to use the new designated walking route along New North Rd, Sandringham Rd and the new $3m Wairepo Swamp Walk which goes between Walters Rd Eden Park entrance and the New North Rd end of Sandringham Rd.
At least one thing that pleases me out of all this is that those pedestrian crossing lights outside the Kingsland station in Sandringham Rd that I have been rattling on about forever have finally been switched on today! At last safety for those departing or coming onto the railway station.
Closures of a number of streets surrounding the stadium will be in place from 3pm to midnight. Major roads to be closed are Sandringham Rd (between Kenneth Avenue and New North Road) from 3pm to midnight and then from 9pm Sandringham Road (between Aroha Avenue and Kenneth Avenue), New North Road (between Morningside Drive and Porters Avenue) and Bond Street will be closed until midnight.
Policing around Eden Park last big RWC 2011 'test run'
The interesting “fun” will be seeing what residents have if they’re deemed not to play with the new rules.
The new Eden Park residents-only parking scheme will be in operation for the first time.
Zone A, an area around Eden Park bounded by New North Rd, Morningside Drive, Dominion Rd and Burnley Terrace, will be closed to all traffic except residents with permits. Further streets outside this area will have parking restricted to permit holders. Residents should display their permits in their vehicles.
The first game kicks off at 6pm and fans with a match ticket can travel free on trains from 3pm. Following the game free travel continues until the end of service. Normal fares apply for passengers without a valid match ticket or Eden Park membership card.
Passengers can also travel for free with a valid match ticket or Eden Park membership card on special buses to and from Eden Park. These run from North Shore Busway Stations, Takapuna, Auckland CBD, Newmarket/Mt Eden Village, Manukau/Botany/Pakuranga.
6 Comments
I don’t get it - why would they block the bridge? And what do the Kingsland bar owners have to say about this? Sounds a bit strange to force people like this.
So they want people to use the train to get to Eden Park as there is no parking and Eden Park is a nightmare to get to anyway for big games.
But then they close the bridge at Kingsland over the tracks and don’t want people using the new expensive tunnel either. Have I read this right?
Therefore you either cross the tracks or take some convoluted hike around New North Road to Sandringham Road. Sorry but this is not fine.
Eden Park was always the wrong place to be Auckland’s premier stadium because it was a complete pain in the arse to get to for bigger games and now the officials are going out of their way ensuring it remains this way.
All this says to me is avoid games at Eden Park, its still as bad as ever.
Kurt - I agree that it is stupid but reading the bridge it said people will be discouraged from using the underpass to get to Kingsland. Presumably this is so that it can be used for people catching trains and there isn’t the issue of people trying to push past people on a crowded platform.
Jon - Will trains out west be leaving from Kingsland or will us westies have to hike to Morningside?
This is more than a little weird. Build a bridge and tunnel for match capacity, then close them on match days?
Is someone with their hand in the pie trying to discourage patronage, both of the trains and of the Kingsland bars?
Kurt, one assumes that the bridge and tunnel ARE to be used, but only for people going in certain directions or to/from certain trains - so that the biggest capacity can be freed up for those to get people to/from the stadium smoothly.
Now that alone makes sense - but what I meant was that should be via guidance, not by total closure of things like an overbridge!
Matt L Train timetable is here http://www.maxx.co.nz/Assets//pdf//TT%20rugby%20league%206%20Nov.pdf