Inside Manukau’s Rail Trench: New Photos
Manukau’s new train station bus interchange is fast taking shape.
It’s fascinating seeing the development of the below ground trench, which is reminiscent of the New Lynn trench development that we saw over the last year (but this seems to be a lot tidier!)
Here’s how it looks today with photos of inside the trench with the stairs going to down to the platform. It opens about July -details here
14 Comments
Pretty functional, no shelter? Or will that come with the MIT building?
Seems the only way to get a bicycle in and out is in the elevator? Or to lug it on your shoulder on the stairs.
“Seems the only way to get a bicycle in and out is in the elevator?”
Er, yes, just like Britomart. What’s your point?
Anyone know if the overhead wiring and associated electrification work will be going in ahead of opening?
the pics look as though they’re from the business end of the platforms heading into the trench. The main passenger entrance will be from Davies Ave, where you can’t see in very well yet with the building cordon still up.
“Er, yes, just like Britomart. What’s your point?”
Maybe his point is to make it easier for bicyclists, Doloras?
“Pretty functional, no shelter?”
They may add ‘beauty’ touches later? Shelters could be mounted above the platforms easily enough, suspended from the cross beams.
I’m a cyclist. The lifts at Britomart have always been perfectly convenient for me. LarryH’s comment struck me as nitpicking for its own sake, an occupational hazard of PT “fans”.
I don’t think comments on the ups and downs of small decisions and details of decisions is a bad thing, as long as we remember to keep it in perspective. Where would be the fun if we didn’t get into these discussions?
And I would like ramps to stations, where possible (or stair ramps, where full ramps are not possible). Yes, they take up a lot more room, but for cyclists and mobility-impaired users, they are great, and if done well, they can be nice for peds too. Cycling-friendly countries like Germany and Netherlands often have them. Meanwhile I don’t think I have seen even a single stair ramp anywhere in Auckland.
I just take my bike on the escalator.
Will there be escalators though?
Josh, having seen of geoff`s pics on another forum, showing the entrance from the little kink that there is at the end of the trench, I think it shows that there`ll be both an elevator and escalator.
My concern is that the platform doesn`t look that long tho maybe that`s just the pics. I take it that it is long enough for at least 6car trains?
Excellent! Looks really great. Has this been future proofed to extend the line further?
DanC - I believe the short answer is an unsurprising NO. To do so would require quite a substantial modification of the station as it has been designed as a terminus.
I think those stairs are near the back end of the trench and that fence on the outside is probably permanent, therefore Simon is probably right that escalators and an elevator will be at the front, at the kink.