Archive for: Spotlight

2010: A Year Of Openings

2010: A Year Of Openings

2010 was the year we saw plans and construction work turn into visible modern improvements to Auckland’s train network. It was a year of openings - and...

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Waterfront Tram Construction Starts

Waterfront Tram Construction Starts

Construction is about to begin to enable heritage electric trams to run around Wynyard Quarter, seeing the return of trams to Auckland streets for the first time...

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Masts Appear in Xmas Rail Shutdown

Masts Appear in Xmas Rail Shutdown

Once again, KiwiRail workers and contractors are gearing up for the big summer of rail work from Boxing Day while the rest of the city is on holiday. We’ll...

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Unsung Heroes Of The Year

Unsung Heroes Of The Year

They don’t get to open train stations or have the sort of family Christmas break most Kiwis have. Again this weekend and every day from Boxing Day, they’re...

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Photos: Auckland Rail 12 Months Ago

Photos: Auckland Rail 12 Months Ago

It’s extraordinary to revisit Auckland’s rail network exactly 12 months ago and see what amazing progress has been made. Parts of the network, especially...

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U2 No Train Line On the Horizon Photos

U2 No Train Line On the Horizon Photos

U2 fans tonight flooded AKT’s inbox with angry complaints about tonight’s free trains to the Mt Smart concert. Hot steamy packed trains were trying...

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Watch Len Brown’s News Conference

Watch Len Brown’s News Conference

Auckland Mayor Len Brown told a packed news conference this afternoon that the CBD rail loop, which he campaigned on, will turn Auckland into the world’s most...

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First New DL Locos Arrive

First New DL Locos Arrive

KiwiRail’s first 6 of 20 new locomotives arrived in New Zealand this weekend. At Mount Maunganui port, they were lifted out of the freighter Beluga Foresight by...

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Photos: Palace Hotel Demolished

Photos: Palace Hotel Demolished

Victoria St’s heritage Palace Hotel (formerly Aurora tavern) was pulled down in the early hours of this morning and reduced to rubble. The 124-year-old...

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Queens Shed 11 Now Shell

Queens Shed 11 Now Shell

Queens Wharf 11, being dismantled for storage, is now almost just a see-through shell. The asbestos roof has been dismantled and disposed of, while some of the...

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Busy Manukau Station: More Photos

Busy Manukau Station: More Photos

KiwiRail and the Manukau council predict 600,000 passengers a year will use the new Manukau train station, when it opens in July. That’s a similar level to...

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Mt Albert Station Re-design

Mt Albert Station Re-design

A dynamic Mt Albert station entrance building and better transport links are part of a winning design chosen to greatly improve the village. Unitec architecture...

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Auckland’s Sky Car

Auckland’s Sky Car

Auckland’s inner city Federal Street was closed today so that a large crane could erect a Merc on the Sky Tower. This is part of a casino promotion to win...

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Eden Park Looks Worldly: Photos

Eden Park Looks Worldly: Photos

More than 40,000 people attended tonight’s Four Nations League series at Eden Park - probably not quite the 65,000 expected for the RWC 201. And Eden...

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Frocks On Bikes Win Award

Frocks On Bikes Win Award

Frocks On Bikes, the nationwide movement promoting cycling in style for women, has taken out an award. It won the best cycle promotion in the ASB Cycle Friendly...

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Aotea Gets Arty For ArtWeek

Aotea Gets Arty For ArtWeek

The vast concrete emptiness that has been Aotea Square since it opened has been transformed into a semi-permanent gallery space. Having be highly critical of this...

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Queens Shedding Quickly

Queens Shedding Quickly

The dismantling of Queens Wharf’s Shed 11 is now progressing at fast speed. This is how it looks today: The corrugated iron roof is off and timber being carefully...

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Here’s $3m RWC 2011 Walkway

Here’s $3m RWC 2011 Walkway

That $3m Eden Park Shared Space Wairepo walkway is almost ready for prime time. And cost and disruption aside, it looks nice so far. The walkway is so rugby patrons...

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Darby St Work Starts

Darby St Work Starts

Work began today developing the Shared Space at the inner city Darby Street, one of Auckland City’s early Shared Space projects. It will be completed early...

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Diwali 1st Aotea Square Test

Diwali 1st Aotea Square Test

Auckland’s Diwali Festival of Lights show this weekend is the first real test of how well an event works at the newly re-opened Aotea Square. At night the...

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Waikanae Goes Electric

Waikanae Goes Electric

KiwiRail’s work is going well in extending duplicated tracks and electrification so regular commuter services can reach Waikanae, north of Wellington early...

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Photos: Auck Rail Exactly 1 Yr Ago

Photos: Auck Rail Exactly 1 Yr Ago

If you want a reality check of how far Auckland has come with rail in the last 12 months, think back to the frenetic rail work being done last Labour weekend, exactly...

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Devonport’s Victoria Re-Opens

Devonport’s Victoria Re-Opens

While a debate continues about the future of the neglected St James in the CBD, Devonport’s Victoria Picture Palace & theatre re-opened today -...

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Birkenhead’s New Terminal

Birkenhead’s New Terminal

Ferry patrons are this morning enjoying Birkenhead’s new look ferry terminal, complete with an hydraulic ramp and canopies, which look great. The outer berth...

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Eastern Line Gets Ready

Eastern Line Gets Ready

It’s the Eastern Line’s turn to start getting ready for electrification. During the weekend, often against the backdrop of the city landscape and waterfront,...

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