Subscribe to RSSManukau Rail Link On Track
We’re only a couple of months now away from the opening of the Manukau rail link - and it’s exciting to see track getting laid for it.
The six metre deep, 300m-long rail trench immediately west of Davies Avenue in Manukau City Centre will house two 180m-long platforms and the station but the track has not reached there yet.
The 2km new Manukau rail line will link Manukau City Centre with the Southern Line at Puhinui. It will run alongside the new SH20 motorway extension and will be mostly double-tracked and that is now appearing with more preparation work being done over the weekend.
Background on the project here
24 Comments
Track opens in July, but passengers won’t use it until 2012.
Are they laying 2 tracks or just one?
Double track
“mostly double-tracked” according to the article. What is that in the 2nd & 4th photos on left side? Looks like a fenced trench.
At the connection from NIMT there is a short section of single track.
The latest kiwirail express still talks about July/August for opening of Manukau.
That “Thing” on the left , looks like a storm water area.
Owen - I think it is a storm water catchment
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/4926513/Rail-link-making-history
Front page of Manukau Courier 26 April 2011
“Sometime after July the new signalling systems will go in – part of the Auckland rail electrification project – and then train operator Veolia will do some commissioning runs.
Everything’s right on track to have the first trains running into the new Manukau station by the end of this year, Mr King says.”
for the life of me, i still can’t picture how this works, or fits into the existing line.
does the southern line, go into this station, then back out and carry on to auckland in a straight line?
or does it do a side trip?
can someone link like a over drawing or a map or something.
sorry guys, its probably really simple, but I can’t really picture it all yet =(
I think it will be like the Onehunga line.
Will run from Britomart to Puhinui then Manukau. Then Manukau back to Britomart. Hopefully it will go through Glen Innes, as Onehunga line goes through Newmarket.
Only way to go from Papakura to Manukau is via Puhinui.
I thought it would be something like the Eastern Line will terminate at Manukau with the Southern Line continuing further down the Main Trunk Line. I could be wrong though.
Orakei becomes a station on the Manukau Line.
The southern line will be Britomart - Newmarket - Papakura, and the Manukau line will be Manukau - Panmure - Britomart. At the moment there are some Eastern line services that terminate at Otahuhu, these will all go to Manukau.
Guess this mean there will be a reduction in services south of Puhinui?
The plan is to have four routes:
1) Britomart-Orakei-Manukau.
2) Britomart-Orakei-Papakura.
3) Britomart-Newmarket-Manukau.
4) Britomart-Newmarket-Papakura.
Next timetable change is February 2012, so presumably that’s when Manukau will open.
The so-called “trench” should have been extended right into the city centre, under the car parks, and terminating under the carpark in front of Foodtown, and right next to the current bus station. No buildings would have been affected. That way it would have delivered passengers right where all the majority of businesses are located, and without having to relocate the local urban and the long-distance bus terminals.
“Mostly double tracked”. Surely if the NIMT is single lined around manukau is should be double tracked given the increase in useage it will recieve and ideally should be double tracked through to Pukekohe.
In an ideal world the double tracking gaps between Helensville and Te rapa should be rectified (wired too!!) with the double tracking extended all the way to Tauranga.
@Geoff Auckland Transport board papers say: the Manukau Institute of Technology building which is part of the station will be open for students from the first term of 2013 but the station and associated bus interchange from this July.
@AKT, that was the plan, but you’ll find it’s changed. To start with, the surfacing of the platforms was supposed to be done in January, but was seriously stuffed up and as of May 2nd is still not rectified. Secondly, the branch gets commissioned by KiwiRail on Sunday 17th July, after which a few months will be needed for all train crews (both Veolia and KiwiRail) to go through line familiarization. They also need to install and commission the signalling. One report I’ve read is that the line will open at the end of the year, but it’s hard to line that up with AT saying that there’s no new timetables until February 2012.
I’ll be very surprised to see the travelling public on the line this year, but let’s hope I’m wrong!
@Carlos
You’re probably right its a shame it wasnt extended further but a look around the area turns up some pretty big businesses closer to this site than the mall. Such as bluebird and frucor.
@Joust however those businesses are at least 1km away, and along a very pedestrian unfriendly route.
Therefore unlikely to see commuters walking between the two.
oh save us, if people can’t walk for 1km. What is the world coming to.
I agree with Luke. Wiri Station Rd is awful to walk along, 70kmh I think. Bluebird, Frucor & et al provide free staff parking & also the staff probably work shifts. The odd one or two might catch the train, but I wouldn’t count on it.
maybe then, someone needs to upgrade wiri station road (not the actual road) so that its user friendly for people to cycle and walk on.
wasn’t the government keen to see more people out there cycling and walking not so long ago?
well here is a chance, maybe even make a cycle walking path.
again, if people can’t walk 1km to work that is just plain lazy, some days I walk up to 2-3kms depending on where I end up having to work and what bus / train situation is provided, I don’t mind it, its actually nice to walk for a change.
The new signalling system (currently being implemented between Westfield, Penrose Onehunga and Newmarket) will be the last thing to be put in place. There is a total block on any intrusive works during RWC and so best bet would be that the new line may possibly be ready for trains before/at Christmas 11.