City Centre–Māngere Line
City Centre-Mangere Line (CC2M) | |
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Overview | |
Status | Planning |
Locale | Auckland, New Zealand |
Termini | |
Stations | 18 |
Service | |
Type | Light Rail |
System | Auckland Light Rail (AT Metro) |
Technical | |
Line length | 24 km (15 mi) |
The City Centre–Māngere Line was a planned
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History
Initial proposals (pre 2017)
City Centre Light Rail
Around 2015,
In early 2016, AT was considering light rail options between the City Centre and the outer
Extension to Māngere and Auckland Airport
At around the same time, AT was investigating rapid transit options to Auckland Airport and the surrounding Māngere area. Extending the isthmus light rail line to the airport began to be considered as a possibility in late 2015. A heavy rail connection was the existing preference but AT decided to explore light rail as a potential alternative, comparing the two rail options as part of their investigation.[5]
In early 2016, AT was progressing work to compare extending the planned light rail system or the existing heavy rail system to the Airport and Mangere. Early figures released in a video by AT suggested that a light rail extension performed better than a heavy rail extension on most metrics. Light rail was expected to have a greater catchment (of both people and jobs as well as future growth), a lower cost, and a higher benefit-cost-ratio.[6]
Heavy Rail | Light Rail | |
---|---|---|
24,000 | People living within 800m of station along route | 60,000 |
57,000 | Jobs within 800m of station along route | 63,000 |
35-38 minutes | Travel time between airport and city centre | 46-49 minutes |
$1.6-2.0 billion | Total infrastructure cost estimate | $0.9-1.0 billion |
2,760 | Hourly capacity (passengers per hour in each direction) | 1,630 |
+20,500 people
+17,700 jobs |
Total employment and population growth within catchment | +54,000 people
+68,000 jobs |
0.3-0.5 | Benefit-cost-ratio | 0.8-1.2 |
On 27 June 2016, AT and the
Several days later, on 30 June 2016, AT released the report examining rapid transit in South-West Auckland and the airport area.[10]
Advanced Bus Solution
In the first half of 2017, the NZTA investigated an "Advanced Bus Solution" as an intermediate step to the implementation of the City Centre-Māngere Light Rail line. This was reportedly due to the unwillingness of the Fifth National Government to fund light rail, with light rail only a potential follow-up to the "Advanced Bus Solution" after 30 years.[11][12][13]
2017 Election
Auckland light rail featured prominently at the 2017 election, with the Labour Party promising to build light rail from the Wynyard Quarter to Mt Roskill within four years. This would be followed by light rail from Mt Roskill to the airport within ten years.[14] The Green Party was also supportive of the City Centre-Māngere Line, promising light rail to the airport by 2021.[15] This was to be done by fast-tracking the current plans that were not going to be implemented for another 30 years and by investigating additional funding sources (such as land-value capture) to get the $2.3 billion needed to fund the project. The then-transport minister Simon Bridges responded by saying that he didn't think that it was feasible to bring light rail forward to 2021, stating that "We support route protection now, and we want to have a public transport corridor. Moving from bus to light rail is probably a question of when there is demand for it." He also stated that the recently opened Waterview (road) tunnel had already made significant differences to travel times to the airport.[16]
2017–2024
Following the 2017 election the City Centre-Māngere line was a key policy in the formation of the Sixth Labour Government, with the confidence and supply agreement between the Labour Party and the Green Party (one of the two junior partners, alongside New Zealand First) including a promise to begin work on light rail to the airport.[17]
However, by early 2018 it was apparent that the government would not achieve its goal of building the line in time for the 2021 America's Cup and APEC Summit. Instead, it was thought that construction would start in 2020 and be completed by 2025 in a best-case scenario.[18][19]
The government launched the procurement process in May 2018 to investigate and decide on financing and delivery options for the City Centre-Māngere line as well as the Northwest Light Rail Line. It was revealed that the
By January 2022, eventual plans for the City Centre-Mangere Line involved a "Tunneled Light Rail" approach, estimated to cost $14.6 billion. This iteration would have seen the line travel through a tunnel from Wynyard Quarter to Mt Roskill before continuing above ground to Māngere and the airport.[23] If implemented it would have been the single largest transport project in New Zealand history, beating out the $4.4 billion City Rail Link currently under construction in Central Auckland. The line would have followed a 24 km route, passing through 18 stations.[24]
Cancellation
The entire Auckland Light Rail project was cancelled by the National-led coalition government on 14 January 2024.[1]
References
- ^ a b "National-led government officially cancels Auckland Light Rail plans". Radio New Zealand. 14 January 2024. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ Slade, Maria (22 January 2015). "Len Brown cool on light rail in Auckland transport plan". Stuff. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2015-2025" (PDF). 1 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Light rail". 28 March 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Airport and Mangere rail". 17 October 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ a b Lowrie, Matt (5 January 2016). "Light Rail to the Airport". Greater Auckland. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ Lowrie, Matt (5 December 2018). "A history of the light rail project". Greater Auckland. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Heavy rail link from Auckland CBD to airport off the cards, agencies say". Stuff. 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Auckland Airport rail dumped". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "SMART Indicative Business Case (Draft)" (PDF). 30 June 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Auckland under pressure: Is it broken?". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ Lowrie, Matt (26 March 2017). "Advanced buses not a solution". Greater Auckland. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Advanced bus solution: final report | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency". www.nzta.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Labour's plans for light rail to airport". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Green Party pledges free public transport for under-19s and light rail to Auckland Airport". Stuff. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Greens want light rail to Auckland Airport in time for America's Cup in 2021". Stuff. 5 July 2017. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Revealed: Labour and Greens confidence and supply agreement". Newshub. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Auckland trams not coming until 2025, say experts". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ Lowrie, Matt (9 April 2018). "Accelerating Light Rail Delivery". Greater Auckland. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "NZ Super Fund - NZ Super Fund statement on Auckland Light Rail Project". NZ Super Fund. 8 May 2018. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ Lowrie, Matt (9 May 2018). "Light Rail procurement starts". Greater Auckland. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ "Auckland light rail a step closer". Beehive.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ Niall, Todd (27 January 2022). "Auckland light rail goes for tunnel option with harbour crossing". Stuff. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ Lowrie, Matt (31 January 2022). "Sooo… Tunnelled Light Rail". Greater Auckland. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.