Trains to run for Women’s World Cup
But it could add weeks to the overall Auckland rail network rebuild
This does have an impact on project timeframes, but it is an important international event and delays can be managed within the overall project timeframe.
Auckland commuters on the Eastern Line will have access to trains for the Fifa Women’s World Cup games at the cost of a longer overall build. As BusinessDesk previously reported, transport authorities rejected an option to provide track access for peak-hour commuter trains on the line as part of the $330 million rail network rebuild.
The rebuild, announced in early October, is necessary to address maintenance issues and upgrade the network ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link (CRL).
Closing the Eastern Line to commuter services from March to December 2023 is part of the second stage of the project.
Documents released to BusinessDesk under the local government version of the Official Information Act show Auckland Transport (AT) wrote to KiwiRail in September 2022 asking the state-owned rail company to put in place alternative access arrangements to allow for train services on the Eastern Line during the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
The tournament is being held from July 20 to August 20, next year.
AT spokesman
Game days only?
In his letter, the rail programme director at AT asked KiwiRail to consider access options that only allowed services to operate on game days.
He also asked it to review options to reduce the forecast eight-week programme delay that would be caused by accommodating the event.
It’s unclear if the provisional schedule for the Eastern Line closure, announced on October 3, includes the impact of providing track access for trains on game days.
An AT spokesman said single-line running options on the Eastern Line had been agreed on a limited basis during fixtures for the Women’s World Cup.
“To manage safety, given the 25,000-volt overhead lines will be live, KiwiRail expects work on those days will be significantly reduced and resources potentially deployed elsewhere,” he said.
“This does have an impact on project timeframes, but it is an important international event and delays can be managed within the overall project timeframe.”
Disruption time
As AT and KiwiRail have acknowledged, the rebuild will significantly disrupt commuters. However, both agencies consider it best that this happens before, not after, the opening of the CRL.
Another document released to BusinessDesk estimated an average of 8000 passengers a day were likely to be affected.
AT has said it will ease the impact of closures by supplying rail replacement buses. The documents show the agency is also considering temporary cycleways and bus priority lanes.
Asked about this, the spokesman said: “We are looking into options for these, although it is likely these would not be able to be implemented until stage two of the rail network rebuild.”
Replacement options announced
On Tuesday, AT announced details of a range of alternative bus services for the first stage of the rebuild, affecting the Southern and Onehunga lines.
KiwiRail chief operating officer David Gordon said the first stage would run between January 16 and March 19, with trains unable to run on the Onehunga line and the Southern Line between O¯ tāhuhu and Newmarket, effectively closing six stations.
“During this time, we will be digging up and replacing the rock foundations under the tracks and improving drainage in the rail corridor, which is a crucial part of preparing the network for the more frequent trains to come with CRL.”
To ensure the replacement bus services were fast and reliable, AT was working to make sure traffic lights were optimised for buses travelling on the route s.