Auckland Airport Line
The Auckland Airport Line is a proposed railway line in Auckland, New Zealand to serve the Auckland International Airport by connecting to the Auckland Rail Network by an extension of the (now electrified) Onehunga Branch.
The main barrier is the crossing of the Manukau Harbour between Onehunga and Mangere Bridge. Transit New Zealand, NZTA's predecessor, announced that a bridge across the harbour would be designed to accommodate a rail link.[1] In September 2007 ARTA announced that it was willing to pay Transit $2.5 million to "future-proof" the duplication of the Manukau harbour crossing in order "to accommodate a passenger rail connection".
The Mangere Bridge was built to accommodate a rail link, and NZTA has provided for a rail corridor near the motorway as far as Walmsley Road. The proposed line was the most popular with the public of the three Auckland rail proposals of Mayor Len Brown, although the number of trains would be limited without the City Rail Link to the Britomart Transport Centre.[2]
Mayor Brown had promised a rail link to the Airport during his 2010 election campaign as part of a package of measures to double public transport patronage within 15 years.[3]
The official name for the airport link in the Long-term Plan 2012–2022 is the South Western Airport Multi Modal Corridor Project.[4]
The Airport rail link planning study commenced in 2010.[5]
Escalating costs (estimated at $1.63b) for the preferred route of a heavy rail line to the Airport have prompted some to raise the possibility of the route being served by light rail as an alternative to heavy rail. This option would make use of existing infrastructure where possible to reduce expenses and involve an interchange with existing heavy rail services at Onehunga.[6]
The Auckland Airport company has asked for a decision by mid-2016 whether a rail or bus station will be needed at the airport, as it is planning a new domestic terminal, with construction starting in 2021.[7]
References
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