Engineering, Passenger Rail

New joint-owned company will deliver City Rail Link for Auckland

A new company has been brought in to existence to take over the development of Auckland’s major City Rail Link (CRL) project.

New Zealand’s finance minister Steven Joyce and transport minister Simon Bridges last week signed agreements with Auckland’s mayor Phil Goff to place responsibility for the project into the hands of City Rail Link Limited (CRLL), a new company jointly-owned by central and local government.

Joyce said that delivery of the “game-changing” CRL project would be the sole function of the newly-minted company.

“This is a complex and critical piece of infrastructure that will unlock major development opportunities across central Auckland,” Joyce said.

“It is crucial we have a single joint entity running the project solely focussed on delivering a high-quality result for the city while effectively managing the investment of both the Crown and Auckland Council.”

Minister Bridges called the CRL “Auckland’s top new transport priority”, as it would double the capacity of the existing rail network and give commuters “significant travel time savings”.

Auckland’s Mayor, Phil Goff said that the project would provide job opportunities for Aucklanders.

“The construction of the CRL will not only help ease pressure on our roads, it will provide training opportunities, apprenticeships and jobs for thousands of Kiwi construction workers over the coming years,” Goff said.

“The boom in construction in the city has created a critical skills shortage in a number of areas and the City Rail Link will provide opportunities for people to find jobs, get trained and develop career pathways.”

Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, a law firm that advises the New Zealand government on the CRL, said the establishment of City Rail Limited set a new precedent for local and central government partnerships.

“With joint funding by the Crown and Auckland Council, this structure creates appropriate transparency to protect the ‘public purse’, while allowing the new entity to get on and deliver the project,” Sarah Sinclair, a lead partner from the firm said.

City Rail Link Limited will assume full operational and financial responsibility for the project, while engaging with Auckland Transport and KiwiRail to provide technical and operational support services.

When complete in 2023, the $3.4 billion CRL will consist of a 3.45 kilometre twin-tunnel underground rail link, running from Britomart Station through the CBD to a redeveloped Mount Eden Station, and will also involve the construction of two new underground stations at Aotea and Karangahape.

City Rail Limited chairmain Sir Brian Roche said he and the new company were looking forward to delivering the important CRL, and that the four directors to lead the project would soon be named.

“They will bring a wealth of talent and skills with them which will help maintain momentum and progress on the project as it expands from the current 15 per cent of the project works to the whole 3.4km length in the next few years.”