KiwiRail and the Supporting Growth Alliance (Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi) have today confirmed their proposed sites for three new stations in southern Auckland and will now begin more detailed consultation with stakeholders about their development.
Over the next 30 years, an extra 120,000 people are expected to live in the area, which will also have 40,000 new houses and 38,000 new jobs. The development of the new stations and their associated facilities will be staged over time to coincide with demands from developments feeding each location.
KiwiRail has been given funding through the Government’s NZ Upgrade Programme for the first phase of development.
“KiwiRail has already begun work extending the electrified rail network to Pukekohe, which will allow Auckland’s electric commuter trains to travel between Papakura and Pukekohe by 2024,” KiwiRail Chief Operating Officer Capital Projects & Asset Development David Gordon says.
“Creating these new stations is another crucial step to support future growth in southern Auckland by opening up the area to rail and encouraging more people to make use of convenient, low-emissions public transport.”
“There is a lot of work still to do, but this announcement is an important milestone. In the weeks and months ahead we will further investigate these intended locations for the new stations, and talk to the communities, local property owners and developers. This will help us develop designs for the stations, their connections to developments, their supporting facilities, confirm the land needed for those and determine the sequencing and timelines for this staged development. We will then begin the process to have the wider station areas protected through designation.”
The locations for the new stations are designed to maximise connections with future town centres, new housing, and other public transport routes.
The aim is ensure the wider area has a robust public transport system to enable long-term housing and business growth. Other factors considered included the existing railway track alignment, the distance between stations, and environmental and ecological features.
The fully developed stations will have a bus interchange and Park & Ride facilities along with other infrastructure. We are working to confirm the exact footprint which will be needed for the associated facilities for the fully developed stations and will then begin the process of protecting the land.
Waka Kotahi National Manager System Design Robyn Elston says: “We are focusing on how longer-term road and rail projects can give people more connected public transport choices and help them move around safely and easily. We’re looking forward to talking to communities about how to make these projects happen.”
The planned railway stations are part of the $2.39 billion of transport improvements in southern Auckland that Waka Kotahi and KiwiRail are delivering as part of the Government’s New Zealand Upgrade Programme.
Other improvements will include SH1 Papakura to Drury South, Mill Road and Papakura to Pukekohe rail electrification. They are part of a longer term transport network being investigated and delivered to support growth in south Auckland.
Public information sessions on the rail developments in Southern Auckland are being held in Drury on February 18th and Pukekohe on February 20th.
The proposed locations for the three stations are:
Visit www.supportinggrowth.govt.nz/have-your-say/south to find out more about the new stations for southern Auckland. Community feedback is open from 15 February until 12 March 2021.