Auckland’s City Rail Link for a Compact Sustainable City

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Population: 1,440,600

Climate: Oceanic

Duration: 2015-2024

Sector: Transport

Funding sources: Public

City networks: C40

Savings: The City Rail Link will allow a 29% reduction in construction energy savings and about 15,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions due to operational savings.

Solutions: To implement a City Rail Link (CRL) in the city of Auckland [source].

Multiple benefits: One of the CRL’s goals is to encourage significant redevelopment around the stations.

Objective – CRL’s world-class rail system will better connect the city’s complete rail network and create a Compact Sustainable City.

Solutions – The CRL is New Zealand’s largest transportation infrastructure project to date, including the following primary elements [source]:

• The CRL is a 3.45km twin-tunnel underground rail link up to 42 meters below Auckland.
• It will transform the downtown Britomart Transport Centre into a two-way through-station, better connecting its rail network.
• It will allow the rail network to at least double the rail capacity.

Funding – $4.4 billion, the CRL is funded jointly by the Crown (NZ Government) and Auckland Council [source].

Innovation – 1 The CRL is also aiming for zero waste to landfill throughout development; 2) CRL is leveraging its procurement process to establish routes for quality employment for persons who face challenges to employment, with an emphasis on skills legacy, apprenticeships, and new jobs; 3) Partnership with Mana Whenua is designing unique CRL station and outdoor areas that represent the city’s unique cultural background; 4) The CRL saw much promise in incorporating carbon reduction early in the design phase. The project team employed the Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating mechanism devised by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia to maximize these chances.

Success factors: 1) Improving access to most parts of the city centre and major employment areas; 2) The flexibility CRL will allow that travel across the city becomes easier; 3) The green and health dividends from CRL’s improved travel options will mean less reliance on cars, reduced traffic, and lower air pollution.

Significant outcomes [source]:

• Construction energy reductions are expected to save 2,393 tonnes of CO2e (a decrease of 29% from baseline);
• Over the course of its lifetime, operational savings are estimated to amount to roughly 15,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions;
• The CRL will increase high-density residential capacity while also promoting urban redevelopment.

Synergies with local policies:

• Auckland Plan 2050 addresses how the city will solve significant concerns such as high population growth, shared prosperity, and environmental degradation, with transportation and access being one of the primary outcomes;
• Auckland’s Energy Resilience and Low Carbon Action Plan lay the groundwork for Tmaki Makaurau / Auckland’s transformation into a low-carbon, high-energy city. It sets a target of a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 [based on 1990 levels] as an aspirational goal;
• Auckland Transport Alignment Project. The partnership (including the Ministry of Transport and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency) has produced a series of strategy reports. Every three years generates an indicative package of transport investments for Auckland (the ATAP package).

Political alignment:

• National Land Transport Programme invests in ensuring that all New Zealanders have access to a secure, well-connected, and resilient transportation infrastructure;
• New Zealand Energy and Efficiency Conservation Strategy 2017-2022 establishes the overarching policy direction for government assistance and action to advance energy efficiency, conservation, and the utilization of renewable energy sources. The NZEECS’s vision is for New Zealand to be an energy-efficient, low-emissions economy.

Marketability: N/A