Projects | Auckland City Rail Link, New Zealand

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Auckland’s City Rail Link is a dream that has been more than a century in the making for New Zealand’s largest city. The concept for the ‘Morningside Deviation’ was mooted as early as 1923, but it took until the early 2000s for plans to really gain momentum and the project to take shape as City Rail Link (CRL).

In September 2026, after over 12 years of construction work, the new railway system opened for the first time, much to the delight of Aucklanders.

For Aurecon, the completion of CRL represents a significant milestone. Having been involved in the project for 14 years as the Principal Technical Advisor, Aurecon has helped shape the project since the beginning: securing the designation and planning approvals, delivering the reference design and detailed design on five of the eight construction contracts and supporting the procurement for the main tunnels and stations package.

As the project moved into construction and commissioning, Aurecon has supported the client, City Rail Link Limited, every step of the way.

In this video, hear how Aurecon brought the best global talent to deliver a transformational legacy for Auckland City Rail Link.

The challenges of tunnel engineering under Auckland city

CRL involves twin 3.45 km rail tunnels linking a redeveloped Waitematā Station near Auckland’s waterfront with a redeveloped Maungawhau Station in Eden Terrace. Two new stations between Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape provide greater connectivity to Auckland’s employment and tertiary education hubs in midtown and uptown. Waitematā has been converted from a terminus to a through-station, enabling the network to operate substantially more trains at a higher frequency.

Constructing the twin tunnels required a combination of TBM-bored, mined and cut-and-cover tunnel engineering methods. It was a challenging operation as the alignment running under Auckland's city centre, close to significant commercial, residential and heritage buildings. A section of the tunnels also passes just seven metres Auckland’s Central Motorway Junction, Auckland’s busiest section of road.

Providing the client with confidence that these risks could be appropriately managed was critical. Aurecon drew on our extensive expertise delivering major underground projects across the Asia-Pacific region – from the Waterview Tunnel in Auckland to major road and rail tunnels in Australia and SE Asia – bringing proven techniques and risk management to this project.

Location

Tāmaki Makaurau
Auckland, New Zealand

Client

Auckland Transport, City Rail Link Limited

Partners

Mott MacDonald, Jasmax, Grimshaw

Aurecon's Role

Principal Technical Advisor

Expertise

Ground & Underground Engineering, Geospatial Systems, Integrated Design, Digital Engineering & Advisory, Infrastructure Advisory, Rail & Mass Transit, Roads & Transport Networks, Tunnels, Integrated Advisory Solutions, Precincts & City Shaping

Complete

2026

A New Zealand first at Waitematā Station

One of the most challenging aspects of the project was constructing tunnels under Auckland’s 109-year-old former Chief Post Office at Waitematā Station. Aurecon led the detailed design and provided construction phase services for this critical part of the project. With the twin rail tunnels passing underneath the station, the 14,000-tonne building was underpinned to enable excavation of the tunnels.

A first for New Zealand, this monumental engineering feat took two years of planning. Often buildings are physically moved out of the way before underground construction takes place, however, that was not possible due to the heritage status of the CPO building.

Underpinning a building the size and weight of the CPO building was an extremely challenging feat. Over several weeks, the building was lifted 3-millimetres onto new foundation columns that were set 20-metres below the basement floor. Half of the building’s weight (7,000 tonnes) was transferred onto diaphragm walls. The operation was so carefully and precisely managed that it was barely perceptible to the public. This extensive and precise work was undertaken without causing any damage to the Category 1 heritage listed building and while also ensuring the station remained operational.

Excavating the twin tunnels underneath Auckland's 109-year-old Chief Post Office was an impressive engineering feat.

The second stage involved reconfiguring the tracks and platforms within Waitematā Station to convert it into a through-station, to accommodate the increased train frequency required for CRL. The realignment of the tracks clashed with one of the building’s internal walls, requiring its relocation. The original concept involved unloading the wall then demolishing it, however this option would have required major closures to the station and associated traffic diversions, causing an unacceptable level of disruption to rail customers and the surrounding commercial buildings, retail and hospitality businesses.

In this video, hear how one of Auckland’s most iconic heritage buildings has been transformed as part of the City Rail Link project.

The platforms for Karanga-a-Hape station are 33m deep below ground.

Design innovation and collaborative delivery

Aurecon developed an innovative alternative design that involved excavating and removing the fill beneath Britomart Place, replacing it with a structural void. This reduced the load on the station roof, enabled the wall to be relocated, avoided major disruption, and saved six months on the programme.

Waitematā had to remain fully operationally during construction, requiring smart programming to minimise disruption to trains operations and customers. Aurecon developed a construction staging plan, which saw major project works undertaken over five Christmas Block-of-Lines. This required a highly collaborative approach between Aurecon, the clients (KiwiRail and Auckland Transport), and the contractors Downer-Soletanche Bachy JV and Martinus Rail.

Stations and rail upgrades that leave a powerful legacy

CRL is expected to be a catalyst for growth in Auckland, supported by zoning changes which enable greater density to be built along the rail corridor and near the stations. Fittingly, the stations feature striking designs both inside and outside that tell the story of Auckland’s unique environment and cultural heritage. They are landmarks in their own right, welcoming visitors into the city with a uniquely Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland style and creating places Aucklanders will be proud of for generations to come.

The improvements to Auckland’s rail network are much broader than just CRL itself. Upgrades over the past few years will ensure that the network can accommodate the increased number and frequency of trains now that CRL is open. Aurecon was involved in many of these packages as well, including delivering the detailed design and managing the construction for upgrades to Ōtāhuhu, Henderson and the Strand Stations plus Newmarket Junction for KiwiRail.

City Rail Link lifts the performance of Auckland's entire rail network, enabling a much higher frequency of trains.

The ticket gate concourse inside Te Waihorotiu Station, a new underground transit hub on the City Rail Link in Auckland, New Zealand.

The interior of Maungawhau Station (also known as Mt Eden Station) features distinct architectural elements and modern directional signage pointing toward platforms and amenities.

The interior concourse of the Karanga-a-Hape Station, one of the underground rapid transit stations project in New Zealand.

The exterior facade of the newly rebuilt Maungawhau railway station, formerly known as Mount Eden station, in Auckland, New Zealand.

The newly opened Karanga-a-Hape Station features distinctive curved tunnel designs and slatted batten ceilings.

The design of the underground City Rail Link stations reflects Auckland's culture and heritage.

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City Rail Link lifts the performance of Auckland's entire rail network, enabling a much higher frequency of trains.

International expertise helps grow local talent

CRL is the largest transport infrastructure project, by value, ever delivered in Aotearoa New Zealand, bringing with it a unique set of challenges. A strength Aurecon brought to the project was our experience delivering large-capacity metro systems and underground railway systems internationally, enabling us to provide advice to the client in how to deliver, package and procure this project, and manage the associated risks. This was particularly important for the rail systems, which was a major project in its own right, to design and commission the systems needed to run the trains and integrate the new system within Auckland’s existing rail network.

The scale and complexity of CRL presented a significant opportunity to uplift the capability of New Zealand’s construction sector and build the next generation of talent. The programme has had a strong focus on social procurement and employing and training Māori and Pacific youth and those who may experience disadvantages in the labour market has left a powerful legacy.

The opportunity for local firms to work alongside international companies on a project like this has exposed them to new construction and design techniques, particularly in systems engineering and sustainability, which can be taken and applied to future projects. This is one of the initiatives that has led to the achievement of a leading ISC rating for contracts C1, C2 and C3.

CRL is a vehicle for change in Auckland, expected to help lift productivity, stimulate housing development and reduce congestion.

A new chapter for Auckland

Much more than a transport project, CRL is a vehicle for change in Auckland – bringing Aucklanders closer to jobs, study and leisure opportunities; and connecting businesses with larger labour markets. It’s expected to help lift productivity, stimulate housing development and help reduce congestion by giving Aucklanders greater choice in how they travel.

Supported by a wider suite of transport projects in the city centre over the last decade including the redevelopment of Quay Street, pedestrianisation of Lower Queen Street (Te Komititanga), Te Hā Noa – Victoria Street Linear Park, Wellesley Street Improvements (all delivered by Aurecon) and more – City Rail Link is the cornerstone in Auckland’s ongoing transformation into a truly world-class city.

Award-winning

Auckland City Rail Link has received international recognition for cultural identity at the 2019 WAFX architecture festival. The project is the first from New Zealand to win the award.

The project has also won the following awards:

Winner: Association of Consulting and Engineering (ACE) New Zealand Awards 2022 – Gold Award
Excellence Winner: Property Council New Zealand Rider Levell Bucknall Property Industry Awards 2022 – Heritage and Adaptive Reuses Property Award
Winner: Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards 2018 – Large Energy User Initiative of the Year
Winner: NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards 2018 – Efficiency Champion
Winner: NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards 2018 – Supreme Award – NZI Transforming New Zealand