Southwest Gateway Programme, Auckland, New Zealand
Aurecon is working on a series of rapid transit projects that will increase transport choice and support decarbonisation in the south and east of Auckland.
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Puhinui Station, in a southern suburb of Auckland New Zealand, has been upgraded to a major bus and train interchange to provide substantial travel time savings between Auckland’s central business area and Auckland’s International and Domestic airport and its associated employment precinct. Longer term, it will also be a key link for east to west travel between the airport precinct and suburbs of Manukau, East Tamaki and Botany.
The Puhinui Station interchange allows commuters to travel between Auckland CBD and Auckland Airport in just 55 minutes including a 15 minute trip between Puhinui Station and the airport on the new electric AirportLink bus service along the recently upgraded SH20B route.
The project was delivered by Auckland Transport, as part of the wider Southwest Gateway programme, a collaboration between Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency; Auckland Transport and Auckland Airport to improve access to the airport and its surrounding area.
The interchange design was influenced by customer insights collected by Aurecon as part of the Airport Access Programme Business Case. When discussing the proposed Puhinui Station upgrade, key messages from customers were safety, 'hassle free', seamless, easy to navigate and quality. The design aimed to achieve this by ensuring seamless and direct connectivity between modes to reduce the 'hassle factor' of interchanging and includes features such as large lifts and escalators.
Aurecon’s design encompasses both rail and bus operations, including a concourse above the railway providing access to the existing six-car island platform. It has increased the amount of shelter for passengers moving between bus and train services, with a new drop off zone, kiss and ride facility and short-term parking bays to improve access for commuters.
A challenge for the Aurecon team was to fast track the design from preliminary to construction drawings so that the interchange could start benefiting the community as soon as possible.
Aurecon was able to engage with Auckland Transport, Mana Whenua, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Airport to construct a convincing business case. This project required a high level of collaboration across a vast array of Aurecon disciplines, from technical and engineering to digital, planning and stakeholder engagement, to fast track the project through the consenting stage.
A key differentiator of this project, which enabled its quick design delivery, was the creation of a 3D digital model to streamline the coordination effort. The 3D model provided a more detailed view of the end design and any potential conflicts that could be more easily identified, leading to reduced risks during the construction phase.
The interchange is a unique and architecturally beautiful addition unlike anything else in Auckland and will become an exemplary gateway to the city. Broader outcomes achieved through both the transport corridor business case and design work are:
The project has won the following awards:
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