Light rail in Auckland

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In 2015 Auckland, New Zealand, considered building light rail lines to replace some of its most heavily used bus lines.[1] Many of these new light rail lines, if built, would echo Auckland's former tram system.[2]

Auckland was served by a network of traditional tram or streetcar routes until the mid-20th Century.[3][4] The original tram network had 72 km (44.74 mi) of track.[5]

Steve Hawkins, Auckland Transport's Chief Engineer, said that the bus routes on Symonds Street and Fanshawe Street require as many as 150 buses each.[6] The Light Rail study is considering replacing the bus routes on Dominion Road, Manukau Road, Mt Eden Road, Symonds Street and Queen St with light rail routes. All of those bus routes replaced routes on Auckland's 20th Century Tram network.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown pointed out that the city's ten year plan did not include funding for building new light rail routes.[6]

Stuff.nz quoted Auckland Transport officials who described how the study was considering the option of building light rail routes, with a dedicated right of way, and the option of building routes where rail vehicles shared the road with other vehicles, as with a traditional streetcar system.[6] Officials projected that the maximum passenger capacity of a true light rail line would be 18,000 passengers per hour, while the maximum capacity of a system where vehicles shared the road with other vehicles would max out at 12,000 passengers per hour. They said 2,500 passengers per hour was the practical maximum for a bus route.

In the fall of 2023 Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called the plan a "white elephant", and promised to terminate it within 100 days of taking office.[7][8]

Auckland's Mayor, various city councilors, and the Auckland Transport chief executive Dean Kimpton all voiced the opinion that light rail remained an option in Auckland, in spite of the Federal government's opposition.[9]

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References

  1. ↑ Keith Barrett. Auckland to launch light rail study, International Railway Journal, 2015-01-23. Retrieved on 2015-01-27. “THE board of Auckland Transport has called for studies to be carried out into the construction of a light rail network in New Zealand's largest city.”
  2. ↑ Light rail gets thumbs up from opposition, 3 News, 2015-01-24. Retrieved on 2024-01-02. “Auckland Transport says it's investigating whether light rail on Queen St, Symonds St, Sandringham Rd, Dominion Rd, Mt Eden Rd and Manukau Rd is a good alternative to buses. Most of those routes had trams running on them before they were removed in the 1950s.”
  3. ↑ Sandy Smith. Beijing to Add Four More Metro Lines, Next City, 2015-01-27. Retrieved on 2015-01-27. “The transportation agency in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, is taking the first steps toward returning trams to a number of city streets that last saw them in the 1950s.”
  4. ↑ Wayne Thompson. From apps to zones: Is this how we get city moving?, New Zealand Herald, 2015-01-25. Retrieved on 2015-01-27. “Auckland Transport has also pitched light rail for some highly congested bus routes. Light rail, or trams, on a priority path could shift 18,000 people an hour compared with a bus on a shared path shifting 2500 people and a bus on a priority path's 6000 people an hour.”
  5. ↑ Mathew Dearnaley. Light rail returns to the spotlight, New Zealand Herald, 2015-01-23. Retrieved on 2015-01-28. “The city's transport authority has revealed it is investigating replacing buses with electric light rail on a handful of busy isthmus routes such as Symonds St, Mt Eden Rd, Dominion Rd and Sandringham Rd - all part of a 72km tram network before their tracks were ripped up in 1956.”
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Maria Slade. Len Brown cool on light rail in Auckland transport plan, Stuff, 2015-01-23. Retrieved on 2015-01-28. “Auckland Transport (AT) says bus routes in the central city and along main roads such as Dominion Road and Manukau Road are at near capacity, and light rail is the most practical solution.”
  7. ↑ Raphael Franks. Election 2023: Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon pays visit to his Botany electorate, New Zealand Herald, 2023-10-19. “He told the media National plans to cancel light rail because it’s a 'white elephant'.”
  8. ↑ Adam Hollingworth. Incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to scrap Light Rail, Auckland mayor suggests cheaper option, 2023-10-20. Retrieved on 2024-01-02.
  9. ↑ Amy Williams. Auckland Light Rail: New government taking advice after stopping work on project, Radio New Zealand, 2023-11-30.
  10. ↑ Notice of Requirement: Bus Rapid Transit - Botany to Rongomai Park (Auckland Transport).
  11. ↑ Airport to Botany Rapid Transit: Puhinui interchange. Government of New Zealand. Retrieved on 2024-01-02.
  12. ↑ Southwest Gateway Airport to Botany Rapid Transit.
  13. ↑ Airport to Botany Rapid Transit.
  14. ↑ Auckland Transport Alignment Project 2018. Auckland Transport. Retrieved on 2018-05-10.
  15. ↑ Auckland Transport Alignment Project 2018. New Zealand Ministry of Transport / Te Manatu Waka (2018-05-09). Retrieved on 2018-05-10.
  16. ↑ Henry Cooke. NZ Super Fund keen to build and operate Auckland's light rail, Stuff, 9 May 2018-05-09. Retrieved on 10 May 2018-05-10.
  17. ↑ Trams could run under Queen St as part of Auckland's $6 billion light rail project, New Zealand Herald, 9 February 2019-02-09. Retrieved on 25 August 2019.
  18. ↑ Auckland Light Rail announcement 'soon', 2019-08-01. Retrieved on 2019-08-01.
  19. ↑ Two delivery partners shortlisted for Auckland light rail, International Railway Journal, 2019-08-23. Retrieved on 2019-08-25.
  20. ↑ What do we know about the two light rail plans, and is the Super Fund's worth waiting for (2019-10-31). Retrieved on 2019-11-02.
  21. ↑ Twyford's dilemma: housing or a fast trip to the airport?, Newsroom NZ, 24 October 2019-10-24. Retrieved on 2 November 2019-11-02.
  22. ↑ Thomas Coughlan. Government puts light rail 'on hold', stuff, 2020-05-13. Retrieved on 13 May 2020.
  23. ↑ | url = https://www.newsroom.co.nz/1247394/light-metro-not-light-rail | title = 'Light Metro', not 'Light Rail' |website=www.newsroom.co.nz | date = 26 June 2020-06-20 | accessdate = 26 June 2020 | archive-date=28 June 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628173203/https://www.newsroom.co.nz/1247394/light-metro-not-light-rail |url-status=live }}
  24. ↑ Light Rail dies but Light Metro may return, Greater Auckland, 2020-06-24.
  25. ↑ Auckland light rail goes for tunnel option with harbour crossing, Stuff.
  26. ↑ Auckland light rail tunnel to run to Mt Roskill before following SH20 to the airport, Radio New Zealand, 2022-01-28.
  27. ↑ Michael Neilson. Christopher Luxon’s first Cabinet: Unveils Government’s 100-day plan, pressure to rein in Winston Peters, NZ Herald, 2023-11-29.
  28. ↑ $14 billion Auckland light rail bid gets green light, decision on second Waitemata Harbour crossing on 2023, Newshub, 2022-01-28.
  29. ↑ Samantha Worthington. Auckland to get partially tunnelled CBD to airport light rail, 1news.
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