Auckland City Rail Link Cuts Commute Times for West Auckland Rail Passengers

West Auckland rail passengers are saving nearly 69 hours of commute time annually following the opening of the 5.5 billion dollar City Rail Link, according to an analysis by the NZ Herald. The outlet examined 17,500 train trips and 300,000 station stops across the new network. The data shows that twice as many railway stations now sit within a 10 minute journey of the city centre. [1]

The travel time savings are not distributed evenly across the city rail network. While West Auckland commuters save nearly three days of travel time per year, the NZ Herald reports that not all passengers have benefited from the new infrastructure. Southern and eastern line passengers have experienced different impacts on their regular travel schedules. [1]

The City Rail Link is an underground rapid transit system integrated into the Auckland commuter railway network. The project added a pair of 3.45 kilometre long tunnels underneath Auckland city centre. These tunnels extend the North Island Main Trunk railway line from Waitematā Station to a junction with the North Auckland Line at Maungawhau Station. [2]