- Manukau Branch
-
Manukau Branch 
The train station trench under construction.Overview Type Urban rail Status Under construction[1] Termini Manukau City Stations 1 Operation Owner KiwiRail Network, Auckland Council Operator(s) Veolia Character Urban Technical Line length 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) No. of tracks Two Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Route map Legend
NIMT towards Britomart 
Puhinui 
NIMT towards Wellington 
Plunket Ave Lambie Drive 
Manukau 
Enabling works for the future rail line as part of the SH20 project in 2008. Looking west over Lambie Drive from just northwest of the future terminus station.
The Manukau Branch is a 2.5 km spur railway line currently (2011) under construction[1] from Wiri off the North Island Main Trunk Railway to Manukau City in Auckland, New Zealand, part of ONTRACKs Project DART. It will be the first fully new section or railway line constructed in Auckland since the Eastern Line in 1930.[2]
The estimated cost is $50 million,[1] with construction having begun June 2008,[3] and was expected to be completed in late 2011.[2][4] However, due to other work on the Auckland network taking priority, completion is now scehduled for February 2012.[5]
Contents
Route
The branch leaves the NIMT south of Puhinui, slightly north of the closed Wiri Train Station. The line runs on both KiwiRail Network and Manukau City Council (from October 2010 Auckland Council) land, and the New Zealand Transport Agency has built some of the line's earthworks. The current extension of State Highway 20 to State Highway 1 included provision for the route.[6]
Station
The line is to have one station, at its terminus at Manukau City Centre.[6] There was some debate as to where the terminal station on the line would be located, with one proposal near the Westfield Shopping Centre and another next to Hayman Park.[3] The Hayman Park site was selected for cost reasons,[1] though it is located somewhat further away from the shopping centre. The station will be integrated via escalators with a bus station for up to eight buses, to form a local transport hub serving most of the southern Auckland Region, and the station is also intended to move more people into Manukau City's central area.[4]
The station will be in (and accessed via) a 300m long trench, similar to the already constructed New Lynn Train Station, to ease passage under nearby roads. A total of 47,000m2 of earth had been excavated when the earthworks finished in May 2010.[2]
The station will be located at the heart of a new campus for the Manukau Institute of Technology, with part of the station actually being in / under a campus building to be constructed above it.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d Romy Udanga (20 June 2009). "New $50m rail route gets under way". Manukau Courier. http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/2549415/New-50m-r. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
- ^ a b c "Manukau’s "big dig" finishes early". KiwiRail - Project Update Newsletter. June 2010. http://www.projectdart.org.nz/upimg/projectupdates/kiwirail%20june%202010%20project%20update.pdf.
- ^ a b "Ontrack told to stick to link timetable". New Zealand Herald. 28 March 2008. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10500595. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
- ^ a b c "Moving people in new directions". LG. New Zealand Local Government: pp. 9. March 2011.
- ^ Mathew Dearnaley (10 May 2011). "Agencies 'too busy' to open rail link on time". New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10724569. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- ^ a b "Manukau Extension". Transit New Zealand. http://www.transit.govt.nz/projects/manukauextension/about/. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
External links
New Zealand Railway Lines Main lines North IslandSouth IslandMain North Line and Main South Line (inc. Lyttelton Line), known together as the South Island Main TrunkSecondary lines North IslandMarton – New Plymouth Line · North Auckland Line · Palmerston North – Gisborne Line · Stratford–Okahukura Line · Wairarapa Line (inc. Hutt Valley Line)South IslandMidland Line · Nelson Section · Otago Central Railway · Stillwater–Westport Line · Waimea Plains RailwayBranch lines Upper
North IslandCambridge · Dargaville · Donnellys Crossing · Glen Afton · Kinleith · Kumeu–Riverhead · Manukau · Mount Maunganui · Murupara · Newmarket · Okaihau · Onehunga · Onerahi · Opua · Rotorua · Taneatua · Thames · Waiuku and Mission BushLower
North IslandAhuriri · Castlecliff · Foxton · Gracefield · Greytown · Johnsonville · Melling · Mount Egmont · Moutohora · Ngatapa · Opunake · Raetihi · Taonui · Te Aro · Waitara · WanganuiUpper
South IslandBlackball and Roa · Cape Foulwind · Conns Creek · Eyreton · Fairlie · Ferrymead · Little River · Methven · Mount Somers · Oxford · Rapahoe · Rewanui · Hokitika/Ross · Seddonville · Southbridge · Waiau · Waimate · WhitecliffsLower
South IslandBluff · Catlins River · Dunback and Makareao · Fernhill · Hedgehope · Kingston · Kurow · Moeraki · Mossburn · Ngapara and Tokarahi · Outram · Port Chalmers · Roxburgh · Shag Point · Tapanui · Tokanui · Tuatapere · Waikaia · Waikaka · Wairio · Walton Park · WyndhamPrivate lines Dun Mountain Railway · Dunedin Peninsula and Ocean Beach Railway · Glen Massey Branch · Hutt Park Railway · Kaitangata Line · New Zealand Midland Railway Company · Riccarton Racecourse Siding · Sanson Tramway · Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (Wellington–Manawatu Line) · Whakatane Board Mills LineSignificant proposals Avondale–Southdown Line · Canterbury Interior Main Line · Haywards–Plimmerton Line · Manukau Branch · Marsden Point Branch · Martinborough Branch · Nelson railway proposals · Sockburn–Styx Deviation · Taupo railway proposals · Wainuiomata railway proposalsSee also: New Zealand railway museums and heritage lines Categories:- Proposed railway lines in New Zealand
- Public transport in Auckland
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