Trains in Auckland and Wellington will shut down over the Labour long weekend as crews work around the clock to upgrade the country’s two busiest rail networks.
The works were timed to coincide with lower passenger numbers over the long weekend.
Auckland’s trains will not run from Friday until Monday amid 24/7 work to prepare the network for the City Rail Link.
The $5.5b project, expected to open next year, will add two new stations in midtown Auckland and Karangahape Rd, effectively doubling the network’s capacity and redrawing the supercity’s rail lines.
The four-day closure would maximise the amount of work KiwiRail, Auckland Transport (AT) and City Rail Link Ltd could complete, said AT director of public transport and active modes Stacey van der Putten.
Work would include essential upgrades, renewals, overdue maintenance and multiple large-scale infrastructure projects, such as a third platform at Henderson Station and beginning construction on new pedestrian bridges at Glen Innes, Takanini and Te Mahia stations.
“We’re grateful for people’s patience. We schedule this type of work as close as possible to long weekends to help reduce disruption as much as possible, and squeeze in as much work as we can,” she said.
KiwiRail chief metro and capital programme officer David Gordon said four days without trains allowed workers to “blitz the network safely” and get a huge amount done.
“We’ll be working 24/7 where possible as we make this final push to get the network ready for the increased services CRL will bring.”
Rail bus replacement services would stop at or near all train stations on all lines. Aucklanders were also encouraged to use regular buses to and from the city centre, such as the 18 from New Lynn, 70 from Panmure, and 30 from Onehunga.
In the capital, train services will stop from Saturday through Monday with buses to replace trains on all lines.
KiwiRail is conducting work on the rail lines to upgrade the network and prepare for new trains due to arrive in 2028/2029.
Works would include slope stabilisation around Wadestown on the Johnsonville Line, track renewal and bridge preparation on the Hutt Valley Line, ballast cleaning and re-sleepering on the Kapiti Line, and level crossing upgrades and track replacement in Carterton, Masterton and Featherston on the Wairarapa Line.
All bus replacement services would depart from Platform 10 at Wellington Railway Station and stop at designated bus stops near each train station.
Passengers should tag on and off onboard, except Wairarapa Line customers, who must tag on and off at the platform. Greytown passengers should use the validator outside Studio 73 on Main Street.
Timetables for bus replacements were available on the Metlink website.
