The first train to be tested in Auckland’s City Rail Link is set to take place tonight.
The test will be deliberately slow at around 5km/h to allow technicians on board to complete their first round of checks underground.
The test run would take place between the Maungawhau and Waitematā (Britomart) stations, and would travel about 3.45km.
City Rail Link said the trial marked the start of an extensive programme of train testing that would accelerate in the coming weeks, and continue right up until opening next year.
Chief executive Patrick Brockie said testing trains in a live tunnel was an exciting milestone which starts the transition of the project from a construction site into a railway.
“We’ve been working towards this milestone since construction began and it’s exciting to see the project getting closer to being able to deliver the significant benefits Aucklanders can expect when it opens.”
He added that tonight’s train running was the first of a comprehensive testing programme that would start with trains running slowly.
“Safety is the absolute priority. New Zealand has limited experience with this phase of the project, particularly in a tunnel. We are dealing with 25 thousand volts of electricity and, before the first test train drives into the tunnel, we have to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
The start of running test trains through the tunnel follows two significant milestones for the project. They are the successful energisation of the tunnel’s overhead electric lines earlier this month, and the official handover of the new tunnels and track for train testing to KiwiRail in the early hours of this morning.
City Rail Link was scheduled for completion in 2026.
