City Rail Link, New Zealand

City Rail Link (CRL) is New Zealand’s first underground railway and is currently the largest infrastructure project in the country.

Revolutionising city travel

New rail transport growth statistics suggest that by 2035, City Rail Link (CRL) stations will need to cope with 54,000 passengers an hour at peak travel times, rather than a previous estimate of 36,000. The project will change the way public transport operates in Auckland, allowing the rail network to at least double its capacity.

The CRL is a 3.45km twin-tunnel underground rail link up to 42 metres below the city centre, transforming the downtown Britomart Transport Centre into a two-way through-station, and linking up with the redeveloped Mount Eden station, allowing improved connectivity to Auckland’s wider rail network.

The new route also includes the construction of two new stations within the central business district, improving access to public transport, and transforming part of the historic city.

Social outcomes

Once built, the CRL will offer people more sustainable transport choices than travelling by road. With an estimated 1,600 jobs on offer in the project at peak construction, CRL also wants to contribute to social sustainability across Auckland, targeting employment for Māori, Pasifika and youth along with others marginalised in the workforce.

Companies wanting to work with CRL will also need to demonstrate how they are going to help them achieve these social outcomes.

Effective reporting

We joined the CRL project as cost managers and advisors following our support in a major budget exercise. We have implemented a robust cost management system, providing effective cost control and reporting. This has driven efficiencies in cost reporting across the programme and allowed for more effective scrutiny of project costs and in turn confidence in the respective project budgets.