Mayor Phil Goff has welcomed the government’s announcement of more than $275 million of expenditure to upgrade Auckland’s rail network, saying it will help boost employment and stimulate economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, as well as critically strengthening the city’s rail service.

“Auckland’s rail network is essential to the efficient functioning of our public transport and freight systems and this new government funding is necessary to support it,” he says.

“With the City Rail Link—New Zealand’s biggest transport infrastructure project—due to open at the end of 2024, Auckland’s rail capacity and passenger train frequency will be massively boosted.

“Central government funding for signals upgrades, a new Auckland rail management centre and additional power supply is needed to ensure that the CRL is able to operate effectively. This will encourage more people to use public transport and reduce travel times across the rail network, and will also help address traffic congestion on our roads.

“The new Auckland train control centre will reduce our reliance on Wellington-based train control and make Auckland’s rail network more resilient.

“Investment in rail infrastructure, including track maintenance and renewals and resilience work, helps ensure our network is fit for purpose and can accommodate predicted population growth and increasing freight demands.

“This work will help to create new jobs in Auckland and support the ongoing economic recovery from COVID-19.

“This extra funding complements the almost $4 billion worth of important transport projects already confirmed by the government in its New Zealand Upgrade Programme. It reflects the importance of Auckland and its contribution to the national economy, with the city making up around a third of the national population and nearly 40 per cent of its production of goods and services,” Phil Goff said.

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