Joint media release
ARTA and ONTRACK
19th March 2007

Rail Services to Onehunga for 2009

Construction work on the newly announced reopening of the Onehunga Line will be carried out progressively over the next two years, national rail agency ONTRACK confirmed today.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) and ONTRACK will be working together over the coming months to work through details of the line upgrade and associated passenger services.

ARTA’s Chief Executive, Fergus Gammie and ONTRACK’s Chief Executive, David George, said once these details had been worked through, more information would be given to the public.

“For people living in the area, the important thing to understand is that we will be rehabilitating the existing single line on its existing alignment”, says ONTRACK Chief Executive, David George.

“Because the work will be done progressively over a two-year period, the impact of the work will be limited and certainly nowhere near as intrusive as the double tracking work we are doing on the Western Line. We expect to have the work on the Onehunga line completed by the 2009 deadline for completion of overall work on Auckland’s rail upgrade.”

Mr Gammie says he expects public open days will be held in the second quarter of next year.

“Both ARTA and ONTRACK will be working to ensure residents of Onehunga are appropriately communicated to and consulted with, with respect to the re-opening of the line”.

In terms of the division of responsibility for rail in the Auckland region, national rail network provider, ONTRACK is responsible for all “below rail’ components of Auckland’s rail network. This includes the rails, signals, bridges and tunnels, station platforms and access ways.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) is Auckland’s central transport agency and is responsible for planning, funding and developing the Auckland region’s transport system.

In the rail sector ARTA is responsible for concept planning for Auckland’s passenger rail services and stations together with the provision of services, trains and ‘above track’
rail infrastructure at stations.

ARTA works closely with Territorial Authorities on precinct planning around rail stations, including bus interchanges and park and ride facilities

ENDS

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