City Rail Link must start next year - Greens

The Green Party is pledging to kick start construction of the Auckland City Rail Link next year in order to release the full potential of the city’s new rail electrification and unlock Auckland’s transport woes.

The first electric trains in Auckland were launched today and will deliver cleaner and faster train services across the city.

“It is great that the Auckland rail network is finally modernising with the launch of electric trains today, the next step is to build the City Rail Link,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter.

"The City Rail Link is the next essential step in creating a smarter, greener transport network that works for all Aucklanders.

“Construction of the City Rail Link must begin next year, but National keeps blocking it. The Green Party is committed to getting this project moving as soon as possible.

“The City Rail Link is critical to unblock the bottleneck at Britomart and get the full benefits of electrification.

“The City Rail Link will allow twice as many trains to run on the network across the city and provide a train every five minute at peak times. It will reduce travel times from West Auckland to the CBD by up to 28 minutes.

“Record growth in rail patronage over the past year means we need to invest now to shape the city and ensure we have the rail infrastructure required to meet the future demand for rail services.

"Following construction of the City Rail Link we can extend lines to the airport and the North Shore. These projects will create a congestion-free network that will make moving around Auckland easier, help to de-clog the roads, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Compared to National's multi-billion dollar duplicate motorways, investing in Auckland rail is cheap and cost-effective.

“The Greens want smart, green transport and a thriving city; rail is at the heart of that vision,” said Ms Genter.

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