ARC Welcomes Funding Decision

The Auckland Regional Council is welcoming a decision by Infrastructure Auckland to grant $23.2 million to the Crown for double tracking of the Western rail line.

The ARC assisted the Crown in applying for the funds to undertake the double tracking project in December last year.

The project entails construction of around 2.2 kilometres of new track and realignment of existing track, which will create 7.5 kilometres of continuous double track between Boston Road Station in Mt Eden, and Avondale Station.

This will greatly improve service reliability and capacity.

The Government owns the rail network, and has appointed the ARC to lead the project.

Gwen Bull, Chair of the ARC, says the ARC is pleased to accept a role as an agent for the Minister of Finance, Dr Michael Cullen.

“We are delighted to work in partnership with the Government to progress rail in Auckland. Its signals a pragmatic, staged approach to improving rail in the west”.

“This funding decision is a significant step in implementing the double tracking scheme, and allows the Council to get the first stage of the project underway “.

Cr Bull says there is a currently a bottleneck caused by a lengthy stretch of single track, which restricts the number of services that can be run.

“Double tracking will increase the frequency and reliability of services for rail users”.

The ARC is working in conjunction with TranzRail and ARTNL to implement the scheme, and a construction timetable is currently being developed.

The ARC will provide information and updates to rail users and other interested parties, as the project progresses.

The work is scheduled to be completed in 2005.

© Scoop Media