NEW ZEALAND: The government has officially cancelled the Auckland light rail project. Work had been suspended after the National-led coalition came to power last year.
On January 14 Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described the light rail scheme as ‘wasteful and unfit for purpose’, while Transport Minister Simeon Brown said it ‘would have cost taxpayers NZ$15bn, with advice showing the cost could increase to NS$29·2bn’.
The proposed 24 km line was intended to run south from the city centre to the airport, with a long tunnel section from Wynyard Quarter to Mt Roskill and then a surface alignment alongside the SH20 motorway. Longer-term plans envisaged expansion to serve the North Shore and northwest districts.
When the decision to build a light rail line was announced in 2022, the then Minister of Transport Michael Wood said it was intended to form the spine of ‘a fully integrated rapid transport network’, with the City Rail Link now nearing completion as the ‘heart’.
‘Expensive project’
‘The previous government committed to building light rail to Mt Roskill within four years of being elected’, Brown commented. ‘After six years and over NZ$228m spent on the project, not a single metre of track has been delivered and congestion has only worsened in the city.
‘Scrapping the expensive project is part of the coalition agreements and we have taken swift action. Auckland Light Rail Ltd has been instructed to immediately cease work on the project, and to take the necessary steps to wind up the company.
‘The government is committed to delivering infrastructure that will reduce congestion, boost productivity, and create a more reliable and resilient transport network that drives economic growth’, he added. ‘Our focus is on building a rapid transit network in Auckland, including completion of the City Rail Link, which was started by the last National Government, and starting work on a Northwest Rapid Transit corridor, alongside other projects to deliver reduced congestion for Aucklanders. Work is underway on rewriting the Government Policy Statement on land transport which will reflect these priorities.’
