Govt commits $200m to help remove Auckland rail level crossings
The Government has announced it will commit up to $200 million to help remove railway level crossings in Auckland's Takanini and Glen Innes.
The money would be in addition to funding covered by Auckland Council.
According to the Government, the project would include constructing new train station access bridges at Glen Innes, Te Mahia and Takanini, and three new grade-separated road bridges in Takanini at Manuia Rd, Taka St, and Walters Rd.
Two unsafe crossings would also be closed at Spartan Rd and Manuroa Rd.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the "universally loathed" road level crossings, where streets and train lines intersect, would be happily farewelled by drivers.
An artist's impressions of the proposed level crossing road bridge at Taka St in Takanini from 2023. (Source: Supporting Growth/NZTA/AT)
"Most of us know the sinking feeling of seeing the lights start flashing and the boom gates lowering to signal an approaching train and mentally calculating the delay you’ll have to manage – after all, for truckies, tradies, couriers and many others on the roads, time is money and delays cost," he said in a media release.
"These traffic delays mean level crossings require a direct trade-off between road-user efficiency and rail-user efficiency. One of the City Rail Link's (CRL) huge benefits for Aucklanders will be more frequent trains, giving people a viable alternative to car travel.
“Level crossings are also a safety concern. At Auckland’s level crossings in the decade between 2013 and 2023, Auckland saw almost 70 crashes, plus over 250 pedestrian near-misses and 100 vehicle near-misses. That’s almost one incident a week."
Transport Minister Chris Bishop making the announcement. (Source: 1News)
Bishop said grade separation would allow more frequent trains to travel along rail lines.
Mayor Wayne Brown said he welcomed the Government matching council funding.
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"I’ve always been focused on getting Auckland moving. I made sure council’s share of the funding was included in the Long-Term Plan, so it’s great to see the government get on board and match the funding," he said in a media release.
Auckland Minister Simeon Brown said: "Auckland Council has indicated that it is willing to fund its share of the cost, so this announcement will provide Aucklanders with much-needed confidence that this programme of work will go ahead.
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