The CBD rail loop is a public transport project which is to be seen to have the potential to transform the Auckland rail network, giving Aucklanders real transport choices, as acknowledged by the Green Party.
This project of building a rail loop in the city’s CBD has been largely advocated by the Green Party for which it sees the project has a great potential to revitalize the Auckland CBD and it’s also suggested that the first step to getting rail links to other locations such as the airport and North Shore in future (Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, 2011).
“1) Auckland's state highway network - love it or hate it - was planned more or less completely in the 1960's and 1970's. Yet it is only today that the last sections of it are being built. That network was planned to accommodate development and expansion of Auckland, both in terms of land use, population and economic development over a long period of time. As money became available, the top priority sections of that network were built.
2) Auckland's current railway network is pretty much as it was designed almost a hundred years ago. A few new bits have been planned. The Manukau Spur is an example. The Airport Rail link is currently being planned. And a designation to protect the proposed Britomart Rail tunnel section - which was conceived in the 1920's - is to be planned in detail and protected in work that is happening now.
3) But it is piecemeal compared to the planning that is needed if Auckland is going to back itself over the next 30 - 50 years with an electrified rail system, and commit to it.
4) Perth decided to go down the rail route, and decided also to get major bus services out of its CBD. There are still inner CBD bus services, but the line haul bus services now don't go into the centre of Perth. Instead commuters transfer to high capacity electric rail services to get into the CBD. You can see how pleasant Auckland CBD would be without buses during the recent strike. But that can only happen if rail services are commensurate, and planned.
5) Auckland talks about 5 minutes services, but only delivers 12 minute services. Even with electrification the service frequency discussed is still inadequate. How can Auckland get to the 15,000/hour capacity enjoyed by line haul Perth rail services? Do the maths: Assume Auckland has 6 car trains, with each car carrying 100 people. That's 600/train. How many do you need/hour to move 15,000? It's one train every 2.4 minutes.....
6) I won't go on in this blog, but the guts of my argument is that Auckland CBD needs a network of rail services. Not just a single line around the edge. This network needs stations at major destinations including Aotea Square, University/AUT, Hospital/Domain. Otherwise we will just continue being a little - little city, with hundreds of diesel buses cluttering up the streets.
This network won't be built in a day, just as Auckland's state highway network wasn't. But it was planned for the long term. I believe that the strategic planning to support the Britomart Tunnel designation should include preliminary work on the CBD rail network. We may build the Britomart Tunnel and link first, but let's have a better idea about how it will connect with other parts of the rail network.”
There is lots of discussion over the plan for this project. Much of the discussion seems to have an attitude of supporting for the construction of a CBD rail loop. Such as the Scoop reported the article named, CBD Rail Loop or 23 motorway lanes,
explained clearly the ideas come from the Green Party which has a big support on this project, as linked below:
Furthermore, there’s also discussion over the issue of the location of railway stations along the proposed rail tunnel line. It has been suggested by Mike Lee, as Auckland Regional Council’s chairman that, to add more underground stations to the rail tunnel below the central business district in comparison to only two stations that are proposed for now. This suggestion has been approved by many government officials, one of them representative is a councilor from North Shore Council, Joel Cayford. As his ideas is explained in a quite condensed way like this:
“1) Auckland's state highway network - love it or hate it - was planned more or less completely in the 1960's and 1970's. Yet it is only today that the last sections of it are being built. That network was planned to accommodate development and expansion of Auckland, both in terms of land use, population and economic development over a long period of time. As money became available, the top priority sections of that network were built.
2) Auckland's current railway network is pretty much as it was designed almost a hundred years ago. A few new bits have been planned. The Manukau Spur is an example. The Airport Rail link is currently being planned. And a designation to protect the proposed Britomart Rail tunnel section - which was conceived in the 1920's - is to be planned in detail and protected in work that is happening now.
3) But it is piecemeal compared to the planning that is needed if Auckland is going to back itself over the next 30 - 50 years with an electrified rail system, and commit to it.
4) Perth decided to go down the rail route, and decided also to get major bus services out of its CBD. There are still inner CBD bus services, but the line haul bus services now don't go into the centre of Perth. Instead commuters transfer to high capacity electric rail services to get into the CBD. You can see how pleasant Auckland CBD would be without buses during the recent strike. But that can only happen if rail services are commensurate, and planned.
5) Auckland talks about 5 minutes services, but only delivers 12 minute services. Even with electrification the service frequency discussed is still inadequate. How can Auckland get to the 15,000/hour capacity enjoyed by line haul Perth rail services? Do the maths: Assume Auckland has 6 car trains, with each car carrying 100 people. That's 600/train. How many do you need/hour to move 15,000? It's one train every 2.4 minutes.....
6) I won't go on in this blog, but the guts of my argument is that Auckland CBD needs a network of rail services. Not just a single line around the edge. This network needs stations at major destinations including Aotea Square, University/AUT, Hospital/Domain. Otherwise we will just continue being a little - little city, with hundreds of diesel buses cluttering up the streets.
This network won't be built in a day, just as Auckland's state highway network wasn't. But it was planned for the long term. I believe that the strategic planning to support the Britomart Tunnel designation should include preliminary work on the CBD rail network. We may build the Britomart Tunnel and link first, but let's have a better idea about how it will connect with other parts of the rail network.”
Therefore, it is expected that the CBD rail link will be projected to include four stations located across this area, for meeting the future needs of the travelers and to make the city more sustainable and generating more benefits for the city’s economic development, a comprehensive strategic planning has to be sought by the government to decide the best option for building an effluent and effective transport network for the future.
Reference:
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, 2011, Fast-Track the CBD Rail Loop, http://www.greens.org.nz/superrail, (accessed: 02/05/2011).
New Zealand’s Independent News Media, 2011, CBD Rail Loop or 23 motorway lanes?, http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1011/S00498/cbd-rail-loop-or-23-motorway-lanes.htm, (accessed: 02/05/2011).
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