Councillors

 

Some Questions to ask Auckland Transport

 

On The Manukau North Rail Link Duplication

 

 

As I had mentioned earlier in my “AUCKLAND TRANSPORT HAS A MOMENT” and “TRANSPORT COMMITTEE – MANUKAU NORTH LINK” posts, Auckland Transport has been trying to secure a budget reallocation from existing budgets to fund the duplication of the Manukau North Rail Link. You can read the commentary as of up to yesterday by clicking on the respective blue titled links above.

 

Long story short Auckland Transport has been seeking budget reallocation which can only be done through the Council Strategy and Finance Committee to build the duplicate Manukau North Rail North Link. Building that link means that there are two tracks leading off the double tracked main line from the Puhinui Station “end/direction” and connecting to the double tracked Manukau (Branch) Line heading into the dual platform Manukau Station. Currently there is only a single track leading off the main line through and “linking” to the Manukau Line from the north (while there is absolutely none for the South). Auckland Transport have been to the Strategy and Finance Committee asking for the budget reallocation only to have that rejected by the committee. AT then went to the Council Transport Committee to basically seek an endorsement on its original business plan for the duplicate north link which it got. And now AT have to go back to the Strategy and Finance Committee again to have another crack in convincing that committee to allow the budget reallocation. God help us if Strat and Finance reject it for a second time.

 

The business case or rather report can be found from Pages 171 to 173 of the February Transport Committee Agenda (click the blue link), and is the same report used trying to convince both committees.

 

I have a feeling that AT are going to have that North Link budget reallocation proposal rejected from Strategy and Finance for a second time – why?

Because AT have bungled and muddled the business case and business case delivery to those it matters most: The AT Board and the Councillors via the two committees. So far from conversation the AT people trying “present” and “deliver” the case for the North Link Duplication (the budget reallocation) have bungled or muddled it at the following meetings:

• The Auckland Transport Board Meeting (most likely the November or December Board meeting)
• The Strategy and Finance Committee – February 2013 where it got rejected
• The Transport Committee – February 2013 where it did pass but the Councillors were as confused as anything

Three for Three in the muddling approach means I feel sorry for the Strategy and Finance Committee when this North Link comes back up on the agenda – again!

 

So to help Councillors and Auckland Transport I am going to post some (but not an exhaustive range) of questions that need to be answered in a satisfactory before any budgets are reallocated. Now some might be deemed or obvious but it needs to be asked so it is on the record (and I don’t have to write another bloody post on the request getting rejected AGAIN) – because I saw the pitch yesterday by AT to the Transport Committee and heck it was confusing and pretty crap – and I have been keeping up with the play on the Manukau North and South Links):

The Questions That Need to Be Answered:

1. Why does Auckland Transport need the budget reallocation to build the Duplicate North Link now
2. Why are you asking for the reallocation to come from the EMU Depot Construction Contingency Fund when the depot is not finished, and why also within the Capital Fund
3. You speak of 10 minute frequencies that the Double North Link would allow – so 6 trains per hour (TPH) rather than 3, why?
   1. Why that frequency when the patronage would never demand such a frequency in and out of Manukau Station (basically a lot of empty running trains)
   2. What Timetable operations are you planning then with 6TPH in and out of Manukau via the North Links
   3. Are you sacrificing “Eastern Line” services from Homai south through running 6TPH out of Manukau to Britomart and solely via Glen Innes and Syliva Park (basically only Southern Line services would service Pukekohe to Homai (this is without the South Link) and any Eastern Line Passengers from those Southern Stations would need to transfer at Puhinui (or even Papakura if from Pukekohe before Pukekohe Electrification happens))
4. You mentioned in your presentation to the Transport Committee that the North Link has to be done NOW to utilise the resources already present on the current electrification project. To wait after the electrification project means extra cost in bring the contractors back? Okay so what about that logic for Pukekohe Electrification and The Manukau South Link. This question also applies to changes in signalling complexities
5. Will the budget reallocation upset in any way the viability of the Manukau South Link IF the Business Case for that link is solid and sound, and recommends a go-ahead on that project
6. Can AT not wait until the Business Case for the Manukau South Link is out so that:
   1. A proper timetable operations place can be done that incorporates both links in operation
   2. Pool resources to build both links at the same time to minimise cost, signalling complexity and utilise resources already present – you know as AT said for the reason on getting a wriggle with the North Link
   3. Shouldn’t of the North and South Link(s) Business Cases have been done together or is AT missing something here that we might not know about and those who would benefit in South and Counties Auckland might not know about
7. If the Strategy and Finance Committee is to give the go-ahead for allowing the duplicate North Link, will AT ask Kiwi Rail to move the electric mast that is blocking the path of the future South Link (see picture below) as part of the North Link Duplication Works. If not – why not when it will impede future construction of the South Link and cause more disruption to the duplicate North link than would of been required had the mast been moved in the first place

 

The graphic from 2012 of the Electric Mast Foundation (there is now a mast proper and it is wired up) blocking the South Link path – the original post it came from was: “SOUTH AUCKLAND GETS SHAFTED – YET AGAIN – Posted by BR:AKL_Admin01 on October 11, 2012 ·:”

 

 

Those are the questions I would like the Strategy and Finance Committee to ask Auckland Transport before approving any requests that would allow the building of the Manukau North Rail Link Duplication. If the Committee wishes (something I probably will do any how) I can speak in the Public Input section of the meeting (if the Chair allows) and reitterate my questions to the Councillors – as well as to AT who would be in attendence.

 

If the South Link has to jump through the hoops, then so can the North Link – without creating a buggers muddle three times (and may be a fourth) in the presentations.

And if AT can not answer those questions properly then sorry your request should be rejected AGAIN by the Strategy and Finance Committee until you can answer those questions properly! – NO SHORT CUTS and NO MORE BUGGERS MUDDLE IN PRESENTATIONS THAT CONFUSES EVERYONE!