Now to Stage 2 – Light Rail and Community/City Building
For those who have followed this blog or my Social Media accounts will know that the Airport to Botany Line and its previous named iterations has been a project very close to my heart.
Whether it be the Airport Lines with heavy rail from Otahuhu to the Airport and a busway from Puhinui to the Airport, the Southern Airport Line and that being Light Rail from Botany to the Airport or the Airport to Botany Rapid Transit Line (A2B) (and still wanting it to be Light Rail) seeing the sod turning ceremony today I will admit brought a tear to the eye (no I am not crying you are).
From Auckland Transport:
Construction commences for the Puhinui Station upgrade
17/09/2019 10:38 a.m.
Frequent, fast and direct connections to Auckland Airport and its employment precinct are a step closer with construction now underway for the $60M Puhinui Station Interchange.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Mayor Phil Goff joined Mana Whenua and project partners to mark the start of construction of the Puhinui Station Interchange – which will open in early 2021.
Mayor Phil Goff says the new Puhinui Station will be an impressive and world-class building, creating a congestion-free link and guaranteed travel times for Auckland’s growing number of visitors – as well as the increasing number of workers and commuters employed at the airport commercial precinct.
“It’s another step towards easing congestion and creating a 21st Century transport system with rapid transit from the airport, eventually linking it with Manukau, East Tamaki and Botany, joining up with the Eastern Busway to Pakuranga and Panmure.”
“While a large share of the cost will be met by our partners in NZTA and funded centrally, Auckland’s share of the cost will be met from the Regional Fuel Tax, which makes the project possible.”
“The project will be completed within 18 months and ease the pressure on our transport system that events like hosting APEC will provide.”
The Puhinui Station Interchange is an early improvement of the Airport to Botany Rapid Transit project, and Auckland Transport Chief Executive Shane Ellison says it’s great to reach another significant milestone for the project.
“It’s fantastic to get construction underway for this transformational station upgrade. Having opened the Panmure, Ōtahuhu and Manukau Stations over the past few years, Auckland Transport is continuing to create new, modern and world-class public transport facilities for Auckland.”
“The upgraded station is the first step of a wider rapid transit network that will eventually connect with the Eastern Busway in Botany, traveling along Te Irirangi Drive, via Manukau, to the airport, unlocking new social, employment and educational opportunities in South and East Auckland.”
The upgraded station will work together with the new priority lanes, walking and cycling facilities and safety and environmental improvements the NZ Transport Agency and project partners Auckland Airport have planned along State Highway 20B, with construction due to start before the end of the year.
Steve Mutton, NZ Transport Agency’s Director of Regional Relationships – Upper North Island, says “Once the bus interchange and State Highway upgrade are complete in 2021, together with the improvements planned within the airport precinct, people will be able to enjoy more reliable and timely travel choices to, from and around the airport area.”
Auckland Airport chief executive, Adrian Littlewood, says the airport is not only the gateway for more than 21 million passengers but has over 900 businesses operating on or around its precinct.
“These businesses rely on the fast, efficient freight connections, either by air or road, plus need to offer staff safe and reliable options for travelling to and from work. With the rapid pace of business and traveller growth predicted to happen in the next two decades it’s important to create a transport network that supports this growth.”
During the upgrade the existing train station will be temporarily closed from September 28 to early 2021.
However, a new, free, Puhinui – Papatoetoe 349 loop bus service will run everyday, with services every 10 minutes during peak times, providing station users with southern and eastern train line connections from Papatoetoe Station.
Once completed in 2021, travel times from the Puhinui Station Interchange to Auckland Airport will be 10 to 12 minutes, 23 to 25 minutes to Manukau, 29 to 31 minutes from Papakura and 47 to 49 minutes to Britomart Station.
The NZ Transport Agency is contributing co-investment funding for the project, with the remainder coming from Auckland Council and the Regional Fuel Tax.
The Southwest Gateway programme involves the NZ Transport Agency, Auckland Transport and Auckland Airport working together to deliver transport projects that will improve access to the airport and its surrounding area to benefit workers, travellers, tourists and freight movements.
Find out more about the other projects within the Southwest Gateway programme:
- Airport to Botany Rapid Transit.
- Southwest Gateway Programme.
- State Highway 20B early improvements.
- Auckland Airport transport system improvements.
Source: Auckland Transport
From the Minister of Transport Phil Twyford
Transformation of Puhinui station picking up steam
17 SEPTEMBER 2019 – HON PHIL TWYFORD
Aucklanders are another step closer to getting rapid transit to the airport, Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff announced today.
Phil Twyford and Phil Goff turned the first sod on construction that will transform the Puhinui rail station into an efficient, modern and user-friendly rail and bus interchange.
Phil Twyford said the Government understands Aucklanders need better transport, and any Aucklander with access to the rail network will have a fast and convenient 10 minute bus connection to the airport.
“One of the first tasks I asked the Transport Agency to take on when we came into government was rapid public transport from Puhinui station to the airport.
“It will be a bus service to begin with and in the future, it will become part of a rapid transit route connecting to Manukau and Botany with a dedicated busway or possibly light rail.
“This project is another example of central and local government working together through the 10-year Auckland Transport Alignment Project to unlock Auckland’s potential,” Phil Twyford said.
Mayor Phil Goff says, “The new Puhinui Station will be an impressive and world-class building, creating a congestion-free link and guaranteed travel times for Auckland’s growing number of visitors as well as the increasing number of workers and commuters employed at the airport commercial precinct.
“It’s another step towards easing congestion and creating a 21st Century transport system with rapid transit from the airport, eventually linking it with Manukau, East Tamaki and Botany, joining up with the Eastern Busway to Pakuranga and Panmure.
“While a large share of the cost will be met by our partners in NZTA and funded centrally, Auckland’s share of the cost will be met from the Regional Fuel Tax, which makes the project possible.
“The project will be completed within 18 months and ease the pressure on our transport system that events like hosting APEC will provide.”
The Puhinui station will close to the public on September 28, with a free bus service taking passengers to Papatoetoe rail station for onward journeys. The station closure will help construction be completed as quickly as possible, and remove any health and safety risks to the public.
Travel times from Puhinui Station to Auckland Airport will be 10 minutes in priority lanes; 22 minutes to Manukau; and 46 minutes to Britomart Station.
The Puhinui interchange forms part the wider Southwest Gateway programme, in which the Transport Agency, Auckland Transport and Auckland Airport are working together to deliver transport projects that will improve access to the airport and its surrounding area to benefit workers, travellers, tourists and freight movements.
The total project cost is $60 million. The Government, through the NZ Transport Agency, is contributing funding for the project, with the remainder coming from Auckland Council and the Regional Fuel Tax.
Source: The Beehive
Airport to Botany Puhinui Interchange with Light Rail added. Source: Auckland Transport 
Airport to Botany Puhinui Interchange with Stage 1. Source: Auckland Transport
Completion of A2B Stage 1 is 2021 with the 38 bus running every 10 minutes between Manukau and the Airport via Puhinui Station.
Timings:
- Britomart to Airport 45mins
- Papakura to Airport 30mins
- Manukau to Airport 22mins if not less
- Puhinui to Airport 10mins
Stage 2 which is the full A2B Line will mean Botany to the Airport in 30mins
Onto Stage 2 – as Light Rail + Transit Orientated Developments
Focus (for me at least) now turns to Stage Two of the Airport to Botany Rapid Transit Line. This is because Stage 2 is due to start its own build in 2021 with Auckland Transport wanting it finished by the time the Eastern Busway reaches Botany in 2026-2028.
I have made my position extremely clear that I rather see A2B be Light Rail rather than Bus Rapid Transit for the 18km line. You can find those positions here in the blog (search Airport to Botany, A2B or Southern Airport Line). But A2B is more than just a Rapid Transit Line connecting two Metropolitan Centres, two industrial complexes, an Airport, a heavy rail line and residential centres all up together. A2B is also about Community or rather City Building and this is where my main focus now turns to.
A2B as the Southern Auckland Community/City Builder
For more on this as an opener see: Airport to Botany Rapid Transit – More than a Transit Line – A Community and City Builder Too! #UrbanGeography
In the meantime my praise and thanks to all those concerned including but not limited to:
- Auckland Council
- Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board
- Auckland Transport
- Aurecon
- Jacobs (who did the initial case study work that has led to today
- Greater Auckland
All Aboard 2021 for a Congestion Free trip to the Airport
Talking Southern Auckland 
Very exciting to see this finally get underway… yes please to a light-rail version of A2B, but Auckland’s transport often leaves me underwhelmed with its lack of infrastructural courage, even in these times of supposedly “transformational change”. A bus-based version would be fine, but light-rail would be VERY exciting…