Parnell Station = Ad Hoc Planning

I understand pressure is being exerted on Auckland Transport to build a railway station at Parnell in the near future. I am not sure of the proposed location along that 1 km long section of straight railway (shown in the aerial here) which runs up a steady incline. However I am advised that building a station will require substantial civil works along the whole line to provide a flat section of line for the station itself. And while there is a small walkup catchment for a station at Parnell, I consider that this station is not a priority for Auckland now, and building it now may preclude options which will become evident when longer term planning for Auckland's commuter rail networks is undertaken and agreed.

For example, this schematic shows the pedestrian walkup zones around several key CBD destinations - including the learning quarter (Auckland University and AUT), and the Hospital. Present plans for the CBD Rail Loop project (from Britomart, Aotea Square, K Road, Newton, Mt Eden), cannot serve all key Auckland destinations. Choices have been made. However other decisions will also need to be made.

For example, the CBD Rail Loop is likely to be the first stage of the development of Auckland's CBD rail network. The proposed North Shore Rail line needs to be brought into the CBD and properly interconnected with the rest of the network. There has been a lot of talk about these rail projects, but detailed thinking and network planning has not been evident. This is not the time to be rushing ahead with a railway station project at Parnell. Auckland has much bigger fish to fry, and critical transport and land use planning processes must be allowed to unfold - in coordination with the Spatial Plan. This schematic which I produced a couple of years ago shows one scenario for longer term CBD Rail network planning. The line from North Shore would connect at the Aotea Station which would be an interchange between two lines. We need to move beyond producing spur lines, and instead produce loops and end-to-end lines (that's why the Northern Busway needs to run through the Auckland CBD and serve Southern destinations). The more passenger transport vehicles that DON'T terminate in the CBD, the better. These are rough ideas only, but they are rough ideas which aim to join up the thinking between the various projects that are being discussed. Auckland needs more of this type of Rapid Transit network planning. It needs to be focussed on delivery and staged implementation. It must not be de-railed by ad hoc decisions.

Good to see John Banks supporting CBD rail extensions...

The Hon Stephen Joyce should be feeling well and truly in a corner over Auckland rail now. Hopefully he will see sense and make some appropriate announcements very shortly. Can't imagine that the Government would like the SuperCity election campaign next year to turn into one where every candidate campaigns against central government transport priorities!

I know there's a lot of enthusiasm for the Britomart Loop - because it will get rid of the bottle-neck and all that - but there are some major planning issues around CBD rail that should be in the public domain.

Today, Britomart is the only railway station in the Auckland CBD. Its configuration constrains the Auckland rail network’s passenger carrying capacity. The Britomart Rail Tunnel project could release this constraint, and add one, two or three more stations, depending on which historical plan is considered. These plans were all prepared before the Auckland region decided to accept a Northern Rail connection to the North Shore through a harbour tunnel, as its preferred alignment and mode for the second harbour crossing.

The strategic planning issues this project poses are many and varied:

• A key objective for Ontrack is to increase rail freight, which in Auckland shares the network with commuter rail services. The implications of this conflict needs to be understood, and options for managing it considered to avoid rail freight services inhibiting the development of high capacity and high frequency passenger transport rail services.

• While the Britomart Rail Tunnel project has been around in some shape or form for almost 85 years, limited strategic planning for Auckland CBD Rail has been carried out recently that takes account of the provisions contained in Plan Change 6 to Auckland’s Regional Policy Statement, let alone a possible rail connection to the North Shore. ARTA (Auckland Regional Transport Authority), which now has the responsibility for planning Auckland’s passenger transport service network, has not conducted the necessary comprehensive strategic planning to support a NOR for the Britomart Rail Tunnel project.

• Auckland City Council will need to be involved in the planning for the size, location and functionality of railway stations within the CBD area, as well as bus/rail interchanges that might be required on the CBD periphery. ARTA, ARC and ACC will need to coordinate and sequence land use changes, the staging of transport infrastructure construction, and the roll out of new rail services – in order to optimise integration outcomes. There is a need to properly coordinate these planning processes in accordance with RLTS provisions, which suggest a duty to establish an appropriate “CBD Rail Steering Group” including ACC, ARC, ARTA and Ontrack.

• The Auckland CBD has changed immeasurably since the Britomart Tunnel was first conceived almots 100 years ago. Other major destinations have emerged: Hospital, Domain, University. If the goal is to reduce the need to take a bus into the CBD - because there is good rail - then these other destinations need to be served by an underground CBD rail network, of which Britomart Tunnel is one corridor. ARTA are engaging with this planning. It needs to be public.

These questions need to be addressed thoroughly in an Integrated Transport Assessment process in accordance with RPS provisions, culminating in the development of a publicly agreed long term Auckland CBD rail network plan, before Ontrack can legitimately proceed to issue a Notice of Requirement for the Britomart Rail Tunnel project.

Planning for the Auckland CBD Rail Network....

Stephen Joyce is right to say that the planning of Auckland's CBD rail network is not complete. But that's not an excuse to delay electrification...

These images are from a small power point presentation I have prepared to bring out some of the thinking that is needed when planning future rail service extensions in Auckland CBD...

This schematic shows the existing service connections and CBD rail network. Newmarket is a significant station where you can change lines. So is Britomart...

There has been talk of a Parnell Station. Actually, when you go along that line, and look North, and look at a map, you are aware of the proximity of the Domain, Hospital and University....

In any case there is a major challenge in preserving CBD rail services when Britomart undergoes engineering changes to make it a tunnel/through station....

This is a logical next step....

It does not require a station at Parnell (though one might be a good idea). Needs a set of points etc, so some trains go under Domain, through to Aotea. This line would likely need a viaduct across Grafton Gully - above motorway - below existing bridge...

And it could be connected to North Shore (in event rail link goes there), but would certainly be connected to Britomart Rail tunnel. Aotea Square would become major destination and line change....

Here it is...