More than one million train rides have been recorded on Auckland’s rail network in the first two weeks since the City Rail Link (CRL) opened.
Transport Minister, Chris Bishop said the early data showed Aucklanders are embracing new routes and changing the way they travel across the city.
“More than 506,000 train boardings were recorded in the second week of the CRL, taking the total number of boardings since opening to more than one million,” Mr Bishop says.
“That continues to beat the previous record for weekly boardings, set in March 2019. That record was smashed in CRL’s first week, when 528,007 boardings made it the busiest week in the history of Auckland’s rail network.
“Aucklanders are quickly adapting to the new network, with West Auckland leading the charge. Average daily trips between western stations and the city centre have increased by almost 173% compared with the six weeks before the CRL opened. That’s an extra 7,600 trips per day.”
Seven of the 10 stations recording the biggest growth in passenger numbers are along the former Western Line, while journeys between Auckland’s western and eastern rail corridors have tripled.
“This data demonstrates that faster journey times and new direct connections are making rail a much more attractive option for trips that were previously slower or required people to change trains,” said the Minister.
Auckland Mayor, Wayne Brown says Aucklanders are quickly taking advantage of the new connections created by the CRL.
“The city centre is a clear example of how commuters are responding to the new network. Weekday boardings at city centre rail stations have increased by 87%, with Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape already becoming the second and third busiest stations on the network, behind Waitematā,” Mayor Brown says.
“We’re also seeing nearly 6,000 trips a day between city centre stations themselves. I’ve already taken the CRL seven times since it opened.
“At the same time, patronage on the City Link bus service, which traditionally connects Wynyard Quarter, Queen Street and Karanga-a-Hape, has fallen by 17%.
“That shift shows Aucklanders are changing their travel habits and choosing rail for journeys where the new network has made it a quicker and easier option.
“The same pattern is evident across the wider network. Train boardings are up 22% at Panmure and 33% at New Lynn, both major bus-train interchanges.
“Bus patronage overall remains strong, with more than 237,000 bus boardings recorded on an average weekday during the first two weeks of the new rail network, as Aucklanders make full use of the wider rapid transit network and transfer between buses and trains – taking advantage of the better connections now available across the city.”
Mr Bishop says the benefits are also being seen in south Auckland.
“Trips between stations south of Puhinui and the new CRL stations have increased by almost 30% compared with pre-CRL travel patterns.”
“Across Auckland, we’re seeing people make use of journeys that the old network simply couldn’t offer. People are travelling west to east, taking direct trains into the city centre, using rail to move around the city centre, and connecting between buses and trains.
“The CRL has transformed what Auckland’s rail network can do. Two weeks in, Aucklanders are already changing the way they travel to make the most of it,” he said.
