A $69 million transport hub in South Auckland is set to reopen later this month, opening up a revamped link out to Auckland Airport.
The Puhini Station has been closed off since construction began in September 2019, allowing for work to connect train services with the new AirportLink bus route.
Commuters will be able to get from Britomart to Auckland Airport, via Puhini in a mere 45 minutes.
But as the City Rail Link project forces the Southern Line closed for upgrades frequently, trains will be swapped out most weekends of this year to and from the station.
They’re expected to continue like this in some capacity over weekends until the City Rail Link finishes in 2024.
Mayor Phil Goff hailed the reopening as “another step in the creation of Auckland’s 21st-century transport network.”
“The new Puhinui Station will provide a much-improved public transport experience and guaranteed travel times for bus and train commuters, particularly those heading towards Auckland Airport and its employment precinct,” he says.
The project’s reopening coincides with the recent upgrades to State Highway 20B along with improvements to Puhini Road and Lambie Drive.
Its re-opening is an early addition to the Airport to Botany rapid transit project of the wider Southwest Gateway.
Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board Chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia says the new station will be a “fantastic asset” for the area.
“It’s massively transformative, there’s also a high number of airport workers who live nearby, and they’ll soon have a reliable and affordable public transport option for getting to and from work.”
Work is also underway by KiwiRail in rearranging the Wiri and Westfield junctions to make way for a third track to ease congestion in the busiest parts of the rail network through South Auckland.
These upgrades will boost support of both passenger and freight trains that cross through the area, in further preparation for the City Rail Link’s opening.
Puhini Station is set to officially reopen on Monday 26 July.
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