Newly released drone footage shows the progress being made on Auckland's much-anticipated City Rail Link.
"The underground tour shows the shape of what's to come in the months ahead, with the passenger concourse, platform and two main entrances all taking shape," City Rail Link Ltd (CRL) said.
CRL said that "major works" on the North Auckland Line (Western Line) tracks and overhead lines are "largely complete".
The footage swoops under Auckland CBD streets to reveal the underground city emerging beneath, which will one day welcome commuters.
Artist renditions of what the completed rail link will look like are also shown after the drone completes its tour of each section.
"Also nearly complete are new rail tracks in the tunnels between Waitematā (Britomart) and Te Waihorotiu (Aotea), while the first rail track is being laid at the other end of the CRL, from Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station towards Karanga-a-Hape Station," CRL said.
"This marks the first significant stage in the shift from civil works to rail systems works around the fit-out of the stations and tunnels, now that construction of the tunnels has been completed."
Some interesting facts and figures behind the construction were also released today.
Auckland's City Rail Link includes:
- More than 16km of rail track
- 816km of signal cables
- 247km low voltage cables
- 86km traction cables
- 74km cable containment
- Over 5100sq metres metal cladding and
- Around 4000sq metres of glazing
It hasn't all been plain sailing for the project, with budget blowout and delay concerns.
Late last year Transport Minister Michael Wood said it was still too early to know what the final cost will be.
New Zealand's largest ever infrastructure project was launched in 2016 and is expected now to be operational by 2025. (Source: 1News)
It's expected to open in 2025 and once complete it will double Auckland's rail capacity, carrying up to 54,000 passengers an hour through its stations.
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