Thousands of maps and signs across Auckland's public transport network are being replaced or updated, including the maps inside every train, as the city gears up for the City Rail Link opening in three weeks.
The overhaul comes as the city's entire train network is reconfigured, with services from the east, west and south set to run through the city centre and the new underground stations when the $5.5 billion project opens to passengers on September 13.
Three new services will run under the changes - the East West Line, the South City Line and the Onehunga West Line - alongside a new timetable, replacing the existing Eastern, Western, Southern and Onehunga lines.
Q+A goes underground to see the new stations and asks what it takes to get a return on the investment. (Source: Q and A)
An Auckland Transport spokesperson said the reconfiguration was behind the scale of the update.
"Across the public transport network there are thousands of maps and signs that need to be replaced or updated to reflect this, including maps in each train," the spokesperson told 1News.
"We've started updating these now ahead of the CRL opening in three weeks' time."
The City Rail Link is a 3.5km tunnel under the CBD that joins Auckland's existing suburban train lines together, with two new underground stations at Te Waihorotiu, near the Sky Tower, and Karanga-a-Hape off Karangahape Rd.
Until now, every train into the city has terminated at the downtown Britomart station, a dead end that limited how many services could run across the region.
The tunnel turns Britomart, renamed Waitematā, into a through-station, allowing trains to travel under the city centre and out the other side.
Most passengers will need to replan their journeys, though the trains and suburban stations themselves stay the same.
The project will open on a reduced "transitional" timetable, with Auckland Transport committing to build up to a full timetable within six months of opening.
Costed at around $2.9 billion when early works began in 2016, the budget was reset to $4.4 billion in 2019 before growing to its current $5.5 billion.
SHARE ME