When will we get a rail link to Northport? KiwiRail works through business case

KiwiRail still at draft business case stage for Northport rail link. Photo / Supplied

It will be at least 2027 before there is a rail link between emerging container port Northport and the main north Auckland rail line, judging by project progress.

The Herald asked KiwiRail for an update on the project, announced by the Government in June last year and keenly anticipated by Northport and the freight sector to service the port's growth as a container ship port.

Northport is a rarity in the port sector having no rail connection, and it's the port closest to Auckland. Offloaded containers destined for Auckland have to be transported south by trucks.

Until pandemic-driven global shipping disruption and supply chain congestion, Northport mainly serviced bulk cargo such as log ships. But with upper North Island port chokes and delays, particularly at Auckland, container vessels have been diverting to unload imports at the deepwater gateway at Marsden Pt, south of Whangarei.

Co-owner Port of Tauranga, the country's biggest port, has made it clear it wants to see container operations grow at Northport, which is poised to apply for resource consent for a major container wharf construction project.

KiwiRail chief operating officer, capital projects and asset development, David Gordon said the board of the state-owned enterprise recently considered a draft business case for the 19km rail link.

Finalised business cases for the rail link project and other Northland plans under the New Zealand Upgrade Programme were expected later this year, he said.

"We have previously advised that we expect the rail link project to take around five years from initiation (after finalisation of business case) to completion."

Around $700 million has been set aside for the Northland programme package, to be delivered by KiwiRail and the New Zealand Transport Agency, Waka Kotahi.

KiwiRail would not be in a position to provide detail on construction costs or timing until the business cases for the programme were finalised, Gordon said.

"This is expected to be later this year."

Meanwhile, KiwiRail continued to buy land along the designated rail link route to secure the corridor.

The Northland upgrade package also includes upgrades to the rail line north of Whangarei and major safety upgrades to SH1.

When announcing the Northland upgrade programme, the Government also declared a proposed new four-lane state highway between Whangārei and Port Marsden Highway would not continue.

The rail link project follows KiwiRail investment to upgrade the north Auckland line to allow for larger containers and heavier loads to be carried on the line.

Most freight in Northland is carried by truck, said KiwiRail.

Freight volumes in Northland were expected to increase from 18 million tonnes a year currently to 23m tonnes by 2042, making rail a crucial part of developing an efficient, integrated road-rail transport system for the region, the SOE said.

Rail helps reduce overall transport emissions, given each tonne of freight carried by rail has 70 per cent fewer emissions than that carried by road.