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Auckland's public transport agency has accepted in principle a recommendation for sweeping railway loops between Britomart and the airport, estimated to cost just under $2.2 billion.
Although saying that some components may take "decades" to put in place, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority has confirmed heavy rail as its preferred rapid-transport mode for the region's southwestern quadrant along 29km of new tracks.
That encompasses the airport, which would eventually have railway lines converging on it from Wiri to the east, and from northern locations including Penrose, Onehunga and even Avondale to the northwest.
Light rail and busways have been ruled out as long-term options, although authority chief executive Fergus Gammie told Auckland City's transport committee yesterday of more immediate plans to boost airport bus services.
These would include streamlining services between Auckland City and the airport, which will from next year run along the Mt Roskill motorway extension to Dominion Rd, and introducing a new link next month from central Manukau via Papatoetoe.
A consultant's report adopted by the authority's board recommended running a railway line between Avondale and Penrose via Onehunga, from where trains would run across Manukau Harbour to the airport.
Another link would run from the airport to the main trunk railway at Wiri, where trains will also arrive from the Manukau City centre via a separate branch line to open in 2011.
The authority intends beginning a legal process to protect routes for the network expansion before the end of this year.
Its strategy and planning general manager, Peter Clark, told the Herald the priority was to safeguard routes, and he could not predict when construction would start and how money would be raised.
He hoped the overall project would cost less than an estimate of $2.178 billion from the consultants, as Transit NZ had agreed to make room in its motorway corridor for a railway line south of Manukau Harbour to at least Walmsley Rd in Favona.
Transit is also building piers on its duplicate harbour motorway crossing strong enough to carry a railway line, and Mr Clark was confident its road corridor would have enough room to run trains all the way to the airport.
A railway land designation exists between Avondale and Southdown, although the transport authority would seek approval from Transit to join its motorway at Onehunga Bay, instead of following an inland route which would require the destruction of many homes and other properties.
The cost estimate compares with one of almost $2 billion for a dedicated busway covering 32.2km, and $1.89 billion for Transit's proposed 4.5km Waterview motorway link, which will include twin tunnels.
Regional council chairman Mike Lee said last night that he believed an airport rail link, of which he is a strong advocate, could be provided for far less within eight years.
He had yet to see the rapid-transit report but he suspected it was another case of consultants assuming a need for "big buckets" of public money.
