Henderson rail gets cash, other projects uncertain

Auckland's new transport agency will receive Government money to fast-track a rail duplication project to Henderson, but remains uncertain about funds for other sorely needed items.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority will brief Auckland Regional Council members at a workshop today on its long-term vision for rail, believed to include electric rather than diesel trains and a possible extension of the Britomart station to a tunnel under Albert St.

Looping past underground stations near Wellesley St and Pitt St en route to Mt Eden, a tunnel would remove operating constraints at Britomart, allowing a much better circulation of trains around central Auckland and to the western rail line - at a cost of at least $700 million.

But this remains on the distant horizon and the authority, an ARC subsidiary, is still waiting for decisions from Land Transport New Zealand on how much unallocated budget will be available this year for Auckland's more immediate needs.

It is pinning hope on a share of the extra $500 million the Government has promised for transport, details of which will be announced this month.

Land Transport agreed late last week to a $4.8 million downpayment for the authority to order materials and begin enabling works for a $70 million project to lay a second set of railway tracks between New Lynn and Henderson.

This payment will be supplemented by $3.2 million from the ARC, and follows the completion in February of a duplicate railway line between Mt Eden and Morningside.

The transport authority expects grants next month of about $40 million from Land Transport and $20 million from the ARC for the main construction.

Trains will then be able to travel further in both directions simultaneously, without being held up by peak-time bottlenecks.

But the authority is not yet confident of receiving all the $88 million it needs from the Government this year to match $136 million of regional funds for upgrade projects.

These include $20 million to remodel the Newmarket railway junction and $14 million for more effective train controls.

Land Transport's interim grant will allow the authority to order rails and beams for four bridges, ready to start track construction to Henderson soon after receiving the full amount needed.