How new transport centre was born

The opening of the $211 million Britomart transport centre marks a milestone for public transport and the end of one of the biggest political battles in Auckland City.

The transport centre is a hub for trains, buses and ferries at the bottom of Queen St with the old Chief Post Office being the grand entrance way to the rail station.

Auckland City's longest serving mayor, Sir Dove-Myer Robinson, first pushed in the 1970s for trains to return to the central city.

The scheme had its beginnings in a plan to refurbish the rundown Britomart Place Bus Station. Under former mayor Les Mills, Britomart grew from a $27 million bus and rail station into a $1.5 billion commercial property and transport centre.

Christine Fletcher swept to power in 1998 on a "rethink Britomart" platform. She lost the 2001 elections to Britomart critic John Banks, whose name is on the marble plaque as the mayor who opened the centre.

Milestones

1885: Queen St rail station opened at Britomart

1912: CPO opens

1930: Auckland railway station opens on Beach Rd

1937: Municipal bus station opens at Britomart

1958: Britomart carpark opens

1973: Sir Dove-Myer Robinson proposes underground rail station

1980: Queen Elizabeth Square opens

1988: CPO closes

1994-5: Auckland City Council purchases Britomart properties and CPO

1995: Les Mills proposes Britomart project

1998: Christine Fletcher elected on Rethink Britomart platform

1999: Fletcher cans Mills scheme

2000: Design competition for new scheme

2001: Fletcher signs contract. Work begins

2003: Britomart opens