New Lynn's biggest fan drops in

John Key (left) and Bob Harvey share a chuckle over the Prime Minister's gift. Photo / Getty Images

It was back to the trenches for Prime Minister John Key when he inspected a gaping $160 million hole through New Lynn yesterday.

But there was no political warfare as Waitakere Mayor and former Labour Party president Bob Harvey joined him at the bottom of a railway trench which will ultimately extend a kilometre through the once-sleepy suburb it is set to turn into a thriving transport hub.

Mr Key was even happy to accept a T-shirt with a big red heart, in a bid by Fletcher Construction worker Clynton Kightley to spread his love for New Lynn to high places.

The impromptu presentation took place 8m below ground level, at the site of a new underground railway station due to open next winter with the completion of the western line duplication project between Newmarket and Swanson.

An 80cm concrete pad has already been laid along 40m of the trench, and steelwork for separate tracks on each side of an "island platform" is taking shape. Mr Key said later it was lucky Mr Kightley and his workmates seemed to enjoy what they were doing, as he had told them they would be heading after New Lynn to the $430 million Victoria Park motorway tunnel project, to be built by a Fletcher-led consortium.

"And depending how sharp Fletcher's pen is, I'm sure they can head off to the [$1.4 billion] Waterview extension which is 60 per cent underground - so I'm predicting that guy won't see daylight for about eight years," the Prime Minister said.

"We support what's happening with rail," he added. "Yes, there's a lot of cost and expense out there, but so much has been invested that we've got an important opportunity to finish off a lot of the work that's there."

Transport Minister Steven Joyce said the trench, for which the Government is paying $140 million and Waitakere City $20 million, would assist the frequency and reliability of rail services "and that's a positive step towards creating the environment where more people will want to use public transport in their daily lives.

"The work taking place here is not only about transforming public transport, but is also going to result in New Lynn becoming a more attractive place to shop and do business."

He also wanted to get beyond a "road versus rail debate that has dogged Auckland transport policy for many, many, many years".

"We need all our transport corridors working effectively and efficiently if we are to get the productivity benefits that this city and this country needs.

"This project with its interchange between road, rail and bus is a great example of the integration of the transport modes, and how we can bring them together so they can deliver for the customers and the communities that use them.

Mr Harvey called the project "a classic example of the infrastructure creating the economy of the future."

Neither Mr Key nor Mr Joyce mentioned rail electrification directly in their speeches, although the Transport Minister said the Government had ensured advancement of "the Auckland passenger transport projects" without imposing a new fuel tax on the region's motorists.