The CRL is now full steam ahead, as its designation (the route and associated land it will need) was confirmed and consent conditions upheld last month in the Environment Court. Next on the planning list is the Britomart Station alteration to designation, for which the hearing is still underway and regional consents for Aotea Station to Mt Eden, which we expect to lodge in the first quarter of 2016.

We are developing a procurement strategy for the CRL to ensure we get best value for money and meet industry needs. This means asking construction and consultancy companies active in the rail sector to provide input to our proposed procurement: project packaging, contract and delivery models. This approach is in line with international rail industry practice. The process is separate from future procurement processes. We are making all information transparent by presenting the project as ten distinct packages of work with information published on our website about what each entails. This approach will ensure a robust outcome for the CRL's delivery. 

Our architects have been very busy further developing the designs for the CRL stations. Here are several of their latest conceptual images.

The first visible sign of the CRL’s construction will be very large hoardings around the pipe jack shafts early next year. A major stormwater diversion is required before we can begin constructing the cut and cover tunnels along Albert Street. The diversion will be done by pipe jacking (micro tunnelling) a replacement stormwater pipe in several stages along the eastern side of Albert Street, between Swanson and Wellesley Streets. Our hoardings will promote the CRL and show its role in an integrated public transport system for the entire city.

Lower Queen Street becomes the city’s latest pedestrianized space from May 2016 to May 2017 when CRL early works require the removal of all buses from lower Queen Street. We have commissioned work to design and manage an activation programme for the space that will be inclusive, flexible and diverse, such as that at Silo Park. 

Our Build is On mass media campaign starts in February 2016. The aim of the campaign is to inform Aucklanders that CRL construction is about to start and to find better travel options. We need to reduce car trips if we are to keep congestion to manageable levels. To minimise congestion we have:

• Reconfigured bus routes.  
• Included new bus lanes.
• Changed some bus stops.
• Removed some parking and traffic lanes.

The first of these changes took place on Sunday 18 October. There will be more changes in April next year.