Avondale–Southdown Line

The Avondale–Southdown Line is a proposed railway line between Avondale and Southdown in Auckland, New Zealand. One of its main functions would be to remove north–south freight trains from the section of the Auckland rail system that has the most passenger traffic.[1]

Avondale–Southdown Line
Overview
StatusProposed, subject to study
OwnerNew Zealand Railways Corporation (land)
TerminiSouthdown or Onehunga Branch
Western line
Service
TypeUrban rail
Rolling stockNone
Technical
CharacterUrban
Track gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
The Auckland passenger rail network as of 12 March 2017. The rail freight terminal at Southdown is located to the east of Te Papapa station. It is the terminus of the Southdown Branch (freight only) which diverges off the Southern Line.

Proposals

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority's Rail Development Plan 2006 included the line in its long-term vision for Auckland's rail network, however, there has been little development work on the project, and it may not be completed until 2030.[2] It is currently envisaged that the line is most likely to be built between 2031–2040.[3]

Route

The line would connect the Western Line just east of Avondale Train Station with the Southern Line at Auckland Freight Centre, Southdown. The reopening in 2010 of the Onehunga Branch to passenger traffic may make it more feasible for the line to connect with that branch in Onehunga township. New Zealand Railways Corporation owns most of the corridor for the line, which follows Oakley Creek and part of the State Highway 20 corridor. The SH20 extension from Hillsborough to Mount Roskill made provision for the line's construction.[4] The line would cross over the entrance to the SH20 Waterview Connection.[5] KiwiRail has reached an agreement with the NZ Transport Agency over a land swap needed for a realignment of the highway and railway corridors.[3]

Another proposal exists to connect the Onehunga Branch at Galway Street to the Avondale—Southdown line by building a tunnel under Onehunga Mall to meet Hugh Watt Drive (State Highway 20) before connecting to the proposed route at Hillsborough.[6]

Study

In May 2007, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) announced that it had formed a study group with ONTRACK to investigate the feasibility and costs for the section between Captain Springs Road in Southdown and Hillsborough Road in Mount Roskill.[7]

See also

References
  1. ARTA. "Airport Rail & Avondale-Southdown Line" (PDF). Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  2. ARTA. "Rail Development Plan 2006" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  3. Dearnaley, Mathew (4 March 2011). "Leave tower where it is, says Unitec". NZ Herald. Auckland: APN Holdings. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  4. Transit New Zealand. "SH20 Mount Roskill". Archived from the original on 25 June 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
  5. "Proposed Waterview Connection tunnel alignment". Transit New Zealand. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  6. "Maungakiekie Area Plan" (PDF). Auckland City Council. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  7. "MONTHLY BUSINESS REPORT – April 2007". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2007.
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