Manukau Branch
| Manukau Branch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The trenched approach to Manukau station, the terminus, seen from the west.
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Urban rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Open | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Manukau | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | KiwiRail Network and Auckland Transport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Transdev | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Urban | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | AM class EMU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track length | 2.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | Two | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | 25kV AC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Manukau Branch is a 2.5 km spur railway line off the North Island Main Trunk railway from Wiri to Manukau City Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the first fully new section of railway line constructed in Auckland since the Eastern Line in 1930. From Manukau, the branch connects to the NIMT in the northbound direction only.
The estimated cost of the project was $50 million. Construction began in June 2008 with completion expected in late 2011. However, due to other work on the Auckland network taking priority, completion was re-scheduled for April 2012. Station works were reported essentially finished by October 2011, and the line opened on 15 April 2012.
The branch leaves the NIMT south of Puhinui station and slightly north of the closed Wiri station. It runs on both New Zealand Railways Corporation and Auckland Council land. The NZ Transport Agency built some of the branch's earthworks. The extension of State Highway 20 to State Highway 1 included provision for the route.
Following the opening of the branch, Auckland mayor Len Brown called for the completion of its southbound link to the North Island Main Trunk. The earthwork formation (constructed by NZTA at a cost of approximately $25 million) for such a link is in place, but tracks need to be laid for it at a cost of approximately $1 million, and another $4–5 million would be required to reconfigure the Ports of Auckland/KiwiRail sidings which were built to a design that conflicts with the proposed southern link.
The branch has one railway station, Manukau train station, the terminus in Manukau City Centre. The station will be integrated with a new 16 bay bus station on Auckland Council owned Lot 59, to form a local transport hub serving most of the southern Auckland Region. The station is also intended to move more people into Manukau Central, an area identified by council as a future metropolitan centre.
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Wikipedia