Light rail in Auckland

Between 2015 and 2023, Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, considered introducing light rail lines to replace some of its most heavily used bus routes.

[1] In subsequent years, various technology types and modes were proposed by local and central government - including traditional street tramways and light metro.

[6] In 2015, then Auckland Mayor Len Brown pointed out that the city's ten-year plan did not include funding for building new light rail routes.

[16] In August 2019, Mayor Phil Goff announced that work on the light rail network might begin the following year.

The original proposal from the New Zealand Transport Agency consisted of surface level light rail; the other from NZ Super Fund explored fully grade-separated, driverless light metro technology, with an underground alignment through Queen St and elevated sections elsewhere, with fewer stations between the city centre and airport.

[25] Following the 2023 General Election, the incoming Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, told media that his government would be cancelling the project "because it’s a white elephant”.

[26] However, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown contended that the project could be built at a fraction of the cost of previous options, citing overseas projects such as the light rail network in the French city of Angers which cost just $53 million per kilometre, against the $375 million which he described as being the current cheapest option for the route.

[28] However, Auckland Transport chief executive Dean Kimpton said light rail was still an option for the city - if above ground.

[29] Nevertheless, on 14 January 2024, Simeon Brown, Minister of Transport in the new National-led coalition government, instructed Auckland Light Rail Limited to immediately cease work on the project and take the necessary steps to wind up the company.

[4] A Government Cabinet paper revealed that the disestablishment of the Ministry of Transport’s work on the project was estimated to cost millions of dollars spent over six months and would involve the disposal of property and land, and settling obligations, coming after an alleged $228m had already been spent on the project without a metre of track laid.

[30] The business case for the cancelled project was released in February 2024, showing that every dollar invested would have brought an economic benefit of $NZ2.40.