City Rail Link: One Million trips and counting

More than one million train rides have been recorded on Auckland’s rail network in the first two weeks since the City Rail Link (CRL) opened, with early data showing Aucklanders are embracing new routes and changing the way they travel across the city, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown say. “More than 506,000 train boardings were recorded in the second week of the CRL, taking the total number of boardings since opening to more than one million,” Mr Bishop says. “That continues to beat the previous record for weekly boardings, set in March 2019. That record was smashed in CRL’s first week, when 528,007 boardings made it the busiest week in the history of Auckland’s rail network. “Aucklanders are quickly adapting to the new network, with West Auckland leading the charge. Average daily trips between western stations and the city centre have increased by almost 173 per cent compared with the six weeks before the CRL opened. That’s an extra 7,600 trips per day. “Seven of the 10 stations recording the biggest growth in passenger numbers are along the former Western Line, while journeys between Auckland’s western and eastern rail corridors have tripled. “This