Auckland's City Rail Link is opening this year, and it's going to change how students get around the city. The 3.45km underground rail link through the city centre brings three new stations, more frequent trains, and faster connections across the whole network.
What's changing
The CRL turns Britomart from a dead-end station into a through-station, meaning trains can run in both directions through the city centre. That unlocks a completely redesigned network with more services and shorter wait times.
- Three new stations: Te Waihorotiu (midtown), Karanga-a-Hape (K Road) and Maungawhau (the Western Line interchange)
- Three redesigned lines: the South City Line runs Pukekohe to the city centre, the East West Line runs Swanson to Manukau, and the Onehunga West Line runs Onehunga to Henderson off-peak and Maungawhau at peak
- More trains: services across the network increase significantly
- Faster journeys: cross-city trips no longer require changing at Britomart
- Better connections: redesigned bus network feeds into the new stations
What it means for AUT students
Te Waihorotiu sits in midtown, a short walk from AUT's City Campus, and AT expects it to become the busiest train station in the country. Karanga-a-Hape opens onto K Road. For students commuting from West Auckland, South Auckland, or the Shore (via transfer), this means a much more direct route to campus.
Combined with the 40% student discount on AT fares, the new rail network makes public transport a genuinely practical option for getting to and from AUT.
Explore the new network
AT has published full details of the new routes, stations, and timetables on their website. If you commute by train, it's worth checking how your journey changes — the AT Journey Planner has a “show future journey results” toggle so you can plan a trip on the new network before it starts running.
Find out more on the Auckland Transport CRL page.
Explore the new network
See the new routes, stations, and timetables on AT's website. Don't forget your 40% student discount.