Waitematā Station (Britomart) newsletter - July 2022

Waitematā Station (Britomart) Works Newsletter

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25 July 2022

Waitematā Station (Britomart) Newsletter

Kia ora koutou,

This month's newsletter features:

Link Alliance works around the station
Britomart Place works
Meet the neighbours - Oji Sushi
Meet the team - G ian

Link Alliance works around the station

Click the image to enlarge.

Rest assured, despite the fact that the public cannot see what is happening inside Waitematā Station (Britomart), Link Alliance is hard at work preparing the tunnels for the future City Rail Link (CRL) trains.

When CRL opens, the two outer train tracks at Waitematā Station (Britomart) – those at platform 1 and platform 5, will become CRL train tracks (illustrated in diagram above).

Laying the concrete inside the tunnel box connecting Te Wai Horotiu Station (Aotea) to Platform 5 of Waitematā Station (Britomart).

Work is now underway to connect the existing tracks in the station to the tracks that will be installed inside the completed tunnel boxes that run from Waitematā Station (Britomart) to lower Albert Street - where it meets Te Wai Horotiu Station (Aotea).

First stage concrete has now been poured for the base inside both tunnel boxes. The tunnel fit out team have also now installed the common services bracket (CSB), which can be seen in the top left of the image below. The CSB will hold services such as cabling. The next steps for the tunnel fit out team is to complete the emergency walkways, pour second stage concrete on the outer walls of the two tunnels, and track form work which will get underway from August.

The systems team are ramping up to begin works in the tunnels too. They are responsible for cabling, lighting, overhead line equipment and laying the track down.

Sneak peak from Platform 1 tunnel box to Te Wai Horotiu Station (Aotea).

Britomart Place works

Above ground works on Britomart Place.

Piling works begun last week on the corner of Scene Lane and Britomart Place. These piles will support the excavation as we dig down to the tunnel roof.

The team have had to be very careful around underground services. Sometimes we get a surprise when we dig down and find an old steel pipe or an unused duct. When this happens our team needs to stop and carefully investigate what might be inside the ducts before they can continue.

Concrete deliveries for below ground works are also occurring from time to time. Concrete is pumped from the surface, down through the emergency access portal and into the rail tunnels below (see image below).

Below ground, the focus has been on the south wall and preparations of the temporary support structures to hold the new concrete for the wall itself (known as formwork). The team have also been installing a new 11kVA electrical cable.

While the team work mostly during the day, there are some night works and the team have worked one weekend this month when the rail line was closed.

New 11kVA cable installation inside the rail tunnel.

Overhead line works inside the tunnel.

Upcoming works in Britomart Place (July - August 2022):

Piling adjacent to the Scene One building is expected to be completed this week. This is being undertaken using an excavator and hydrovac equipment.
Excavation (using an excavator) of the main work area is to access the tunnel roof (adjacent to the Scene One building) will be completed early-mid August.
Beam strengthening will be undertaken throughout the next month where we drill into the existing concrete beams to attach anchor bars.
Concrete deliveries will be more regular during August as we begin pouring parts of the new south wall inside the tunnel itself.
Night works will occur during the rail network closure (Block of Line) on 31 July and throughout August. No above ground works are planned at night or outside of usual construction hours this month.

The Martinus Zephir delivering materials to the team inside the tunnel.

We are very conscious of our neighbours nearby and will limit noise and disruption where we can. We use the quietest equipment practicable to complete the tasks and we have noise barriers around the site where possible to absorb the sound waves. Thank you in advance for your patience – it is appreciated.

Meet the neighbours - Oji Sushi

Oji Sushi Britomart on Tyler Street is open weekdays Monday to Friday. Oji means ‘uncle’ in Japanese, and you certainly feel the love, care, comfort and pride that a sense of family can invoke at Oji Sushi Britomart.

A proudly local business, Oji Sushi Britomart offers high-quality fast-fuel food options to locals and commuters. It offers an enticing menu that includes sushi, bowls, sandos, salads, handmade gyoza and dumplings.

The restaurant works in consultation with a nutritionist to ensure high nutritional food standards are constantly met. All food is made onsite and ingredients are sourced locally and sustainably, including the delectable New Zealand Big Glory Bay salmon.

Call in and be tempted by the daily sushi deal, or perhaps the Katsu Donburi Bowl or a salad packed with protein. We encourage everyone to support local and visit to order their next meal.

With the opening of City Rail Link, the team at Oji Sushi Britomart are looking forward to showcasing their quality sushi to more customers travelling to and from Waitematā Station (Britomart).

Oji Sushi is in Britomart and Commercial Bay. Commercial Bay is open 7 days from 11am and located in Harbour Eats and on the Ground Floor.

Meet the team - Gian

My name is Gian and I came to New Zealand from Bangalore, India in 2015. I love New Zealand and would like to live here for the rest of my life.

I was first employed as a traffic controller (STMS) for the CRL project by Downer in 2021. My bosses liked my work and asked if I would be happy to carry on as a traffic controller for Link Alliance - I started at the beginning of this project and I intend to stay here until the project is complete.

I love to help people. My primary work at Link Alliance is to keep the traffic flow smooth outside the worksite. This involves talking to neighbours and delivery drivers to understand their delivery schedules, and attending to any issues in order to keep congestion minimal. I am involved with managing onsite deliveries as well as bringing heavy machinery such as Hiabs, cranes and concrete trucks into and out of the site safely.

Outside of working hours I love to go on bush walks and I do that whenever possible on the weekends. I also like to spend time at the beach with my wife.

Find out more
For information about Britomart and Quay Park Yard work click here.

How to contact the wider Waitematā Station (Britomart) team:
If you have any questions or concerns about our works, please email the Waitematā Station (Britomart) team at info@cityraillink.govt.nz or phone us on
0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) and press option 1 for Waitematā Station (Britomart) work.

Official use of gifted City Rail Link station names, including Waitematā Station, is subject to a New Zealand Geographic Board decision. Visit www.cityraillink.co.nz/meet-your-stations to find out more about the naming process.

Ngā mihi nui
The Waitematā Station (Britomart) Team