Kia Ora

Happy New Year from the Karanga-a-Hape Station team! We hope that you had a relaxing and restful time over the holiday break.

Construction at our sites is back in full swing after the festive period with the project now on the homestretch before handing over to Auckland Transport and KiwiRail.

This year, the station team will achieve the following milestones and more:

• Completion of paving work around Beresford Square
• First test train will run through the station
• Installation of a tree pit at the western end of Beresford Square
• Urban realm work in front of the Mercury Lane entrance
• Backfill of the temporary access shaft and removal of the noise shed
• Energisation of the station.

Keep an eye on our social media channels and monthly newsletters for regular updates.

If you have any questions or concerns about our works at Karanga-a-Hape Station, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz or call us on 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) and press option 4.

Ngā mihi,
The Karanga-a-Hape Station team

Works update - Beresford Square

The team has hit the ground running in 2025, with a continued focus on paving works around Beresford Square. The image below shows the progress, with much of the completed paving covered by green protective sheeting.

On the south side of the square, which includes a driveway, the team is installing 80mm-thick pavers designed for cars and trucks.

These thicker pavers weigh up to 80kg, compared to 40kg for the pedestrian pavers. Moving them into place requires two people and a specialised machine known as a suction lifter. The image below shows our crew preparing to lift one of these heavier paving stones.

Underground, the commissioning of lifts and escalators continues, along with the architectural fit-out.

The images below show the glass lift that will transport passengers from the second underground level—where the ticketing area is located—all the way down to the platform level.

Installation of cladding for the massive concrete cross beams is underway, as seen below. However, we’ll all have to wait for the big reveal, as the cladding is delivered and installed with a protective layer attached.

In the back-of-house area, handrails have now been installed in the emergency stairwells, as seen below.

This week, we have installed the four precast panels that form the ventilation stack at Beresford Square. Standing over 6 metres tall and weighing 5 tonnes each, the panels were lifted into position by a crane as the team bolted them together. The surface of the vent features intersecting lashings carved into it and later this month, will be embellished with bronze figures known as manaia.

Works update - Mercury Lane

The image below shows the foyer of the Mercury Lane entrance building, with the lift shaft in the centre and the George Courts building in the background. In the ceiling, brackets have been installed to support the massive, anodised aluminium kauri snail (pupurangi shells), which pay homage to the ancient kauri forests that once covered the Karangahape ridgeline.

The image above is just to the right of the previous image and shows the first set of escalators that will take passengers from street level to the first underground level. Massive glass panels wrap around this south-east corner to allow natural light to flood the space.

The image below, taken from the landing on the first underground level, shows the bottom of the escalator, with natural light illuminating the upper portion. To the right, you can see the architectural ‘stadium column’, which extends 25 metres from the platform level to street level.

The view above is from the landing area of the final bank of escalators at platform level. Behind the fencing is the southbound track leading to Maungawhau Station.

Works update - Platform Tunnels

Work in the tunnels is now primarily focused on the northernmost cross passage (Adit 3), where baffle installation is ongoing. The length and curvature of these baffles make installation a complex task.

The image below shows a nearly completed platform. With the protective covering removed from the GRC (glass-reinforced concrete) panels, the platform is really starting to take shape.

At the end of the platforms, the team has been busy installing shadowbox wall cladding (tinted glass).

Meet Atarangi Thompson

What does your job at the Link Alliance entail?

I am an Environmental Assistant at Karanga-a-Hape Station, which means I provide support to the teams in managing compliance across the project and minimising our environmental impact. This can range from onsite lab sampling to writing reports and everything in between.

I was born in Pukekohe and grew up all around the Auckland region and Rotorua. My family come from the north (Patukeha), Waikato (Waikato-Tainui) and the East Coast (Ngāti Ira).

Working on City Rail Link is actually my first job where I started on Contract 1 at Waitematā Station (Britomart) back in 2019 to now being at Karanga-a-Hape Station.

I spend my time outside of work hanging out with family or playing games online. Otherwise I'm crafting something or studying. Anything to keep busy.

I guess one fun fact is that I've been learning New Zealand Sign Language for the past few months in preparation for when my niece will also learn it. It’s definitely a work in progress but it’s been a fun little project.

Jargon buster – Shadowbox

Shadowbox is a type of cladding (tinted glass) that creates depth and dimension to walls that would otherwise be flat or plain. Shadowboxing has been installed at the end of the platform tunnels, as seen in the image below, as well within the station entrances at Karanga-a-Hape Station.