Aukland, New Zealand
Aukland skyline
Auckland Harbour
Wellington, capital of New Zealand
Wellington is the southern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk Railway
A train operated by Kiwi Rail, a New Zealan state-owned enterpise responsible for rail operations in New Zealand
- For over a decade, Auckland has been experiencing constant population growth
- Just 2023, 127,000 people moved to the city
- The rise in the number of residents and urban traffic requires major investment in transport infrastructure
- Rail transport provides New Zealand with economic benefits of NZ$3.3 billion each year
- The City Rail Link is the metro line under construction in central Auckland
At 1.8 million residents, Auckland has become the largest city in New Zealand, which has a total population of 5.3 million. Growing steadily over the past five years (at an average rate of 1.4% per year), the City of Sails saw its own population increase by 2.5% in 2024 alone. Record years included 2023, when 127,000 people moved to the city, and 2021, when it saw 111,000 arrive, according to the Auckland Council. This trend contrasts sharply with the one witnessed at the national level: in 2024, 127,800 people left New Zealand—a record, marking a 28% increase from the previous year. Over 50% of those who left were citizens.
Despite this overall trend , Auckland continues to grow. Census data shows that between 2018 and 2024, 64,800 new homes were built in the metropolitan area. Average rental prices, meanwhile, rose by 22% during the same period, highlighting the dynamic housing market, according to the University of Auckland.
To support the city’s growth, the New Zealand government has launched an investment plan focused primarily on sustainable mobility infrastructure: NZ$1.5 billion (nearly US$900 million) to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, helping Auckland contribute to the country’s goal of achieving zero emissions by 2050.
Rail benefits
Investing in rail infrastructure is essential for development. Every year, it ensures NZ$3.3 billion in economic benefits for New Zealand, according to figures released in August 2024 by the Australasian Railway Association.
Without trains, people would face 19.1 million more hours in cars just to travel between Auckland and Wellington. In addition, they would cause at least 400 percent more CO2 emissions.
Such is the importance of transport that it was cited by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as one of the sectors where his government wanted to attract investment. “The objective is to increase capital investment across a range of critical sectors – like banking and fintech, key infrastructure like transport and energy, manufacturing, and innovation,” he said in his State of the Nation speech on January 23.
Catching Up on Lost Time: Auckland's infrastructure development to increase sustainable mobility
Auckland’s journey toward sustainable mobility is relatively recent. In the 1950s, the city’s tram network was almost entirely dismantled as local authorities prioritized road construction over railways and metro lines. As a result, by the 1990s, Auckland recorded only 33 public transport trips per resident per year.
However, from the 2000s onwards, this trend reversed due to major investments in metro and railway networks, including electrifying old lines and launching new infrastructure projects.
Today, according to KiwiRail, the state-owned rail operator, trains complete 22 million annual freight trips within Auckland. Public transport records 86 million annual trips, with 13.8 million by rail. This number is expected to increase further with the completion of the City Rail Link, which will join the city’s metro system through a new 3.45-kilometer line connecting Waitematā and Maungawhau stations.
Once operational, the Link will carry trains through central Auckland at a depth of 42 meters, transporting up to 54,000 passengers per hour. The impact on reducing surface traffic and CO2 emissions—estimated at 15,000 fewer tons annually—will be significant.
