City Rail Link Opens

On opening day, 13 September 2026, the first train to head through the City Rail Link departed from Ōtāhuhu station. Ahead of departure, a queue had formed outside the station waiting for security to open the doors

13 September 2026

In the queue, 1 News interviews a passenger who had made a giant replica of an AT HOP card, with the actual circuitry integrated into the card making it functional

13 September 2026

1 News captures the moment in the queue outside, with a giant AT HOP card on show

13 September 2026

Security announces the opening of the doors at Ōtāhuhu station as passengers head inside

13 September 2026

Upstairs on the bridge, regular passengers were held back from passing through the gates, with the manual gates opened for media and officials (including Transport Minister Chris Bishop)

13 September 2026

A long line has formed at Ōtāhuhu station ahead of the departure of the first City Rail Link train at 4:57am

13 September 2026

Now on the platform, the passenger displays show the imminent arrival of the first service through the City Rail Link

13 September 2026

Running empty from Wiri, AM 144 leads AM 864 into Platform 1 at Ōtāhuhu. AM 864 was wrapped with a new Shore wrap to match AM 144, to an updated standard to run within the City Rail Link

13 September 2026

On board the first service, City Rail Link network maps are now the current network maps, with the old Southern, Eastern, Western and Onehunga Lines gone

13 September 2026

The lead unit, AM 144, was packed to standing room only with media and passengers, while our trailing unit, AM 864, had plenty of room to stretch out for the journey

13 September 2026

The first train stops at Newmarket, after running express from Ōtāhuhu. The train waited here for departure time before heading west to Grafton

13 September 2026

The train drops down into the City Rail Link, bringing passengers into the tunnel for the first time

13 September 2026

The first CRL stop at Karanga-a-Hape station, where some passengers left the train and others boarded for the journey to Waitematā

13 September 2026

Stopped at Karanga-a-Hape station en route to Waitematā

13 September 2026

At the next stop at Te Waihorotiu, AM 144 and AM 864 pause before making the final leg of the journey to Waitematā

13 September 2026

At Waitematā, after passing through the City Rail Link for the first time with passengers, AM 144 and AM 864 prepare to run empty out of the station

13 September 2026

A crowd of passengers leave the train and head elsewhere while the train waits to depart empty

13 September 2026

New lines mean new destination signs - the first train was a South-City Line service labelled as heading to the city centre

13 September 2026

AM 864 trails AM 144 as the train heads empty out of Waitematā

13 September 2026

Our next journey was aboard a crowded AM 932, running an East-West service to Swanson. This would carry us to Maungawhau for the first time

13 September 2026

After running through the City Rail Link the other way, AM 932 stops at Maungawhau station

13 September 2026

Dropping down the grade into the trench platforms, AM 659 heads into Maungawhau station from Swanson, heading for Manukau

13 September 2026

AM 659 arrives at Maungawhau station heading for Waitematā through the City Rail Link

13 September 2026

The following service, led by AM 524, drops down the same grade into Maungawhau station

13 September 2026

AM 524 pulls into the platform at Maungawhau

13 September 2026

Heading the other way, AM 892 exits the City Rail Link and pulls into Maungawhau platform. It turned out that this would be the last train to exit the CRL for some time, as a fire alarm at Waitematā shortly afterwards stopped all trains

13 September 2026

AM 892 pulls into Maungawhau after exiting the City Rail Link

13 September 2026

AM 524 stuck at Maungawhau station after a small fire at Waitematā station. An electrical fire stopped all trains through the City Rail Link for around an hour, forcing the East-West Line to divert via Parnell and The Strand, and the South-City Link to terminate at Newmarket before looping around the city

13 September 2026

After catching a bus instead, then breakfast, we returned to Te Waihorotiu station via the Wellesley Street entrance

13 September 2026

A large, empty concourse at Te Waihorotiu station

13 September 2026

After clearance was received to run trains again, AM 321 pulls into Te Waihorotiu station on a service towards Manukau

13 September 2026

AM 321 pulls into Te Waihorotiu station on an East-West Line service to Manukau

13 September 2026

AM 321 stops for passengers at Te Waihorotiu station

13 September 2026

A following service, AM 471 pulls into Te Waihorotiu on a South-City Line service to Newmarket, via Waitematā

13 September 2026

AM 471 pulls into Te Waihorotiu station. This unit was fitted with a wrap, before the wraps needed to be removed for not meeting strict fire standards for the City Rail Link

13 September 2026

AM 471 pulls into Te Waihorotiu station heading for Newmarket

13 September 2026

Trailing AM 471, AM 456 departs Te Waihorotiu as the train heads for Newmarket

13 September 2026

A number of passenger displays show the departing train as it heads for Newmarket

13 September 2026

On the other platform, AM 605 pulls into Te Waihorotiu on an East-West Line service to Swanson

13 September 2026

AM 605 stops for passengers at Te Waihorotiu station as it heads for Swanson

13 September 2026

New stickers indicating boarding zones for trains have been installed in the City Rail Link stations

13 September 2026

The platform level concourse viewed from the passage tunnel at Karanga-a-Hape

13 September 2026

Escalators from platform level at Karanga-a-Hape

13 September 2026

At ground level, the view form the windows of Karanga-a-Hape station show the newly installed cycle lanes, connecting the station to Lightpath and Upper Queen Street

13 September 2026

The station concourse area at Karanga-a-Hape, with the customer service centre at the back

13 September 2026

The Mercury Lane entrance to Karanga-a-Hape station

13 September 2026

Plaques outside the station explain the meaning of the name and an explanation of the station's artwork

13 September 2026

An unidentified AM stops at Platform 1 heading for Newmarket

13 September 2026