Auckland’s rail network will be closed from Boxing Day and reopen in stages from January 14. 

For several years now, the network has closed from around Boxing Day for KiwiRail to carry out maintenance, but this year the closures are compounded by the ongoing $330 million Rail Network Rebuild (RNR). 

The Auckland passenger rail network will be closed from Boxing Day to January 14 for the regular shutdown. 

The Western Line will be closed until January 19 and Britomart will closed until January 21 while City Rail Link teams undertake necessary track work. 

Britomart train station will be closed from Boxing Day until January 21. 

With Britomart closed until January 21, Eastern Line services will run between Manukau and The Strand (near the bottom of Parnell Rise) for that week. From January 22 services will resume travelling to Britomart. 

KiwiRail’s chief planning officer, David Gordon, said the quieter holiday period, when many people do not have to travel to and from work, is the ideal opportunity to get stuck in on maintenance, repairing slips, and RNR work. 

“This is one of our biggest Christmas closures ever – with around 1800 people working at 89 different rail sites across the city,” he said. 

Over this period, Auckland Transport will run replacement bus services, including on the Western Line for the additional five-day closure. 

The RNR project has moved from the section of the Southern Line between Ōtāhuhu and Newmarket and the Onehunga Line to the Western Line to allow for more commuter trains when the City Rail Link opens in 2026. 

Work will be taking place between Newmarket station (pictured) and New Lynn on the Western Line. 

Gordon said the holiday season will focus on the Western Line, including slip repairs. 

“There is a lot to do and much of the work will need to be done 24/7. However, doing this work now means we will be able to reduce disruption to passengers later, by enabling trains to run on one of the Western Line tracks as RNR work continues over the coming months. 

“As part of RNR between Newmarket and New Lynn, we will be lifting away the tracks and sleepers and digging 1 metre below ground level to remove and replace the compacted rock foundations under the tracks. This work is crucial to removing speed restrictions currently in place on the line and enabling more reliable and frequent rail services.”