Auckland’s City Rail Link earns two top sustainability ratings

City Rail Link (CRL) in Auckland, New Zealand, has become the first project ever to earn two Leading As-Built Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) ratings – the highest possible achievement in the IS rating scheme – from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC).

CRL is the largest transport infrastructure project ever undertaken in New Zealand. As the country’s first completely underground railway line, stretching from Waitematā to Maungawhau, CRL has been designed to double the capacity of the city’s rail network and provide efficient and reliable transport for Auckland residents and visitors travelling around the city centre.

As part of the Aurecon, Jasmax and Grimshaw team, Mott MacDonald produced the reference design for the entire CRL project. The organisation’s involvement in CRL’s sustainability agenda dates back to 2013 when it was part of the team developing the early sustainability framework, defining the objective for the project and identifying the different sustainability assessment tools available.

Playing a key role in the detailed design for Britomart Station, Mott MacDonald also helped the project receive two Leading IS Design ratings by ISC in 2017.

The IS rating scheme is the only comprehensive rating system in Australia and New Zealand for evaluating the economic, social and environmental performance of infrastructure across planning, design, construction and operation.

Logan Boyce, Mott MacDonald’s project director for CRL, said: “This achievement recognises CRL as meeting the highest sustainability standards ever achieved across Australia and New Zealand. As the only New Zealand rail project amongst all those assessed within the sector, this is a proud moment for all teams involved.”

CRL’s awarded ratings:

• Leading As-Built rating for the overall CRL project, covering design and construction of the C1, C2 and C3 contracts, comprising the 3.45km route of tunnels and stations.
• Leading As-Built rating for the design and construction of CRL’s main C3 tunnels and stations, including Te Waihorotiu, Karanga-a-Hape and Maungawhau Stations, and the tunnel boring machine works between Maungawhau and Te Waihorotiu.