Auckland Transport’s 23rd and final new electric train has been delivered to Port of Auckland.  

The three-carriage train, which was built by Spanish manufacturer CAF at its facility in Mexico, will boost the total fleet to 95 trains.  

City Rail Link said this will enable “more frequent and reliable services” after the City Rail Link (CRL) opens in the second half of 2026.  

The new train, which arrived as individual carriages, will be inspected, coupled, tested and commissioned at the Wiri Depot before officially entering service.  

“Reaching the final delivery is a significant achievement as we get ready to open the CRL,” said Stacey van der Putten, Auckland Transport Director of Public Transport and Active Modes. 

“The project isn’t just about tunnels and stations — it increases the capacity of our rail network so we can provide trains more often, increasing over time.”  

The $330 million investment in the new trains has been jointly funded by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and Auckland Council.  

Included in the funding was extended stabling facilities at the Wiri Depot, which was delivered as a separate contract, and the modification of the existing fleet of 72 trains to ensure they are compatible with the CRL.

The older trains were retrofitted with improved features such as operational connectivity, LED lighting, drag-detecting door sensors, and emergency alarms. 

Auckland Transport owns the fleet, sets service patterns, and provides customer information systems, while operator Auckland One Rail (AOR) maintains and runs the services. 

The majority of the new trains are already running across the network and were heavily used in Auckland Transport’s region-wide timetable simulation held at the end of January. 

The simulation involved 84 trains running across the network to test CRL-ready frequencies and ensure safe, reliable performance.  

“The testing was a valuable learning curve”, van der Putten said. 

“It highlighted several challenges, particularly around network congestion, which our teams are now working through.  

“We’ll tweak a few things before we run the simulation again in the April school holidays, to help us finalise a robust timetable and provide reliable services from day one.” 

 The City Rail Link is New Zealand’s largest ever transport infrastructure project, and has involved the construction of twin 3.45 kilometre underground rail tunnels between Waitematā Station (Britomart) and Maungawhau Stations.  

Two new underground stations have been built – Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape – with entrances at Mercury Lane and Beresford Square.  

Waitematā Station has been redeveloped into a two-way through station, and Maungawhau Station has been upgraded to include the new CRL line and a modern station building.