CRL is also the country’s first completely underground railway line. The project comprises a 3.45km twin-tunnel underground rail link up to 42 metres below Auckland’s city centre, the transformation of the Waitematā Station into a two-way through-station, the construction of two new underground stations, and a new interchange above ground station.

With Auckland’s population expected to double by 2050 to 2.3 million, the new rail link will help shape the city’s future by creating a modern rapid transit system to support projected economic and population growth. It will also dramatically reduce journey times within the city centre and create new single-seat journeys across the city.

Opened on 13 September 2026, CRL features three stations -  Maungawhau↗, Karanga-a-Hape↗ and Te Waihorotiu↗- designed by Grimshaw in collaboration with WSP Architecture as part of the Link Alliance. Grimshaw's involvement spans the project's evolution from the design definition in reference design, developed with Jasmax between 2012 and 2017, through to the design and delivery from 2019 with Link Alliance.

The systemwide design strategy for the stations reflects Te Ao Marama, the Māori creation narrative, and each station has its own unique identity. The architecture is a powerful expression of the cultural narratives gifted by the Mana Whenua (the Maori cultural and territorial authority of the tribes of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland), The station names and designs are a unique expression of a cultural narrative for the people and the city, one that hasn’t been seen anywhere else in the world.

One system, three distinct places

A consistent kit of parts - including wall linings, ceilings, floors, canopies, skylights, balustrades, screens, vertical transport, signage and operational equipment - creates a coherent passenger experience across mined, cut-and-cover and surface-station conditions. Common materials and coordinated datums support repeatability, ease of procurement and construction, while flexible systems allow each station’s architecture and artwork to respond to its own site and identity.

Early contractor involvement within the Link Alliance model brought buildability, methodology, cost and programme into the design process from preliminary design onward. Grimshaw and WSP led architectural coordination across the consultant team, working with contractors and fabricators to refine the system without losing the cultural narratives or civic quality established at the project’s outset.