Auckland Underground

During the last century a number of reports were produced with a view to improving Auckland’s transport systems including:
In the 1920’s the Merc & McLelland Report (mentioned in BABJ A680/75)
The 1949 Halcrow & Thomas Report (BBAD 1054/991a)
The 1965 De Leuw Cather Report (summary report in BAEI 10003/356c)
Detailed planning and investigation work was undertaken in response to each of these reports.

In 1928-1929 detailed plans were drawn up for a rail link between the main trunk line station on Beach Road, underneath the central business district, to Morningside on the North-Western route to Kumeu - known as the Auckland Morningside deviation. In 1946 RH Packwood, Auckland District Engineer wrote “The Morningside Deviation was first projected over 30 years ago” and “The existing passenger station was sited ….with the Morningside Deviation in view.” (BAEI 10003/269g)

Following the 1949 report, a Master Transport Plan for Metropolitan Auckland was developed by the Auckland Regional Planning Authority. The priority for railway construction under the plan was the Auckland Morningside deviation, which was to take a similar, but not identical, route to the 1928/29 plan. During 1952 and 1953 an investigation of buildings along the proposed route was undertaken, looking at condition, type of foundation and value.

In 1968 an Auckland Rapid Transit [ART] committee was formed to investigate railway solutions to Auckland’s transport problems. Detailed planning and investigations were undertaken. It was decided that the priority was for a city underground line to be constructed in two phases: Auckland mainline station to the Civic Centre, then under Karangahape Road to Newmarket (a similar route to the Auckland Morningside deviation).
As part of the investigations, photographs were taken of some of the buildings along this route. There would be a system of linked bus services, trains would run with a minimum off-peak frequency of ten minutes, and fares would be based on a zone structure, with ticket transfer between bus and rail. The ART was disbanded on 31 March 1976.

This is a selection of images taken from the records of these three schemes.