Wiri EMU Depot where the new trains for the Auckland network are delivered to for testing and commissioning.
Future Proofing Auckland’ s Rail Network
By Martin Kearney FCIRO, CEO, Auckland One Rail / Gavin Panter FCIRO, COO, Auckland One Rail
Joining Auckland One Rail( AOR) both Martin Kearney and Gavin Panter are Fellows and ANZ Council members of CIRO.
Martin joined AOR as CEO in October 2023, whilst Gavin followed as COO in February 2024. Between them they have nearly 70 years of operational experience across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
AOR is the proud operator of Auckland’ s metropolitan rail services, delivering safe, reliable, and customer-focused transport across New Zealand’ s largest city, with an estimated population of around 1.7 million people. AOR began operations in January 2022 under a joint venture between ComfortDelGro Transit( Singapore) and UGL Rail( Australia).
Operating under contract to Auckland Transport, AOR manages daily train services, train crew, and station operations across four major lines: Eastern, Western, Southern, and Onehunga.
Over the past decade, major investments have transformed the network, including full electrification, modern, CAF built, AM class electric trains, upgraded stations and safety enhancements such as level crossing removals.
The construction of the City Rail Link( CRL), New Zealand’ s largest ever transport infrastructure project will reshape Auckland’ s rail network and double its capacity. The twin 3.45km rail tunnels, due to open in 2026, has added two new underground stations and redeveloped two other key stations, and turning Waitematā( also known as Britomart) Station into a two-way through station.
Today, Auckland’ s rail network supports circa 15 million passenger journeys annually, driving sustainable growth, reducing congestion on roads, and shaping the region’ s urban development with a focus on connectivity, resilience, and future expansion.
The company is also deeply involved in the testing and commissioning for the CRL opening which will further unlock capacity through the city centre, enabling faster, more frequent services.
Martin says his focus is to create a culture of continuous improvement with a strong emphasis on safety, punctuality, and customer experience.“ As we prepare for the CRL opening, and what lies beyond that, there is a massive focus on recruitment, as well as on training and developing our teams to perform at their best.
“ Within the past 18 months we’ ve also developed our executive leadership team and brought some real talent onboard, which is making a measurable difference to our overall performance.”
With a diverse and skilled team, AOR is focused on delivering world-class rail services that connect communities, support economic growth, and contribute to a more liveable city.
Auckland’ s rail network is getting a major boost with the arrival of the new“ Batch 3” Electric Multiple Units( EMUs) at Auckland Transport’ s Wiri EMU depot.
These state-of-the-art trains, manufactured in Mexico, are part of a fleet expansion to support the upcoming CRL opening and meet growing customer demand. The first of 23 new trains entered service in July, with additional units steadily making their way to Wiri for testing and commissioning.
The“ Batch 3s” follow the delivery of two previous batches of trains. Martin was managing director of Transdev when he oversaw the first batch of EMUs that went into service in Auckland back in April 2014.
The Wiri depot itself has undergone a significant upgrade to accommodate
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