WELLINGTON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Residents of New Zealand's largest city Auckland is one step closer to getting rapid transit to the airport, and the congestion-free travel to the airport will be welcomed by workers and visitors to the city, the official said on Saturday.
The project will be completed within 18 months of construction, which begins this year, and is planned to be open before the APEC leaders meeting in Auckland in 2021, the country's Transport Minister Phil Twyford said in a statement.
The government understands Aucklanders need better transport, and any Aucklander with access to the rail network will have a fast and convenient 10-minute bus connection to the airport, Twyford said following contracting the upgrade of Auckland's Puhinui Rail Station Interchange.
"It will be a bus service to begin with and in the future, it will become part of a rapid transit route connecting to Manukau and Botany with a dedicated busway or possibly light rail," Twyford said, adding the project is part of the 10-year Auckland Transport Alignment Project to unlock the city's potential.
"The impressive new station will mark out the southwestern gateway to the city," the minister said, adding it provides a modern, safe and weather-protected environment to allow people easily and conveniently to transit between road and rail services.
The total project cost is 60 million New Zealand dollars (39 million U.S. dollars). The government, through the New Zealand Transport Agency, is contributing co-investment funding for the project, with the remainder coming from Auckland Council and the Regional Fuel Tax, according to Auckland Mayor Phil Goff.
