Auckland Transport has awarded the $40 million contract for the construction of the Wiri Maintenance and Stabling Depot for Auckland’s new electric train fleet to Downer New Zealand Limited (Downer).
Located next to the South-Western Expressway on Wiri Station Road on the old Winstone’s Quarry Site, the Wiri Maintenance and Stabling Depot will be the facility for maintaining and stabling the new electric trains that will be progressively introduced to the Auckland suburban rail network from early 2014 onwards.
The 7650 square metre building will have seven maintenance berths and will include systems that lift trains to enable maintenance, high level platforms to access the roof of trains along with a wheel lathe.
Downer, with their building construction partner Dominion Constructors, will also be responsible for development of the rest of the site including a train wash, cleaning platforms and stabling for 28 trains.
Approximately six kilometres of new rail track makes up the sidings and connections to the Auckland suburban rail network. The facility has been futureproofed to maintain a fleet of up to 109 electric trains.
Significant earthworks to prepare the site for the Depot’s construction commenced in January 2011.
The Depot build will commence ‘shortly’ and take approximately 13 months.
Once completed, the Wiri Maintenance Depot will be jointly managed by train operator Veolia and the manufacturers of the electric trains, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF).
