WELLINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's Auckland on Friday officially opened a major rail link through the city center, which is expected to transform public transport in the country's largest city after a decade of construction.
The City Rail Link (CRL) was officially unveiled by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Transport Minister Chris Bishop, other senior officials and Maori representatives, said a government statement.
The new railway will begin carrying passengers on Sunday, when three new stations open and a new rail timetable takes effect, Brown said in the statement.
The CRL allows trains to travel through central Auckland instead of terminating at the city center, creating a more connected rail network with "faster journeys, more frequent services and much greater capacity," Bishop was quoted as saying, and he described the project as New Zealand's "biggest and perhaps most challenging transport project completed to date."
The rail link is also expected to support new housing and businesses around stations, improve access to jobs and services, and help the growing city function more efficiently, the minister added. ■