Auckland Power Feeds
KiwiRail are working to upgrade the Auckland Metro Network to ensure it is ready for when the City Rail Link (CRL) opens and in future when more electric trains are running. Adding more power feeds in Auckland will increase the networks' resilience and allow for future growth of the wider network. KiwiRail have completed construction of our Western Power Feed and are in the planning stages for a new Southern Power Feed.
Western Power Feed
To complement the existing power feeds at Penrose and Westfield, we have built a new power feed in West Auckland. The Western Power Feed is located near Glen Eden Station by Singer Park. Construction began in January 2024, followed by testing and commissioning and finally the trial phase (now complete), which tested integration with Auckland’s electrified network.
This new feeder station utilises Static Frequency Converter (SFC) technology to transform three-phase 33kV power from the Hepburn Road substation to single-phase 25kV power for use across the rail network. This new technology allows us to feed power much further and more efficiently into the network when paired with our existing transformer power feeds.
The new Western Power Feed is now fully operational and powering the Auckland metro network, which means in future we can isolate smaller sections for maintenance, reducing disruption for passengers. It also provides a backup supply, ensuring trains continue to run even if another feed goes offline.
Southern Power Feed
South Auckland is one of New Zealand’s fastest growing areas with 130,000 people expected to call this area home in the next 30 years. To prepare for future growth, the Government has provided funding to futureproof the South Auckland rail network. As part of this work, KiwiRail plans to construct a new Static Frequency Convertor (SFC) Traction Substation off Sutton Road, Drury to provide additional power for South Auckland’s trains.
This power feed will complement the existing power feeds at Penrose, Westfield and the recently completed West Coast Road substation at Glen Eden (Western Power Feed).
Once operational, it will make services on the Southern and Eastern lines more reliable by allowing for smaller sections of the network to be shut down while we complete maintenance, and providing back-up to ensure trains can continue to run if another power feed is offline.
KiwiRail have invested in new Static Frequency Converter technology (SFC), used for the first time on the Western Power Feed, which provides for a far more efficient system of supplying power, compared to the use of conventional transformers. This technology will be again implemented for the Southern Power Feed.
We are currently in the planning stages of this project, with construction kick off targeted for late 2026.
