Peter Reidy: KiwiRail CEO ahead of the opening of Auckland's City Rail Link this weekend
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What is the City Rail Link and why is its opening so significant for Auckland?
Theory versus reality. If you've listened to the media this week, this MSD thing is the end of the world. But Mike, MSD botched a rushed law, paused 30,000 payments, paid $2.5 million back. Media in opposition trying to make it a national crisis. It's been fixed. Next. Mike, how can so many highly paid public servants get it so wrong? The same public servants who went on strike seeking higher pay. Perhaps if they did their job. Andy, I think you'll get quite a bit of sympathy with that one. 23 minutes away from 7. Louise Upston on that for you after seven o'clock.
Who is Peter Reidy and what role does he play in the CRL project?
Before then, Trump and his crazy money convention thing with Richard Arnold. Meantime, back here, the country's largest ever transport infrastructure project is finally set to go. The CRL will open. It's years overdue, of course, billions of dollars over budget. All that's left is to hope it's as transformational as they promised it would be. Peter Reedy is the KiwiRail CEO and is with us. Peter, morning to you. Good morning, Mike. Have you touched it, felt it, run with it, rolled around in it? Does it feel and look good?
Yes, it does. We've had significant operational testing over the last five, six months.
How confident is KiwiRail that the new tunnels and stations will operate flawlessly?
It's looking fantastic. A lot of orchards have been down, had a look at the stations, so we can't wait to get started tomorrow, Sunday at 4.57am.
At what level of confidence do you talk to me this morning that this thing is going to work seamlessly?
In terms of the operation, look, we've had significant testing, timetable testing. We've been running the trains the last three or four months. There's been international experts over having a look at it. Great readiness plan, risk management plan. You know, we're one of the players. There's a lot of players involved in this. So I think of any large infrastructure project I've been in, this would probably be one of the best in terms of a readiness plan, in terms of a before-I-go-live approach. So we've all signed off. We're all collaborating around it.
What key performance indicators will measure the success of the CRL after launch?
We're all committed to the task.
What are the KPIs so you can come back on and go, this has worked? Is there a number?
Well, in terms of running metro operations, firstly, it's an interconnected metro system. So firstly, patronage growth is critical. Currently in Auckland, it's about 40 million passenger trips per annum. And Auckland Transport have been clear they want to get that up to 29 million by 2030. Reliability punctuality is really important. At the moment, the punctuality is 98.5%. Reliability is 98%. 0.8%. You know, it's up there.
How will the CRL transform Auckland’s urban development and commuter experience?
And most modern metros, you need to be up there as well. So it's all about the service, reliability for commuters, punctuality, reliability, and most importantly, customer satisfaction.
Yeah. You believe this is a build-it-and-they-will-come experience.
All metros around the world, they're urban development transformation programs. So once it starts to get moving, once people use it, have confidence, their completed trips work, then all of a sudden other things happen. CBD starts to build, people have confidence. So it is an urban development place-setting investment, which most large cities around the world go through what we're about to go through. Right.
If you could start again today, how differently would you do it?
Well, look, this has been many, many years. I remember 2012, going into a small office and talking to a couple of people about this when Len Brown was doing this.
What lessons were learned during the CRL’s planning and construction that could help future projects?
I think that like any project, there's lots of learnings around it. Most programs in the early days, they go through a lot of scope, definition, design, and the costs move out through the process. I think early on, getting the scope and design really nailed down, like most infrastructure projects. If you can do that early, if you can get the builders in early to give you some construction cost methodology early, early contractor involvement makes a more defined, probably scopable project. That's the major learning of any major project. Of course, here we are, we're tunnelling, we're building 42 metres below the Auckland city centre.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the City Rail Link and why is its opening so significant for Auckland?
0:00–0:27
2
Who is Peter Reidy and what role does he play in the CRL project?
0:27–1:03
3
How confident is KiwiRail that the new tunnels and stations will operate flawlessly?
1:03–1:53
4
What key performance indicators will measure the success of the CRL after launch?
1:53–2:27
5
How will the CRL transform Auckland’s urban development and commuter experience?
2:27–3:22
6
What lessons were learned during the CRL’s planning and construction that could help future projects?
3:22–4:41
Speakers
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