CRL passenger numbers surge, but businesses still waiting for payoff

Summarised by Centrist

A month after Auckland's City Rail Link opened, passenger numbers have surged, but businesses that endured years of construction disruption report mixed results, with some seeing little improvement in sales.

While Karangahape Road businesses report encouraging increases in customers, several central-city operators say the benefits have been modest, raising questions about how long it will take for affected businesses to recover from years of disruption.

Karangahape Road businesses Coco's Cantina and PieFee bakery report stronger trade, with PieFee now opening Sundays.

But around Te Waihorotiu Station, results are less encouraging. Amelia Cafe owner Neil Seck, whose neighbouring salon suffered during construction, said: "I haven't seen the big kick regarding the business."

Nearby Scrunchy Millers reports only a modest increase, while Fresh Market CBD says sales are largely unchanged.

In Eden Terrace, Delissimo Deli Cafe reports a 15% increase, although the improvement began four months before the railway opened.

Meanwhile, University of Auckland transport researcher Timothy Welch reported a 73% increase in boardings on the western route into the city and a tripling on the west-to-east route.

But Welch cautioned that major transport projects typically experience a six-to-12-month honeymoon period, with the CRL's full impact potentially taking a decade to emerge.

The increase in passengers has therefore yet to establish a sustained commercial benefit for businesses that endured years of construction.

Read more at 1News

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