John Bridgman appointed as new Chair of City Rail Link

"City Rail Link is New Zealand's largest transport infrastructure project and will have a transformative impact on businesses and residents in New Zealand's largest city," Michael Wood said.

Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown today announced the appointment of John Bridgman as new Chair of City Rail Link Limited, replacing Sir Brian Roche.

"City Rail Link is New Zealand's largest transport infrastructure project and will have a transformative impact on businesses and residents in New Zealand's largest city," Michael Wood said.

"John has the right skills and experience to lead the Board as it navigates some of the most challenging conditions in New Zealand construction history, while maintaining its focus on delivering a world-class urban underground rail system.

“The City Rail Link, as with other comparable international infrastructure projects, is being built under global pandemic conditions, with accompanying resource constraints and increased costs for both materials and labor.

“It is vital we have a Chair who has proven his ability to manage complex and challenging business conditions – and we believe John has those qualities.

“John has significant experience in engineering and project management with an excellent working knowledge of civil engineering in a rail context and has led the delivery of significant infrastructure projects in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, and the UK.

“I would also like to acknowledge and thank Sir Brian Roche for his dedicated service, expertise, and experience as Chair of City Rail Link Ltd. He successfully led the project through a crucial period, ensuring the project remained on track,” Michael Wood said.

Mayor Brown says he has confidence in Mr Bridgman to take responsibility for getting the CRL project finished as soon as possible without undue cost increases.

“When finished, fitted out, fully tested, and supported by modernised lines, crossings, and stations throughout the region, the City Rail Link will deliver Auckland the world-class passenger train network that residents of and visitors to other large cities have taken for granted for generations,” Mayor Brown said.

“After all planned improvements to the network are finished in the years following the completion of the CRL itself, Aucklanders and our visitors will see a nine-carriage train arriving at stations as frequently as once every two minutes, carrying up to 54,000 people an hour at peak times across the network.

“The CRL and the world-class regional rail network it will enable must be at the heart of the single, big, joined-up transport plan Auckland needs, linking cars, buses, trains, cycleways, light rail, the port, shipping, ferries – everything.”

The Minister and Mayor said Sir Brian and Bridgman will work together for an effective handover in the coming months.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)