The cost of Auckland’s City Rail Link - New Zealand’s largest ever transport project - has increased by over $1b more due to Covid-19 lockdowns and other revised costs. The project’s cost is now estimated to be $5.493b - a $1.074b increase on the previous estimate of $4.419b. The $4.4b estimated cost was itself a $1b cost increase approved in 2019 above the original $3.4b estimated cost for the project. City Rail Link confirmed it has submitted a formal funding request to its sponsors – the Crown and Auckland Council. Mayor Wayne Brown saying the budget “blowout” is unsurprising. Read the full NZ Herald article in the link below.