ComfortDelGro Corp has been awarded a S$1.13 billion contract to operate rail services in Auckland.

The Auckland Rail Franchise (ARF) was awarded to Auckland One Rail (AOR).

AOR is the 50:50 joint venture between ComfortDelGro and UGL Rail Services, an Australian rail operations and maintenance company.

The contract was announced on Aug. 27 after a 12-month tender process, according to the press release.

The contract, which will start next year on Jan. 16, is for an initial term of eight years with the opportunity for further extensions.

The Auckland Rail network is the largest in New Zealand and comprises four lines representing 185km of track, 42 stations and 72 three-car electric multiple unit (EMU) trains and eight diesel multiple unit trains.

According to the NZ Herald, the new operator will run 4,000 weekly trips.

ComfortDelGro’s Managing Director Yang Ban Seng said they are excited to leverage their experience of "operating and maintaining Singapore’s world-class MRT system" and are "looking forward to delivering connected, safe and reliable customer journeys for Auckland’s travelling public."

Image from Auckland Transport Facebook