Coinciding with the City Rail Network going live, QMS NZ has officially turned on its City Rail Link (CRL) network with a fully subscribed roster of foundation partners that includes 2degrees, BNZ, Spark, The Warehouse Group, ANZ and Tower.
QMS’ new City Rail Link (CRL) digital OOH network, unlocks a unified, continuous audience ecosystem across the most critical transit veins in Tāmaki Makaurau as part of its long-term Auckland Transport (AT) partnership.
The launch follows the completion of New Zealand’s largest infrastructure project in history – a $5.5 billion transformation that doubles the potential capacity of the rail network and brings twice as many Aucklanders within a 30-minute commute to the city centre. The CRL defines the next chapter for the Auckland CBD, connecting access to key commercial hubs, entertainment, and retail precincts.
Integrated seamlessly with QMS’ existing street furniture, large format billboard and transit networks, the new CRL network allows advertisers to command attention across the total Out of Home audience journey. From the moment commuters leave their homes, throughout their daily travel, and directly into the heart of where they work, play and spend, QMS NZ now delivers a continuous audience ecosystem across Tāmaki Makaurau.
The QMS CRL network spans three new underground stations architecturally designed to honour Māori culture and heritage, weaving cultural storytelling into the physical commuter experience.
Te Waihorotiu Station is set to become one Aotearoa’s busiest stations, featuring dual entrances on Victoria and Wellesley Streets serving both corporate workers and
evening entertainment crowds. Karanga-a-Hape Station serves daytime creatives and nightlife goers via Mercury Lane and Beresford Square. And Maungawhau Station will be a high-growth junction connecting the CRL and Western Lines, serving daily suburban commuters and the growing Uptown neighbourhood with
its mix of businesses and venues.
All three environments feature state-of-the-art, 100 per cent digital assets that are full-motion and 3DOOH enabled, offering brands a connected canvas for immersive storytelling at scale.
QMS NZ MD, Ben Gibb, said: “The CRL represents a once in a generation shift for Auckland’s urban landscape. Demand to be part of this launch has been unprecedented, and we are thrilled to offer our foundation partners an exclusive, digital first environment inside Aotearoa’s most modern transport infrastructure.
“This isn’t just about new screens. It’s about establishing a continuous, day-in-day-out audience solution. With surface hoardings coming down, foot traffic returning to Queen Street and midtown corridors, and CBD economic activity surging, the CRL provides brands with an unbeatable environment to engage high-value commuters at critical decision making moments.”
Auckland Transport had of out of home media and partnerships, Simon Soulsby, said: “The CRL will transform how people move through Tāmaki Makaurau, and through our ongoing partnership with QMS, we are excited to deliver a modern transit environment that enhances the passenger experience through high quality media placements.”
Gibb added: “Securing the heart of Auckland’s transit network via the CRL allows brands to build their foundation in New Zealand’s primary economic hub. From there, QMS empowers advertisers to seamlessly extend that exact audience journey across our broader network – spanning over 2,000 street furniture panels in Auckland, 4,000 mass transit formats, and 280+ high-impact billboards across Aotearoa.”
