The mayor of Auckland believes it will be difficult for the Government to say no to earlier funding for the city's planned rail link.
Len Brown Photo: RNZ
Work on the tunnels that will house the rail link is due to start early next year, but the Government has said it will not contribute its share of funding until 2020.
The link is designed to double the number of services on Auckland's rail lines and cut down journey times into the city.
Auckland mayor Len Brown told Nine to Noon, Auckland will reach government-set public transport user targets by 2017 and the rail link needs to be completed in the next few years.
He said he will again push the case for earlier Government funding.
"The data, the information, the amount of strong interest in private sector investment in and around the rail tunnel, in particular with the two rail stations would indicate that it would become increasingly difficult for the Government to say no."
Len Brown said he was increasingly optimistic that an earlier start will go ahead.
