Near the start of the new millennium, the Auckland Regional Authority revived the push for electrification and for expansion of a passenger rail network. This was championed by the authority's chair and long-time public transport advocate Mike Lee.

In 1993, 19 second-hand railcars were bought from Perth as an interim measure.

In 2009, KiwiRail and Auckland's regional transport agency (ARTA) announced it would start a detailed study into the possibility of an underground route that would link the Britomart rail terminal with the Mount Eden railway station.

The cost of a twin-track tunnel was estimated to be more than $1 billion.

Electrification was announced by a Labour government in May 2007 and confirmed by a National government in 2009.

The first train arrived in 2013 and the first to go into service was on the Onehunga line in April 2014. Electrification extended from Papakura in the south to Swanson in the west, and includes the Onehunga Branch Line and Manukau Rail Link. Trains were powered from a wire held overhead by masts and cantilevers.

In May 2015, electric trains began to run on all of Auckland's lines. The $1.7 billion project included buying 57 232-seat trains bought from Spanish manufacturer CAF.

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