Auckland Mayoralty candidate Len Brown is sticking to his plan to accelerate major rail projects, despite criticism from the Government.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce says candidates talking about rail links to the North Shore and Auckland international airport are not considering whether they are really needed and who would pay for them.
But Mr Brown says Aucklanders want those projects completed in a reasonable timeframe and they would lift the region's economic performance.
Mr Brown says he is sticking to his plans to promote both those projects and an underground downtown rail loop, during the first term of the new Auckland Council.
Another candidate, Andrew Williams, is campaigning on building a rail tunnel under the harbour by 2018.
He says the existing busway will be at capacity by then.
Mr Williams says he envisages it as a Public Private Partnership and has already found interest in financing it from Chinese and Korean companies.
He says Mr Joyce has twice failed to respond to invitations to meet him about transport issues on the North Shore.
