Featherston Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Featherston railway station is a single-platform, urban railway station serving the town of Featherston
in the Wairarapa
district of New Zealand
. The station lies on the Wairarapa Line
, and is located between Harrison Street West and Harrison Street East. It is thirty five minutes journey time to Masterton
, or fifty five minutes journey time to Wellington
.
This station also serves a larger area of the South Wairarapa district, in particular the residents of Martinborough
, as it is the closest station to several settlements outside of Featherston.
The station building houses a ticket office from which fares for the Wairarapa Connection service are sold. Goods have not been consigned from Featherston since 1986.
Featherston was initially a station of some importance, being the railhead for two years until the opening of the line through to Masterton. It was opened with a seven room station building, a 60 foot goods shed, a locomotive shed and watering facilities for the locomotives, but no coal supply until 1888. There were also refreshment rooms, but they, along with the locomotive depot, were removed in 1891. With the closure of the engine shed, all locomotives working the southern Wairarapa district – with the exception of the locomotive working the Greytown Branch – were based at Cross Creek
. The original wooden station building was replaced with the present-day structure in 1982.
Today, the goods shed is gone, but the loading bank and two loops remain. An aggregate supplies company now occupies the area of the yard where the goods shed used to be.
all remaining sidings are in the process of being removed except the 1st road, work being completed by 8 August 2008.
There is a shuttle bus service operated by Wairarapa Coachlines to transport passengers between Martinborough and the Featherston railway station. These services are timed to meet the daily commuter trains.
Featherston, New Zealand
Featherston is a town in the north of the Wellington Region region of New Zealand. It lies in the Wairarapa, just north of the Rimutaka Tunnel, in the South Wairarapa District. The population was 2,340 in the 2006 Census....
in the Wairarapa
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...
district of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The station lies on the Wairarapa Line
Wairarapa Line
The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city of Wellington with the Wairarapa region. The line ends at Woodville, where it joins the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line...
, and is located between Harrison Street West and Harrison Street East. It is thirty five minutes journey time to Masterton
Masterton
Masterton is a large town and local government district in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges...
, or fifty five minutes journey time to Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
.
This station also serves a larger area of the South Wairarapa district, in particular the residents of Martinborough
Martinborough
Martinborough is a town in South Wairarapa, a district in the Wellington region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is 65 kilometres east of Wellington and 35 kilometres south-west of Masterton...
, as it is the closest station to several settlements outside of Featherston.
The station building houses a ticket office from which fares for the Wairarapa Connection service are sold. Goods have not been consigned from Featherston since 1986.
History
Formation work on the line reached Featherston on 17 August 1878, with platelaying completed the following month in September. Though the first train reached Featherston in late September, it was not until 16 October that the railway was opened for public use.Featherston was initially a station of some importance, being the railhead for two years until the opening of the line through to Masterton. It was opened with a seven room station building, a 60 foot goods shed, a locomotive shed and watering facilities for the locomotives, but no coal supply until 1888. There were also refreshment rooms, but they, along with the locomotive depot, were removed in 1891. With the closure of the engine shed, all locomotives working the southern Wairarapa district – with the exception of the locomotive working the Greytown Branch – were based at Cross Creek
Cross Creek Railway Station
Cross Creek railway station was the base of operations for the Rimutaka Incline, a Fell railway over the Rimutaka Ranges, and part of the original Wairarapa Line between Upper Hutt and Featherston in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island....
. The original wooden station building was replaced with the present-day structure in 1982.
Today, the goods shed is gone, but the loading bank and two loops remain. An aggregate supplies company now occupies the area of the yard where the goods shed used to be.
all remaining sidings are in the process of being removed except the 1st road, work being completed by 8 August 2008.
Services
The only trains with scheduled stops at Featherston station are the passenger services of the Wairarapa Connection. There are five such services both ways Monday to Thursday, six services on Fridays and two services each way on Saturdays and Sundays.There is a shuttle bus service operated by Wairarapa Coachlines to transport passengers between Martinborough and the Featherston railway station. These services are timed to meet the daily commuter trains.
| Previous Stop | Metlink Bus Services Public transport in Wellington Public transport in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is well developed compared to other parts of the country. The system covers the Greater Wellington region, including Wellington city, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa.-Administration:Public transport in... |
Next Stop |
|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Route 200 Masterton - Featherston |
Featherston Town Centre towards Masterton Masterton Masterton is a large town and local government district in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges... Church Street |
| Terminus | Route 205 Featherston - Martinborough |
Featherston Town Centre towards Martinborough Martinborough Martinborough is a town in South Wairarapa, a district in the Wellington region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is 65 kilometres east of Wellington and 35 kilometres south-west of Masterton... Kitchener Street |
External links
- Passenger service timetables from Metlink and Tranz Metro.
- Wairarapa Coach Lines.