Kaiwharawhara Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Kaiwharawhara railway station is a dual island platform railway station on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) and the Wairarapa Line
in Wellington
, New Zealand
. It is the first station north of Wellington
, and is served by trains operated by Tranz Metro
as part of the Metlink
network on the Melling Line, the Hutt Valley Line and the Kapiti Line. Three diesel-hauled carriage trains, the Wairarapa Connection, Capital Connection and Overlander services pass through the station but do not stop.
Kaiwharawhara has a unique platform arrangement for New Zealand. Looking north, the left-hand island platform is for up trains, the right-hand for down trains. The inner faces are used by Kapiti Line services on the NIMT, the outer faces by Melling Line and Hutt Valley Line services on the Wairarapa Line
. Just north of the station the NIMT climbs an embankment towards the bridge that takes it across the up Wairarapa Line track and Hutt Road to Tawa No. 1 Tunnel.
Kaiwarra received its first building in late 1875. About 1879 the station received a class 6 passenger shelter costing £160. It did not have either crossing loops or sidings.
Early in the 20th century it was decided to duplicate the line between Wellington and Lower Hutt. Preparatory work was started in 1903 with construction commencing the following year, reaching Kaiwarra in 1909 and Wellington on 4 April 1911. A new station building designed by George Troup
was erected in 1911.
In preparation for the construction of the new Wellington station in the mid-1930s and the closure of the old Thorndon and Lambton stations, new lines were laid through Kaiwarra and Kaiwarra signal box was dismantled.
The station was renamed from Kaiwarra to Kaiwharawhara from 9 February 1951 by a decision of the New Zealand Geographic Board
In 1968 there was a fifth track running along the western side of the station, as evidenced today by the extra overhead wiring still in place, used to access an oil depot (just south of the Kaiwharawhara Stream), the NZR Signals Depot and several warehouses. There were small waiting sheds on each platform. All has been removed.
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...
in 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...
, 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...
. It is the first station north of Wellington
Wellington Railway Station
Wellington Railway Station is the southern terminus of New Zealand's North Island Main Trunk railway, Wairarapa Line and Johnsonville Line. In terms of number of services and in passenger numbers, it is New Zealand's busiest railway station.-Development:...
, and is served by trains operated by Tranz Metro
Tranz Metro
Tranz Metro, part of KiwiRail, is the operator of Metlink suburban trains owned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council in the Wellington Region of New Zealand....
as part of the Metlink
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...
network on the Melling Line, the Hutt Valley Line and the Kapiti Line. Three diesel-hauled carriage trains, the Wairarapa Connection, Capital Connection and Overlander services pass through the station but do not stop.
Kaiwharawhara has a unique platform arrangement for New Zealand. Looking north, the left-hand island platform is for up trains, the right-hand for down trains. The inner faces are used by Kapiti Line services on the NIMT, the outer faces by Melling Line and Hutt Valley Line services 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...
. Just north of the station the NIMT climbs an embankment towards the bridge that takes it across the up Wairarapa Line track and Hutt Road to Tawa No. 1 Tunnel.
History
The Wairarapa Line reached the south bank of the Kaiwarra Stream in July 1873, and this section of line opened on 14 April 1874. Trains initially ran non-stop from Wellington, but on 20 April Kaiwarra opened as a stop.Kaiwarra received its first building in late 1875. About 1879 the station received a class 6 passenger shelter costing £160. It did not have either crossing loops or sidings.
George Troup (architect)
Sir George Alexander Troup, CMG was a New Zealand architect, engineer and statesman. He was nicknamed "Gingerbread George" after his most famous design, the Dunedin Railway Station in the Flemish Renaissance style . He was the first official architect of the New Zealand Railways...
was erected in 1911.
In preparation for the construction of the new Wellington station in the mid-1930s and the closure of the old Thorndon and Lambton stations, new lines were laid through Kaiwarra and Kaiwarra signal box was dismantled.
The station was renamed from Kaiwarra to Kaiwharawhara from 9 February 1951 by a decision of the New Zealand Geographic Board
In 1968 there was a fifth track running along the western side of the station, as evidenced today by the extra overhead wiring still in place, used to access an oil depot (just south of the Kaiwharawhara Stream), the NZR Signals Depot and several warehouses. There were small waiting sheds on each platform. All has been removed.
Services
Off-peak trains stop here half-hourly on the Hutt Valley and Kapiti Lines, hourly on the Melling Line.Facilities
There are no shelters or other buildings nor any dedicated car parking. Access is via a footbridge from Westminster Street.External links
- Train timetables from Metlink and Tranz Metro.
- Julie Bremner, Wellington’s Northern Suburbs 1919-1945 (Wellington: Millwood Press, 1987) ISBN 0908582803, see 1934 photo of gang moving rails next to Kaiwarra Station on page 63.