Pipitea Point Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Pipitea Point Station and Lambton Station (1880-1937) were successive names for the main Wellington Railway Station in Wellington, New Zealand
before the opening of the current Wellington Railway Station
in 1937.
The new station also replaced the Thorndon Railway Station
built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR) but owned by the New Zealand Railways (NZR) since 1908.
The first station, Pipitea Point Station, was opened (1874) with the opening of the Hutt Valley Line. The railway line from Wellington to Lower Hutt, the first railway line in Wellington, was started in 1872 and opened in 1874.
Lambton Railway Station (opened 1880) was north of the present Wellington Railway Station; and Pipitea Point Railway Station was further north, but south of Thorndon Railway Station. All are within the present rail yard area.
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...
before the opening of the current Wellington Railway Station
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:...
in 1937.
The new station also replaced the Thorndon Railway Station
Thorndon Railway Station
Thorndon Railway Station in Wellington, New Zealand was opened in 1885 as the southern terminus of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company’s Wellington-Manawatu Line. This line is now part of the Kapiti section of the North Island Main Trunk....
built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR) but owned by the New Zealand Railways (NZR) since 1908.
The first station, Pipitea Point Station, was opened (1874) with the opening of the Hutt Valley Line. The railway line from Wellington to Lower Hutt, the first railway line in Wellington, was started in 1872 and opened in 1874.
Lambton Railway Station (opened 1880) was north of the present Wellington Railway Station; and Pipitea Point Railway Station was further north, but south of Thorndon Railway Station. All are within the present rail yard area.
History
- 1872, 20 August: First sod for line turned at Pipitea Point by the Governor, Sir George Bowen.
- 1874, 14 April: Line opened with first train to Lower Hutt, though station buildings not yet finished
- 1878, 16 January: Fire in the Railway Hotel. Started at 3.45 pm and fanned by a strong wind, it spreads across the road to the station. In 15 minutes the railway station, manager’s office and workshops were alight, and they were all destroyed. The city water supply from the council reservoir had been turned off as the reservoir only had a few feet of water; and the water took 35 minutes to come through the mains.
- 1880, 1 November: New station opened in Featherston Street on site later used for Defence building, though Pipitea Point Station kept as stopping point, and line extended to Masterton
- 1884, 30 September: Pipitea Point Station closed as Hutt line now on eastern side of reclamation after exchange of land with WMR.
- 1885: Wellington Station reopened at intersection of Thorndon Quay and Lambton Quay. The building was shifted from Featherston Street on rollers pulled by a large number of men. This allowed for extension of Bunny Street to the waterfront (Waterloo Quay).
- 1908, December 7: Government took over Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR). Stations to be called Wellington (Thorndon Station) and Wellington (Lambton Station), or just Thorndon Station and Lambton Station.
- 1937, June 19: Lambton Station closed (Thorndon Station closed on June 8).