Tawa Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Tawa
Railway Station, originally called Tawa Flat, is located on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) and is part of the suburban rail network of Wellington
, New Zealand
. It is double track
ed, has an island platform
layout, and is 13.75 kilometres (8.5 mi) from Wellington Railway Station
, the southern terminus of the NIMT.
under the Metlink brand. Trains run every thirty minutes off-peak, and more frequently during peak periods. A number of peak services run express between Porirua
and Wellington
and thus do not stop at Tawa Station.
The commuter trains are operated by electric multiple unit
s. These were formerly DM/D class units but are now almost always units of the EM/ET class. Two diesel-hauled
carriage trains, the Capital Connection and the Overlander, pass through the station but do not stop.
to reach Wellington, and Tawa was 16.48 km from the terminus. The original station was merely a flag stop
located near the junction of Duncan Street and Tawa Street, at which trains would only stop if signalled to do so by passengers wishing to board or alight. The original site was close to the location of the present Redwood Railway Station
.
The WMR was purchased and incorporated into the network of the New Zealand Railways Department
in December 1908. In June 1909, the government approved ₤500 to upgrade the station.
In the 1930s, the Johnsonville route was abbreviated and renamed the Johnsonville Branch as it was bypassed by the Tawa Flat deviation
. This deviation offered a quicker route to Wellington; it was 3 km shorter, avoided the steep grades and sharp curvature of the Johnsonville route, and rejoined the original route just south of the present day Tawa station. The signal box was moved to the new station site, and the old station building was used as an addition to a local church.
Freight services began using the deviation from 24 July 1935, but passenger services did not until 19 June 1937. On the latter date, the connection between Tawa and Johnsonville was severed and double track via the deviation entered service, allowing a more intensive timetable. The line through Tawa was electrified
in June 1940, and on 15 December 1957, the single track
north of Tawa was duplicated as far as Porirua.
Tawa, New Zealand
Tawa is the northernmost suburb of Wellington located between Churton Park and Porirua in the North Island of New Zealand. It takes its name from the broadleaf tree, which was once prolific throughout the area, although its most famous tree is the Bucket Tree, a group of large macrocarpa with the...
Railway Station, originally called Tawa Flat, is located on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) and is part of the suburban rail network of 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 double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
ed, has an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
layout, and is 13.75 kilometres (8.5 mi) from 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:...
, the southern terminus of the NIMT.
Services
Tawa is served by Kapiti Line commuter trains operated by Tranz MetroTranz 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....
under the Metlink brand. Trains run every thirty minutes off-peak, and more frequently during peak periods. A number of peak services run express between Porirua
Porirua Railway Station
Porirua Railway Station is an important intermediate station in New Zealand on the Kapiti Line from Wellington and is part of Wellington's Metlink suburban rail network operated by Tranz Metro....
and 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 thus do not stop at Tawa Station.
The commuter trains are operated by electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s. These were formerly DM/D class units but are now almost always units of the EM/ET class. Two diesel-hauled
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
carriage trains, the Capital Connection and the Overlander, pass through the station but do not stop.
History
The line through Tawa was originally built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR) and the station opened on 24 September 1885. At this time, the railway followed a circuitous route via JohnsonvilleJohnsonville, New Zealand
Johnsonville is a large suburb in northern Wellington, New Zealand. It is seven kilometres north of the city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua . The population of "J'ville" was about 6,500 at the 2001 census.- Public transport :Johnsonville is a reasonably...
to reach Wellington, and Tawa was 16.48 km from the terminus. The original station was merely a flag stop
Request stop
In public transport, a request stop or flag stop describes a stopping point at which trains or buses stop only on an as-need or request basis; that is, only if there are passengers to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, infrequently used stopping points can be served efficiently.Trains save...
located near the junction of Duncan Street and Tawa Street, at which trains would only stop if signalled to do so by passengers wishing to board or alight. The original site was close to the location of the present Redwood Railway Station
Redwood Railway Station
Redwood Railway Station on the suburban rail network of Wellington, New Zealand is on the North Island Main Trunk Railway . It is double tracked with staggered side platforms; the up platform is on the north side of the Tawa Street level crossing, the down platform on the south.- Services...
.
The WMR was purchased and incorporated into the network of the New Zealand Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
in December 1908. In June 1909, the government approved ₤500 to upgrade the station.
In the 1930s, the Johnsonville route was abbreviated and renamed the Johnsonville Branch as it was bypassed by the Tawa Flat deviation
Tawa Flat deviation
The Tawa Flat deviation is a double-track section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway just north of Wellington, New Zealand. It includes two tunnels, Tawa No. 1 and Tawa No. 2 , separated by the Ngauranga Gorge. No. 2 tunnel passes under Newlands and comes out at Glenside, on the way to Tawa...
. This deviation offered a quicker route to Wellington; it was 3 km shorter, avoided the steep grades and sharp curvature of the Johnsonville route, and rejoined the original route just south of the present day Tawa station. The signal box was moved to the new station site, and the old station building was used as an addition to a local church.
Freight services began using the deviation from 24 July 1935, but passenger services did not until 19 June 1937. On the latter date, the connection between Tawa and Johnsonville was severed and double track via the deviation entered service, allowing a more intensive timetable. The line through Tawa was electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
in June 1940, and on 15 December 1957, the single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
north of Tawa was duplicated as far as Porirua.