Te Aro Extension
Encyclopedia
The Te Aro Extension, also known as the Te Aro Branch, was a short branch line
railway in Wellington
, New Zealand
continuing the Wairarapa Line
southwards. It operated from 1893 until 1917.
It should not be confused with the Te Aro Tramway, which was a trestle causeway built in 1883 as part of foreshore reclamation work.
station of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, whose line ran up the west coast towards Palmerston North
; and Lambton station of the New Zealand Railways Department
, which served the Wairarapa Line
. The present Wellington Railway Station
on Bunny Street did not open until 1937. The Railways Department sought to provide improved access to central Wellington, and began work on an extension from Lambton station to Te Aro
, with the intention to continue the line to Island Bay
. The 1.8 km long Te Aro Extension was opened on 30 March 1893, and Te Aro was the terminus for the line's lifetime, with no further work undertaken. The extension can be seen as either a branch line
in its own right, or as an extension of the Wairarapa Line
; it was not an extension of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, as that route was privately owned and separate from the national network for most of the Extension's life.
s, and it was a disruption to traffic on busy city streets.
The line was built with no facilities for freight handling at Te Aro. Passenger traffic was the line's mainstay, with 212 services a week, approximately 30 a day, in 1904. Special trains operated from Te Aro to the end of the Hutt Park Railway
whenever the Wellington Racing Club
had a horse racing
meeting, though this ceased after 1905 when the Racing Club relocated to Trentham. Competition from Wellington trams
led to a decline to only 62 services a week by 1916. Closure had been recommended by the General Manager of Railways in 1914, and this took place in March 1917 and the track was removed in 1923.
.
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway 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...
continuing 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...
southwards. It operated from 1893 until 1917.
It should not be confused with the Te Aro Tramway, which was a trestle causeway built in 1883 as part of foreshore reclamation work.
Construction
In the early 1890s, Wellington had two railway stations: ThorndonThorndon 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....
station of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, whose line ran up the west coast towards Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
; and Lambton station 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...
, which served 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...
. The present 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:...
on Bunny Street did not open until 1937. The Railways Department sought to provide improved access to central Wellington, and began work on an extension from Lambton station to Te Aro
Te Aro
Te Aro is an inner-city suburb of Wellington, New Zealand, 1 km from the centre. It comprises the southern part of the central business district including the majority of the city's entertainment district and covers the mostly flat area of city between The Terrace and Cambridge Terrace at the base...
, with the intention to continue the line to Island Bay
Island Bay, Wellington
Island Bay is a suburb of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, situated 5 km south of the city centre.Island Bay lies on the bay which shares its name, one of numerous small bays west of Lyall Bay...
. The 1.8 km long Te Aro Extension was opened on 30 March 1893, and Te Aro was the terminus for the line's lifetime, with no further work undertaken. The extension can be seen as either a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
in its own right, or as an extension of 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...
; it was not an extension of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, as that route was privately owned and separate from the national network for most of the Extension's life.
Operation
The Extension never achieved the degree of usefulness envisaged. It would have been satisfactorily located had it been built in the 1870s, but the changing nature of Wellington city meant that by the time it was built it did not provide the central city access that was intended. Nearby businesses complained about the noise and dirt from the steam locomotiveSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s, and it was a disruption to traffic on busy city streets.
The line was built with no facilities for freight handling at Te Aro. Passenger traffic was the line's mainstay, with 212 services a week, approximately 30 a day, in 1904. Special trains operated from Te Aro to the end of the Hutt Park Railway
Hutt Park Railway
The Hutt Park Railway was a private railway in Petone at the southern end of the Hutt Valley in New Zealand's North Island. It operated from 1885 as a branch from the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line, from 1915 truncated as an industrial siding....
whenever the Wellington Racing Club
Wellington Racing Club
The Wellington Racing Club is a racing horse racing club based in Trentham, Wellington, New Zealand.Founded as the Wellington Jockey Club in 1854, the first race meetings held by the club were at Hutt Park in 1854 and at Burnham Water on the Miramar Peninsula.The Club first ran its signature...
had a horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
meeting, though this ceased after 1905 when the Racing Club relocated to Trentham. Competition from Wellington trams
Wellington tramway system
The Wellington tramway system operated in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The tramways were originally owned by a private company, but were purchased by the city and formed a major part of the city's transport system.-Trams:...
led to a decline to only 62 services a week by 1916. Closure had been recommended by the General Manager of Railways in 1914, and this took place in March 1917 and the track was removed in 1923.
The branch today
The development of central Wellington has obliterated most traces of the Extension. The corner of a petrol station on Whitmore St once reflected the curve that the line took through that part of the city, but redevelopment has removed this final trace of the railway. In 2007, the demolition of The Warehouse building on Tory St revealed remains of the track and platform of the Te Aro Railway StationTe Aro Railway Station
Te Aro Railway Station was a station in Wellington, New Zealand, near the corner of Wakefield and Tory Streets. It was the terminus of the short-lived Te Aro Extension of the Hutt Valley Line and Wairarapa Line, opened in 1893, which can also be regarded as a branch line.The line was provided to...
.