Ellerslie Train Station

Ellerslie Train Station is on the Southern Line of the Auckland railway network. It has an island platform.

Access to Station

Access to the station at the northern end is by a ramp down from the pedestrian overbridge crossing the Southern Motorway between Main Highway, Ellerslie and Kalmia Street. At the southern end of the station there is an underpass between Findlay Street and Sultan Street.

History

In December 1873 a railway line between Onehunga and Auckland via Newmarket, Ellerslie, and Penrose was opened with great public celebration. The line through Ellerslie subsequently became part of the North Auckland Line, with the branch line from Penrose to Onehunga known as the Onehunga Branch. The station at Ellerslie was initially between the railway bridges, with the main road running directly through the village and intersecting the line at a level crossing. By 1874 residents became concerned at a number of accidents that had occurred at the crossing and successfully lobbied for relocation of the station to the opposite side of the road, requiring realignment of the road to its present route. The railway encouraged suburban settlement and allowed a daily delivery of letters to the station until the opening of a post office in 1911.

From its opening the station was extremely busy with passengers and goods travelling to the port of Onehunga, visitors to the racecourse and gardens, and racehorses travelling from around New Zealand to compete at Ellerslie racecourse. Four or five sidings were constructed specifically for horse carriages and hundreds of residents often gathered to witness their arrival and unloading. Railway traffic increased considerably with industrial development, and between 1950 and 1959, when William Durbridge was appointed stationmaster, up to ten staff members were permanently employed. In November 1959 a new station with modern loading facilities was opened at Tamaki and Durbridge was subsequently transferred, Ellerslie becoming passenger-only. In 1960 the sidings were torn up to provide space for the Southern Motorway. The old station was severely damaged by fire in the early 1970s and was demolished in 1972. A shelter was then built and this was in turn replaced by smaller shelters in the mid-1990s.

The station is due for a full upgrade before 2011.