Wellington Railway Station

Infobox Station
name=Wellington
type=Metlink regional rail


image_size=
image_caption=Wellington Railway Station Frontage at night
address=Bunny Street, Wellington
coordinates= coord|41|16|43|S|174|46|51|E|region:NZ-WGN_type:railwaystation
line=North Island Main Trunk
Wairarapa Line
Johnsonville Line
other=Services
structure=
platform=9
depth=
levels=
tracks=
parking=Yes
bicycle=
baggage_check=Yes
passengers=
pass_year=
pass_percent=
pass_system=
opened=1937-06-19
closed=
rebuilt=
electrified=1953-09-14
ADA=
code=
owned=ONTRACK
zone=1 [cite web |url=http://www.metlink.org.nz/story21116.php? |title=Text description of fare zone boundaries |accessdate=2007-11-27 |accessmonthday= |accessdaymonth= |accessyear= |author=Metlink |last= |first= |authorlink=Public transport in Wellington |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Greater Wellington Regional Council |pages= |language= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]
former=
services=s-start|noclear=yes
mpassengers=

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.

History

When completed in 1937 it was New Zealand’s largest building. The land upon which it is built is reclaimed, and it was the first major New Zealand structure to incorporate a significant measure of earthquake resistance. It was constructed by Fletcher Building as one of its first major construction projects. It was designed by New Zealander W. Gray Young, famous for his neo-Georgian styles.

When it opened, Wellington's two former stations closed: Lambton, built by New Zealand Government Railways to serve the Wairarapa line; and Thorndon, built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company to serve what became the North Island Main Trunk via Johnsonville.

It has a steel frame encased in reinforced concrete and supported on groups of reinforced concrete piles. Bricks used for the outer cladding are of a special design, with slots to accommodate vertical rods reinforcing the brickwork and binding it to the structural members. It required 1.75 million bricks, plus 1500 tonnes of decorative granite and marble. The station is registered as a Category I Historic Place. [cite web|title=Register of Historic Places|url=http://www.historic.org.nz/Register/ListingDetail.asp?RID=1452&sm=|publisher=New Zealand Historic Places Trust|accessdate=2008-07-08]

Occupants

It was built to accommodate the head office of the New Zealand Railways Department and was the head office of its successors, the New Zealand Railways Corporation, New Zealand Rail Ltd and Tranz Rail, until the latter moved to Takapuna, Auckland.
ONTRACK and KiwiRail, the government's rail infrastructure owner and train operator, occupy the east wing, Victoria University of Wellington the west wing.

On 4 December 2006 the New World Railway Metro supermarket opened on the ground floor. This coincided with considerable renovation of the station's interior and exterior, and the closure of the Railway Kiosk and the American Hotdog vendor.

ervices

The station copes with large daily passenger numbers with very little alteration having proved necessary.In its first year, 7,600 passengers made 15,200 trips on 140 trains daily. Today, 22,000 passengers make 44,000 trips on 390 trains, excluding long-distance services.

Rail

The following services use the station;
*Tranz Metro suburban trains to Johnsonville, Hutt Valley and Paraparaumu/Kapiti
*Tranz Metro's Wairarapa Connection to Masterton
*Tranz Scenic's Capital Connection to Palmerston North
*Tranz Scenic's Overlander long-distance service to Auckland

Bus

The following Bus services use the station from platform 9;
*Interislander's bus shuttles to the ferry terminal
*Intercity and Newmans long-distance coaches

Lambton Interchange Bus Terminal

The Lambton Interchange Bus Terminal, which services most Wellington bus routes, is connected to Wellington Railway Station by a subway under Featherston St.

This interchange is also commonly known as the Railway Station Bus Terminal

The following bus routes service the bus terminalstation;
*1: Island Bay
*2: Miramar
*4: Happy Valley
*7: Kingston
*8: Kowhai Park
*9: Aro Street
*10: Newtown Park
*11: Seatoun
*14: Wilton - Kilbirnie
*17: Victoria University
*20: Mt Victoria
*21: Wrights Hill - Vogeltown
*22: Mairangi - Southgate
*23: Mairangi - Southgate/Houghton Bay
*24: Miramar Heights via Evans Bay
*30: Seatoun Express
*31: Miramar Express
*32: Island Bay Express
*43: Khandallah - Strathmore
*44: Khandallah - Strathmore
*45: Khandallah via Ngaio
*46: Broadmeadows
*54: Churton Park
*55: Grenada Village
*56: Newlands
*59: Porirua
*80: Wainuiomata
*81: Eastbourne
*83: Eastbourne via Lower Hutt
*84: Gracefield
*85: Eastbourne Express
*91: Airport Flyer

ee also

* Rail transport in New Zealand
* Public transport in Wellington

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.historic.org.nz/Register/ListingDetail.asp?RID=1452&sm= Listing in Register of Historic Places]
* [http://www.historic.org.nz/Register/ListingDetail.asp?RID=1452&sm= Entry in New Zealand Historic Places Trust Register]