Featherston Railway Station

Infobox Station
name=Featherston
type=Metlink regional rail


image_size=
image_caption=
address=Harrison Street West, Featherston
coordinates= coord|41|6|47.74|S|175|19|48.85|E|type:railwaystation_region:NZ
line=Wairarapa Line
other=Wairarapa Coachlines shuttle connecting with Martinborough
structure=
platform=Single side
levels=
tracks=1 mainline
1 loops
1 Road Siding
parking=Yes
bicycle=No
baggage_check=No
passengers=
pass_year=
pass_percent=
pass_system=
opened=1878-10-16
closed=
rebuilt=1982
electrified=No
ADA=
code=
owned=Tranz Metro
zone=11 [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
mpassengers=

Featherston railway station is a single-platform, urban railway station serving the town of Featherston in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand. The station lies on the Wairarapa Line, and is located between Harrison Street West and Harrison Street East. It is thirty five minutes journey time to Masterton, or fifty five minutes journey time to Wellington.

This station also serves a larger area of the South Wairarapa district, in particular the residents of Martinborough, as it is the closest station to several settlements outside of Featherston.

The station building houses a ticket office, but goods are no longer consigned through this station.

History

Formation work on the line reached Featherston on 17 August 1878, with platelaying completed the following month in September. Though the first train reached Featherston in late September, it was not until 16 October that the railway was opened for public use. [cite book |last= Cameron |first= Walter Norman |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title= A Line Of Railway: The Railway Conquest of the Rimutakas |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1976 |month= |publisher= New Zealand Railway And Locomotive Society |location= Wellington |language= |isbn= 0-908573-00-6 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=126 |chapter=Chapter 5: The Mountain Section |chapterurl= |quote=The formation reached Featherston on 17 August 1878. With platelaying completed in September, the first train entered Featherston in the latter part of that month, though the railway was not opened to public use until 16 October. ]

Featherston was initially a station of some importance, being the railhead for two years until the opening of the line through to Masterton. It was opened with a seven room station building, a 60 ft. by 30 ft. goods shed, a locomotive shed and watering facilities for the locomotives, but no coal supply until 1888. There were also refreshment rooms, but they, along with the locomotive depot, were removed in 1891. With the closure of the engine shed, all locomotives working the southern Wairarapa district – with the exception of the locomotive working the Greytown Branch – were based at Cross Creek. The original wooden station building was replaced with the present-day structure in 1982. [cite book |last=Churchman |first=Geoffrey B. |authorlink= |coauthors=Hurst, Tony |editor= |others= |title=The Railways of New Zealand: A journey through history |origdate= |origyear=1990 |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition=second edition |series= |volume= |date= |year=2001 |month= |publisher=Transpress New Zealand |location=Wellington |language= |isbn=0-908876-20-3 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=159 |chapter=11: Wellington |chapterurl= |quote=The station was replaced in 1982. |ref= ]

Today, the goods shed is gone, but the loading bank and two loops remain. An aggregate supplies company now occupies the area of the yard where the goods shed used to be.

As of Tuesday, 22 July 2008, all remaining sidings are in the process of being removed except the 1st road, work being completed by Friday, 8 August 2008, with lifted rail waiting to be picked up.

Services

The only trains with scheduled stops at Featherston station are the passenger services of the Wairarapa Connection. There are five such services both ways Monday to Thursday, six services on Fridays and two services each way on Saturdays and Sundays. [cite web |url=http://www.metlink.org.nz/timetables.php?route=WRL |title=Wairarapa Line |accessdate=2008-09-08 |work=Timetables |publisher=Metlink |date=2008-09-01 ]

There is a shuttle bus service operated by Wairarapa Coachlines to transport passengers between Martinborough and the Featherston railway station. These services are timed to meet the daily commuter trains. [cite news |first=Rob |last=Braddock |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Wairarapa’s bright new buses improve passenger access |url=http://www.gw.govt.nz/story24648.cfm? |work= |publisher=Greater Wellington Regional Council |date=2007-10-09 |accessdate=2007-10-29 |quote=Increased services between Featherston and Martinborough, connecting with all trains to and from Wellington ]

Gallery

References

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Footnotes

External links

* Passenger service timetables from [http://www.metlink.org.nz/section10.php Metlink] and [http://www.tranzmetro.co.nz/ Tranz Metro] .
* [http://www.waicoach.co.nz/ Wairarapa Coach Lines] .