Avondale railway station, Auckland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Avondale
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| Auckland Transport Urban rail | |||||||||||
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| Location | Layard Street, Avondale | ||||||||||
| Owned by | KiwiRail (track and platforms) Auckland Transport (buildings) |
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| Line(s) | Western Line | ||||||||||
| Platforms | Side platforms | ||||||||||
| Tracks | Mainline (2) | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Platform levels | 1 | ||||||||||
| Parking | Street parking only | ||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Station code | AVD | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1880 | ||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 2010 | ||||||||||
| Electrified | 25 kV AC | ||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||
| Passengers (2009) | 1,206 passengers/day | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Avondale railway station is an important train stop on the Western Line in Auckland, New Zealand. It helps people travel around the city. The station was moved in 2008 to a new spot. You can get to it from St Jude Street, Layard Street, and Crayford Street. There are plans for a new train line, called the Avondale–Southdown Line, which would connect near this station.
Station History
The Avondale railway station has a long and interesting past. Here are some key moments:
- 1880: The station first opened. It was one of the very first stations on the North Auckland Line. For its first two years, it was known as Whau.
- 1882: A post office was added right at the station. This made it a busy place for both travel and mail.
- 1912: The post office at the station closed down.
- 1914: The train platform was improved. It became an island platform, which means it had tracks on both sides. A new building was also put on this platform.
- 1915: A signal box was built. This helped control train movements safely.
- 1966: The train line leading to Morningside was made into two tracks. This allowed more trains to run at the same time.
- 1967: The signal box was removed. Train control for this area changed to a central system.
- 1993: The platform was made taller. This was done to match the height of newer trains from Perth.
- 1995: The old station building was moved to Swanson.
- 2008: The old footbridge was taken down. The original platform was removed. A temporary station was set up about 50 meters east of the old spot.
- 2010: A brand new station was built. The train line west of Avondale was also made into two tracks. The new station officially opened on June 14.
- 2014: The platforms were made longer, from 143 meters to 150 meters. This was to fit the new electric AM class trains.
New Station and Upgrades
The Avondale station you see today is quite new. Before December 26, 2008, the station had an island platform. You reached it by a footbridge near Blockhouse Bay Road.
In 2010, a much better station was built on Layard Street. This new spot is about 100 meters west and 200 meters south of the old station. It's also north of the St Jude Street road crossing.
The new station is much better for a few reasons:
- It connects more easily with the main Avondale town center.
- The platform is on a straight part of the track. The old platform was on a sharp curve, which could be tricky.
Work to electrify the railway lines was finished. This meant the station started serving electric trains in 2015. These modern trains are quieter and more environmentally friendly.
Bus Connections
Many local bus routes pass close to Avondale station. This makes it easy to switch between trains and buses. You can find buses on Great North Road, Rosebank Road, and Blockhouse Bay Road. Some of these routes include 18, 22N, 22R, 138, 191, 195, 209, and 670.
Images for kids
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The old station just before it was taken down at the end of 2008. The new station is located around the bend to the left.
