Christchurch railway station, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christchurch
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| Location | 1st, 2nd station: Moorhouse Avenue 3rd station: Troup Drive, Addington, Christchurch, New Zealand |
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| Coordinates | 1st, 2nd: 43°32′25.18″S 172°38′28″E / 43.5403278°S 172.64111°E 3rd: 43°32′23.74″S 172°36′28.41″E / 43.5399278°S 172.6078917°E |
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| Owned by | 1st: Canterbury Provincial Railways 2nd: New Zealand Railways Department 3rd: KiwiRail |
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| Line(s) | 1st, 2nd: Main South Line 3rd: Main North Line |
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| Platforms | Single side | ||||||||||||||
| Tracks | Main line (1) Loop (1) |
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| Parking | Yes | ||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1st: 1 December 1863 2nd: 21 December 1877 3rd: 5 April 1993 |
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| Closed | 1st: 20 December 1877 2nd: 4 April 1993 |
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| Rebuilt | 2nd: 1 November 1960 | ||||||||||||||
| Electrified | 2nd: 14 February 1929 – 18 September 1970 | ||||||||||||||
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The Christchurch railway station is a train station in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the Main North Line at Addington. This is the only passenger train station left in the city. Local train services stopped in the 1970s because not enough people used them.
Today, it is the starting or ending point for the South Island's two main long-distance passenger trains: the TranzAlpine and the Coastal Pacific. The current station is the third one to serve Christchurch. The first two stations were close to each other on Moorhouse Avenue. This was a bit closer to the city centre.
Contents
The Story of Christchurch's Train Stations
First Train Station: 1863-1877
Christchurch's very first train station was built by the Canterbury Provincial Council. It opened on 1 December 1863. This station was for the Ferrymead Railway line, which connected the city to the wharf at Ferrymead.
From 1867, trains from Lyttelton and the west also used this station. The Main South Line was extended to places like Addington and Rolleston.
At first, the station was quite simple. It had a platform, a station building, and a shed for goods. There was also a shed for locomotives and a place for staff to live. Soon, it became clear that the station was too small. More space was needed for goods and trains.
People often stored goods in wagons outside the sheds. This led to problems like theft. The government received many complaints about this. They were told that more storage was needed. There were also concerns about the trains themselves. They needed better maintenance.
By 1874, the station was very busy. Passenger trains from Lyttelton were separated from goods trains. The station was simply not big enough anymore. An official said that the station was "too small and cramped." He suggested that it needed to be rebuilt if it stayed in the same place.
The first station closed on 20 December 1877. This was when the railway lines were changed to a new, narrower size. A new station was ready to handle the new trains.
Ideas for a City Centre Station
Many people thought the first Christchurch station was too far from the city centre. The Press newspaper even joked that it was only "Christchurch" on a train ticket! People wanted a train line that went right into the heart of the city. Cathedral Square was a popular idea for a central station.
Some people suggested building a line from Riccarton to a station near the Botanical Gardens. They even thought about a side track into Worcester or Hereford Streets. This idea was popular with people from the north.
A group of business people offered to pay £31,500 for a city station. They wanted to build a branch line from the Main South Line. This line would go to a new station between Cashel Street and Lichfield Street. However, after looking at the money, they realised it would not make much profit. So, the idea was put aside.
The provincial government decided not to get involved in these city train lines. This meant the dream of a central city station did not happen.
Second Train Station: 1877-1993
A new station was built on Moorhouse Avenue. It opened on 21 December 1877. This station was designed in a Victorian style, using wood and red brick. It had a main platform and a separate island platform. A footbridge connected the two platforms. Both platforms had roofs to protect people from the weather.
Many different trains used this station:
- Boat trains connected to ferries going between islands (until 1976).
- Local trains went to Lyttelton (until 1972) and Rangiora (until 1976).
- Long-distance trains went to places like Dunedin and Picton.
One exciting event was in 1929. New Zealand's first electric suburban train service started here. These trains ran between Christchurch station and Lyttelton. This was the second time a railway line in New Zealand was electrified. The electric system was removed in 1970.
Plans for a new station were discussed as early as 1914. The design for a new building was approved in 1936. However, World War II delayed the work. The new building was finally finished and opened on 1 November 1960.
Over time, fewer people travelled by train. Also, the way goods were handled changed. This led to the decision to close this station. The station building was sold in 1991.
Damage from Earthquakes
On 4 September 2010, the building's clock tower was damaged by an earthquake. The clock stopped working. The damage was not too bad, and temporary repairs were made.
More serious damage happened during the earthquake on 22 February 2011. The building needed a lot of repairs and strengthening. The cost of these repairs was very high. The owners, Science Alive!, decided it was too expensive to fix. They chose to have the building taken down.
Work to demolish the building started in August 2012. The last part of the building was removed on 31 October. There are now plans to build a cinema, hotel, and shops on the site.
Third and Current Station: 1993-Present
A new station was built to better suit the needs of modern passenger trains. The old station was designed for many trains coming and going. But now, only a few long-distance trains use the station. These are mainly for tourists.
The Addington Railway Workshops had recently closed. So, it was decided to build the new station on that land. The new station opened on 5 April 1993. It shares the land with the Tower Junction shopping centre.
In 2002, the Southerner train service stopped running. This left the station with only the TranzAlpine and the Coastal Pacific trains.
Christchurch Station Today
There is no sign left of the very first train station. The land where it stood is now used for businesses.
The second station building was sold in the early 1990s. The area around it became a shopping area. The station building itself was damaged in the 2011 earthquake. It used to house shops, including the Science Alive! exhibition and a cinema. The building was listed as a historic place.
The area where the train platforms used to be is now a car park. There are still a few things that remind people of the station's past. These include a special plaque and a memorial for railway workers.
In 2005, a report looked into bringing back passenger trains in Christchurch. One idea was an underground train loop and a new central station. However, this idea was too expensive.
Images for kids
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Station in December 2011
