List of Christchurch railway stations facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This article lists railway stations in the Christchurch area of New Zealand. You'll find stations that are still in use today and others that have closed down. The list includes stations from several railway lines, like the Eyreton Branch, Little River Branch, Main North Line (up to Rangiora), Main South Line (up to Burnham), Midland Line (up to Springfield), Oxford Branch, Southbridge Branch, and Whitecliffs Branch.

List of Stations
About the Stations
- Addington
- Belfast
- Bryndwr
- Burnham
- Christchurch
- Heathcote
- Hornby
- Islington
- Kaiapoi
- Kainga
- Ladbrooks
- Lincoln
- Linwood
- Little River
- Lyttelton
- Middleton
- Opawa
- Papanui
- Rangiora
- Riccarton
- Rolleston
- Sockburn
- Stewarts Gully
- Templeton
- Weedons
- Woolston
See also

List of Stations

Station	Line	Opened	Closed	Notes
Addington (Addington Junction)	Main South Line	13 October 1866	13 October 1986 (freight)
Annat	Midland Line	24 December 1879	10 December 1984
Aylesbury		1 December 1874	18 February 1979
Bealey's Road		1 December 1874	May 1879?	This station closed completely sometime prior to May 1879.
Belfast	Main North Line	29 April 1872	13 October 1986 (freight)
Bells	Oxford Branch	21 September 1887	19 April 1959
Bennetts Junction		1 February 1878	19 April 1959
Bexley		7 August 1884	14 July 1930
Birdlings Flat	Little River Branch	16 May 1882	30 June 1962
Bryndwr (Bryndwyr)	Main North Line	?	27 March 1977
Burnham (Leeston Road)	Main South Line	February 1868	1993?	This station closed completely sometime prior to 1993.
Carleton	Oxford Branch	21 June 1875	19 April 1959
Chaneys	Main North Line	1877	19 September 1971
Christchurch (first station)	Main South Line	1 December 1863	1877
Christchurch (second station)	Main South Line	21 December 1877	5 April 1993
Christchurch (third station)	Main North Line	5 April 1993	-
Coalgate (Bluff)	Whitecliffs Branch	3 November 1875	31 March 1962
Cust	Oxford Branch	1 December 1874	19 April 1959
Darfield (Darfield Junction)	Midland Line	1 December 1874	-
Doyleston	Southbridge Branch	13 July 1875	30 June 1962
Ellesmere	Southbridge Branch	26 April 1875	30 June 1962
Fernside	Oxford Branch	1 December 1874	19 April 1959
Ferrymead	Ferrymead Railway	30 December 1863	9 November 1867	Re-opened briefly in 1868.
Ferrymead	Ferrymead Historic Park	1977	-
Flaxton	Main North Line	3 September 1872	17 July 1966
Glentunnel (Surveyors Gully)	Whitecliffs Branch	22 April 1876	31 March 1962
Goulds Road	Southbridge Branch	16 April 1909	25 July 1960
Greenpark	Little River Branch	16 May 1882	30 June 1962
Hawkins	Whitecliffs Branch	3 November 1875	31 March 1962
Heathcote (The Valley)	Main South Line	1 December 1863	11 August 1985	Remained open for private siding traffic only until closing in October/November 1986.
Hills Road	Southbridge Branch	13 July 1875	30 June 1962
Homebush	Whitecliffs Branch	3 November 1875	31 March 1962
Hornby (Hornby Junction, Southbridge Junction)	Main South Line	13 October 1866	-
Horrelville	Eyreton Branch	1 February 1878	26 May 1954
Irwell	Southbridge Branch	13 July 1875	30 June 1962
Islington	Main South Line	May 1883	18 June 1972	Remained open for private siding traffic only.
Kaiapoi	Main North Line	29 April 1872	13 October 1986 (freight)
Kainga	Main North Line	1883	27 March 1977
Kaituna	Little River Branch	16 May 1882	30 June 1962
Kirwee	Midland Line	1 December 1874	-
Ladbrooks	Southbridge Branch	26 April 1875	30 June 1962	Also known as Ladbrooke's
Lake Road		April 1886
Leeston		13 July 1875
Lincoln (Lincoln Junction)		26 April 1875	1 July 1967
Linwood	Main South Line	16 December 1880	22 July 1973
Little River	Little River Branch	11 March 1886	30 June 1962	This station has been preserved on site.
Lyttelton	Main South Line	9 December 1867	1873
Lyttelton		August 1873	1963
Lyttelton		14 October 1963	1976
Mandeville North	Eyreton Branch	27 December 1875	26 May 1954
Middleton	Main South Line	13 October 1866	14 December 1970	The Middleton Marshalling Yard & Freight Terminal opened many years after this station ceased to handle passenger traffic.
Moorhouse	Ferrymead Historic Park	1977	-
Motukarara	Little River Branch	16 May 1882	30 June 1962	This station has been preserved near its original site.
Ohoka	Eyreton Branch	27 December 1875	26 May 1954
Opawa	Main South Line	30 April 1864	30 April 1972
Oxford East	Oxford Branch	21 June 1875	19 April 1959
Oxford West	Oxford Branch	21 June 1875	19 April 1959
Papanui	Main North Line	29 April 1872	16 June 1991	Remained open for private siding traffic but now closed completely.
Parish's	Main South Line	13 October 1866	16 December 1878
Prebbleton	Southbridge Branch	26 April 1875	1 July 1967
Racecourse Hill	Midland Line	1 December 1874	18 November 1973
Rangiora	Main North Line	5 November 1872	-	Northern terminus of Christchurch suburban passenger services until 30 April 1976
Riccarton	Main North Line	29 April 1872	2 July 1977
Rolleston	Main South Line	16 October 1866	-
Sandy Knolls	Midland Line	October 1899	1 March 1970
School Road	Eyreton Branch	April 1884	26 May 1954
Sheffield (Malvern)	Midland Line	1 December 1874	3 November 1986
Sockburn	Main South Line	13 October 1866	March 1987
South Malvern	Whitecliffs Branch	3 November 1875	31 March 1962
Southbridge	Southbridge Branch	13 July 1875	30 June 1962
Southbrook	Main North Line	3 September 1972	5 July 1981
Springbank (Moeraki)	Oxford Branch	3 November 1875	21 November 1960
Springfield	Midland Line	24 December 1879	-
Springston	Southbridge Branch	26 April 1875	30 June 1962
Stoke	Oxford Branch	May 1879	3 July 1949
Styx	Main North Line	29 April 1872	31 March 1984
Swannanoa	Eyreton Branch	27 December 1875	26 May 1954
Templeton	Main South Line	13 October 1866	25 July 1971
View Hill	Oxford Branch	7 August 1884	14 July 1930
Waddington	Midland Line	1 December 1874	29 July 1962
Waverley	Eyreton Branch	27 December 1875	31 March 1917
Weedons	Main South Line	13 October 1866	1 February 1964
West Eyreton	Eyreton Branch	27 December 1875	19 April 1959
Wetheral	Eyreton Branch	27 December 1875	26 May 1954
White Cliffs (Whitecliffs)	Whitecliffs Branch	3 November 1875	31 March 1962
Wilson's Siding	Eyreton Branch	18 October 1876	26 May 1954
Woolston (Hillsborough)	Main South Line	June 1883	-

About the Stations

Addington

Until the 1970s, Addington was a very important place for buying and selling farm animals. It had large yards and platforms next to the railway tracks. Animals came from far away, like Marlborough and the West Coast. The railways were a great way to move animals, even for short distances.

When the railway workshops closed, a new Christchurch railway station for long-distance trains was built here. It opened on April 5, 1993.

Today, there are no passenger facilities left. But the site still has a signal box and tracks for storing trains. The land where the animal yards used to be is now empty.

The old building where animals were sold.
The land where the animal yards were, with the back of the building.
Ramps for loading animals onto trucks.

Belfast

Belfast was another station on the Main North Line. It closed for freight in 1986.

Bryndwr

This station served people living in the suburbs of Bryndwr and Elmwood. Today, nothing is left of the station.

Burnham

Burnham station was on the Main South Line. It closed completely around 1993.

Map of Burnham

Christchurch

The current Christchurch station on Troup Drive is the third railway station in the city. The first two stations were closer to the city centre.

The Christchurch platform and a conveyor belt for luggage.
The Christchurch platform and building, looking towards Addington.
The main platform and old station yard at Moorhouse Avenue.
The Christchurch railway station building on Moorhouse Avenue.

Heathcote

This station was once called The Valley. It was very close to the entrance of the Lyttelton rail tunnel. It had a signal box, tracks for nearby businesses, and passenger areas. Only the platform remains today. You can get to it from Station Road.

A signal box built in 1870 was supposed to be moved to a heritage park. But it was sadly destroyed by fire in 1996, just before it could be moved.

Looking along the Heathcote station platform towards the Lyttelton rail tunnel.
Looking along the Heathcote station platform towards Ferrymead.
An overview of the old Heathcote station. Only the platform is left.
You can enter the Heathcote station platform through this gate from Station Road.
Looking along the Heathcote station platform towards the Lyttelton rail tunnel.

Hornby

Hornby station was on the Main South Line and is still in use today.

Map of Hornby
The back of the loading area in front of the station platform.
The back of the loading area in front of the station platform.
A close-up view of the main platform.
A view of both platforms together.
The main platform from the side.

Islington

Islington station was on the Main South Line. It closed for passenger traffic in 1972.

Map of Islington

Kaiapoi

The Main North Line railway runs through Kaiapoi. This town was once where the Eyreton Branch line started. This branch line connected Kaiapoi to communities west of it. The Eyreton Branch opened in 1875 and fully closed by April 1965.

The old Kaiapoi Station after it was moved.
The site where the station was moved, showing damage from the September 2010 Canterbury earthquake.

Kainga

Kainga station was a small country station that served the village of Kainga. Nothing is left of it now. The railway line through Kainga was changed in 1958 when a new bridge was built over the Waimakariri River.

Map of Kainga
Looking North from the station site.

Ladbrooks

Ladbrooks station was on the Southbridge Branch line. It closed in 1962.

Map of Ladbrooks

Lincoln

Lincoln station was on the Southbridge Branch line. It closed in 1967.

Map of Lincoln

Linwood

Linwood was one of the "younger" stations and was not built by the local government. Nothing is left of the station building today. However, the site was still used for trains as a place to store and fix locomotives. This depot was badly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and was later taken down. Its services were moved to Middleton.

The site where the Linwood railway station used to be.
The water tower and turntable at the Linwood station site.
The Linwood Locomotive Depot.

Little River

The Little River station has been very well looked after by the local community. They have turned it into a centre that sells local crafts and historical items. The platform and the goods shed (where items were stored) are still in good condition. Some tracks have even been put back so that old freight wagons can be shown off.

The Little River railway station, now a tourist information centre and craft shop.
A view of the surprisingly large old yard at Little River.
A wagon parked at the Little River Railway Station.
A welcome sign leaning against the goods shed.
A Guard's Van at the Little River Railway Station.
Several types of wagons and a guard's van on a small section of track.
An old cattle wagon and a small hut at Little River.
The goods shed, loading area, and a cattle wagon.

Lyttelton

Lyttelton railway station is at the very end of the Main South Line. This main railway line goes all the way from Lyttelton to Invercargill in the South Island of New Zealand. There have been three different stations built at Lyttelton. The newest one is still used for railway purposes today.

Map of Lyttelton
Lyttelton railway station.
The Lyttelton railway station yard. You can see the bridge, the station building, and parts of the wharves.
Lyttelton railway station from above.
Lyttelton railway station as seen from Norwich Quay.

Middleton

Middleton station was on the Main South Line. It closed for passenger traffic in 1970.

Map of Middleton

The Middleton Marshalling Yard in Christchurch was a large area for sorting train wagons. It had a special "hump" to help move wagons around. It opened in 1927, closed for a short time, and then reopened. It fully closed in 1998.

Opawa

This station served people living in the suburb of Opawa. Nothing is left of the station today.

Map of Opawa
The Opawa railway station site, from a walkway.
The Opawa railway station site, looking south.
The Opawa railway station site, looking north.
The Heathcote River rail bridge, just south of the Opawa station site.

Papanui

The Papanui Railway Station closed in 1991. It is located on Restell Street in Papanui, Christchurch. This building is considered a historic place by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

Papanui Railway Station from Restell Street.
A view of the railway tracks looking south.
A view of the platform.
A close-up of the station sign.

Rangiora

Rangiora station is on the Main North Line and is still open. It was the northern end for Christchurch local passenger trains until 1976.

Map of Rangiora Station

Riccarton

The Riccarton railway station was on the Main North Line. The station building was on the west side of the tracks.

Riccarton station's last passenger service was a single weekday train between Christchurch and Rangiora in 1976. These trains were popular with people who worked in the eastern parts of the city.

In 1959, the station was quite busy. It handled coal for local businesses, timber from the West Coast, and wheat for a nearby flour mill.

For many years, a special train would go through Riccarton station for a horse racing event. It carried people, horses, trainers, and jockeys. But as more people started using cars and horse floats, the train became less popular.

In its busiest times, the station had a platform, a station building, and several extra tracks. There was even a special track built in 1905 that went through Hagley Park to serve a big exhibition. This track was only used for freight and was removed in 1908.

Today, there are no clear signs of the station left. The old station yard is now a bus and car park. A path for bikes and walkers runs along the western side of the railway line.

The former station site.
A view of the railway track looking south.

Rolleston

The town of Rolleston first got a railway station from the Canterbury Provincial Railways. Since then, many different trains have used the station, including the long-distance TranzAlpine passenger train.

The station is located on State Highway 1. The current station building opened on March 17, 1969.

Rolleston railway station, looking north.
The loading area.
The station building.
The Rolleston station yard, looking south.

Sockburn

Sockburn station was on the Main South Line. It closed in 1987.

Map of Sockburn

Stewarts Gully

This station served the small community of Stewarts Gully. The exact dates it was open are not known. The railway line in this area opened in 1872. The station closed in 1958 when a new bridge was built over the Waimakariri River, and the tracks were moved.

Map of Stewarts Gully

Templeton

Templeton station was on the Main South Line. It closed in 1971.

Map of Templeton

Weedons

Weedons station was on the Main South Line. It closed in 1964.

Map of Weedons

Woolston

This station was once called Hillsborough. Today, it is still used as a place for freight (goods) for several nearby businesses. The platform and loading area are still there, but the station building has been taken down.

A view along the Woolston Railway Station platform.
Woolston Railway Station: tracks for wagons in the front, and a container storage yard in the back.
An old private track across the street from the Woolston Railway Station yard.
A view from the side of the Woolston Railway Station platform.