Napier railway station, New Zealand facts for kids

The Napier railway station was a busy train station in Napier, New Zealand. It was an important stop on the main railway line that connected Palmerston North to Gisborne. The station first opened its doors on 12 October 1874. It helped connect Napier to Hastings and later to Wellington. Regular passenger trains stopped running here on 7 October 2001.

Connecting Cities: The Early Years

When the station first opened in 1874, it connected Napier to Hastings. Later, on 9 March 1891, the railway line reached Palmerston North and then Wellington. This made it much easier to travel between these cities.

Work on a railway line north of Napier began in 1912. This line slowly reached Eskdale by 1922 after some delays. Finally, it reached Gisborne on 3 August 1942. Passenger trains started running on this northern section on 7 September 1942.

Napier became a key station for both goods and passenger trains. Trains like the Endeavour express would often pass straight through. However, the northern section of the line was closed down in 2012.

Moving the Station: A New Beginning

The original Napier station building was located near the city centre. It was on the corner of Station Street and Millar Street. Over time, the area around the station grew very busy. It included the passenger station, a goods yard, and places for trains to be repaired.

The railway line at this spot was on a curve, which made it tricky for trains. Also, there wasn't much space to expand because of level crossings at each end. To solve these problems, many of the railway operations were moved.

Between 1989 and 1991, most of the maintenance and other railway functions moved to Pandora Point. This new location was at the start of the Ahuriri Branch line. After this big move, only a new InterCity coach and train terminal remained at the city site. This new terminal faced Munroe Street.

The old station closed on 6 October 1990. A brand new station then opened on 9 June 1991. The old station building and a large office block were taken down. This made three hectares of land available for new shops and businesses.

Pandora Point: A New Railway Hub

At Pandora Point, a new area was built for trains. This included a marshalling yard, where trains are sorted, and a freight terminal for goods. There was also a new place to store and repair locomotives. A special triangle-shaped track was added. This allowed trains to turn around and easily go north or south from the port.

The old Ahuriri yard, which was nearby, was closed. The main railway line heading north to Gisborne was also moved slightly to the east. This allowed a new road to be built to the Tamatea area of Napier. The land that used to belong to the railway was then used for new industrial buildings.

Passenger Services and Their End

The Endeavour express train was replaced by the Bay Express in December 1989. The Endeavour had already stopped running between Napier and Gisborne in March 1988. The Bay Express also ended its journey at Napier.

The Bay Express was the last regular passenger train service to use the station. It was cancelled on 7 October 2001. Even though regular services stopped, special heritage trains and excursions still visit the station several times each year.

Images for kids

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  Napier Mail train leaving Napier Railway Station for Wellington. ATLIB 293533