Ngauranga railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ngauranga
Metlink regional rail
Location	Hutt Road, Ngauranga, Wellington, New Zealand
Coordinates	41°14′55.20″S 174°48′48.88″E / 41.2486667°S 174.8135778°E / -41.2486667; 174.8135778
Owned by	Greater Wellington Regional Council
Line(s)	Melling Line Hutt Valley Line
Platforms	Single island
Tracks	Main line (2)
Construction
Parking	No
Bicycle facilities	No
Other information
Fare zone	3
History
Opened	20 April 1874
Rebuilt	1966
Electrified	14 September 1953
Previous names	Ngahauranga
Services
Preceding station   Transdev Wellington   Following station Petone toward Melling Melling Line Wellington Terminus Petone toward Upper Hutt Hutt Valley Line

The Ngauranga railway station is a train stop in Wellington, New Zealand. It is located in the industrial area of Ngauranga. This station has a single island platform, which means the platform is between two train tracks.

It is part of the Wellington suburban rail network. Trains on the Melling Line and some Hutt Valley Line trains stop here. However, Wairarapa Connection trains pass by without stopping. All trains are run by Transdev as part of the Metlink network.

Ngauranga station used to handle goods and cargo. Now, it is only used by people traveling to and from work or school. The station is near a waste disposal facility. It is also at the bottom of the Ngauranga Gorge. This is where two major roads, State Highway 2 and State Highway 1, meet.

The main railway line crossing Hutt Road. Ngauranga station is in the background, next to State Highway 1.

Station History

The railway tracks reached Ngahauranga in early 1874. The first part of the train line opened on April 14, 1874. Trains initially went straight from Wellington without stopping. A week later, on April 20, Ngahauranga became a regular stop.

Early Buildings and Livestock

Ngahauranga got its first station building in late 1875. Around 1879, a simple passenger shelter was added. At this time, the station did not have extra tracks for trains to pass each other or for loading goods.

Livestock, like sheep and cattle, became a big part of train traffic after the line reached Featherston in 1878. This grew even more when the Wellington Meat Preserving and Refrigerating Company opened nearby in 1884. To serve this meat company, a special side track, called a siding, was built in June 1884. This siding went from the station yard across Hutt Road to the company's factory.

Around 1890, the first station was replaced. A new island platform was built, along with pens for unloading animals for the meatworks. The meat company quickly became a very important customer for the railway. By 1895, over 150,000 animals were brought to Ngahauranga by train. Around 1900, the station had animal yards and two sidings.

Ngauranga station looking south. The track on the left is the "Down" line, and the one on the right is the "Up" line.

Ngauranga station looking north. You can see where an extra track used to be.

Line Duplication and Signalling

In the early days, only one track was used for trains going both ways. Ngauranga was a place where trains could cross paths. In 1887, it was one of the first stations in the area to get new signalling equipment. This equipment helped manage train movements safely. Instructions said that "Down" trains (going away from Wellington) would use a loop track, while "Up" trains (going towards Wellington) would use the main line.

Early in the 20th century, it was decided to add a second track between Wellington and Lower Hutt. This work started in 1903. The second track reached Ngahauranga in 1908. The full two-track line opened for all trains on April 4, 1911.

The entrance to a tunnel once used by the Ngauranga Industrial Siding. It is now an access road to the waste disposal facility.

Meat Company Siding and Motorway Changes

The Wellington Meat Export Company, started in 1881, had a meat factory in the Ngauranga Gorge. They used the Ngauranga Industrial Siding to move animals in and meat out. This siding went through a small tunnel under the motorway and crossed Hutt Road to reach the factory. The company used its own small train engine until 1962. The siding was closed and removed in the 1980s. The tunnel under the motorway is now used by vehicles going to the waste disposal facility.

In 1966, a new motorway was being built into Wellington. This meant the railway line at Ngauranga had to be moved. A new station was built on land that was created by filling in part of the harbor. This new station included the building you see today. It replaced the older, larger wooden station. The motorway was built over the siding to the meat factory, with a tunnel for the siding to pass through.

By 1968, Ngauranga had many sidings. There were three tracks on the western side of the station, next to the two main lines. The industrial siding to the meat factory connected to these sidings. In 1982, the Ngauranga Flyover and motorway interchange were built. This was the last big construction project near the station. Today, only the two main lines on either side of the island platform remain.

The walkway from Hutt Road and the entrance to the subway that leads to Ngauranga railway station.

Train Services

Melling Line trains stop at Ngauranga every hour from Monday to Friday. During busy times, Hutt Valley Line trains also stop here every half hour. You can also switch to buses at Ngauranga. These buses go to places like Johnsonville, Newlands, or Churton Park. This allows people to travel to the Hutt Valley without going all the way into Wellington city.

Bus Connections

Several Metlink bus routes pass close to the station. These include routes 1, 19e, 52, 56, 57, 58, 83, and 60e.

Station Facilities

The station building on the platform provides a place for passengers to wait and stay out of the weather. To get to the station, you use a subway that goes under the Wellington Urban Motorway. This subway connects to Hutt Road by a short walkway. There is no car parking available at the station.