Otahuhu railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ōtāhuhu
Auckland Transport Urban rail
The main entrance to Ōtāhuhu Station, serving the bus and railway platforms
Location	Ōtāhuhu, Auckland
Coordinates	36°56′50″S 174°50′0″E / 36.94722°S 174.83333°E / -36.94722; 174.83333
Owned by	KiwiRail (track and platforms) Auckland Transport (buildings)
Line(s)	Eastern Line Southern Line
Platforms	Island and southbound platforms
Tracks	Mainline (3)
Construction
Platform levels	1
Parking	No
Bicycle facilities	No
Other information
Fare zone	Isthmus / Manukau North (Overlap)
History
Opened	1875
Electrified	25 kV AC
Traffic
Passengers (2011)	954 passengers/weekday
Services
Preceding station   MAXX (Veolia)   Following station Sylvia Park toward Britomart Eastern Line Middlemore toward Manukau Penrose toward Britomart Southern Line Middlemore toward Papakura

Ōtāhuhu railway station is a busy train station in Auckland, New Zealand. It's part of Auckland's train network, serving both the Eastern and Southern train lines. This station is special because it's a big transport hub, meaning you can easily switch between trains and buses here. It has an island platform, which is like a platform with tracks on both sides. You can get to the platforms using steps or a lift from a walkway above, which connects to the bus station.

The station also has an old, historic signal box, which used to control the train tracks. Ōtāhuhu is an important spot where both passenger and freight trains join or leave the main railway line.

The station first opened in 1875. It was built to serve the growing town of Ōtāhuhu. Back then, it had a building and a shed for goods. Sadly, the main building burned down in 1909 because of a fire in the oil room. There was no water nearby to put out the flames.

Station Upgrades and Changes

In May 2011, Auckland Transport and KiwiRail began work to make the train platform longer. This was so that longer passenger trains could fit. The area around the old signal box was raised, and more platform was added.

In July 2011, the signal box at Ōtāhuhu was one of the last ones in Auckland to be turned off. This was part of a big project to improve the train signalling system. The goal was to get ready for the new electric trains in Auckland. Now, train signals at Ōtāhuhu are controlled from a special centre in Wellington.

A new platform for southbound trains was opened in December 2020. This was part of the City Rail Link project. It helps trains turn around and makes it easier for bus passengers to connect to trains.

Bus and Train Connections

The bus platforms at Ōtāhuhu Station during an open day on 29 October 2016. The railway platforms are behind the left-hand platform in this view.

For a while, people were worried because the train station was quite far from the nearest bus stops. It was about a 1.2 kilometre walk! To fix this, a new bus and train interchange was built. It opened in October 2016.

People got to see the plans for the new station at a public event in August 2014. Work started in November 2014. The main construction, like building the walkway and landscaping, began in November 2015.

The new bus-train interchange and walkway cost $28 million. It was finished in October 2016 and officially opened on October 29, 2016.

The old signal box was kept as a historic reminder of the station's past.

Nearby Railway Facilities

Otahuhu Station before the 2010s upgrades.

In 1927, the Ōtāhuhu Railway Workshops opened near the station. This was a very important place for building and fixing train wagons and carriages. It was slowly closed down between 1986 and 1992.

Further south, between Ōtāhuhu and Mangere stations, a facility for making railway tracks was built. This place is still used today. Ōtāhuhu also used to have Auckland's second-largest place for storing and maintaining locomotives (train engines). It opened in 1905 but closed in 1968.

Train and Bus Services

Transdev Auckland, working for Auckland Transport, runs the local train services. From Ōtāhuhu, you can catch trains to places like Britomart, Manukau, Papakura, and Pukekohe.

During a typical weekday, outside of busy times, trains run often:

• 6 trains per hour (tph) to Britomart:
  • 3 tph go via Glen Innes (Eastern Line)
  • 3 tph go via Penrose and Newmarket (Southern Line)
• 3 tph to Manukau
• 3 tph to Papakura

Many bus routes also serve Ōtāhuhu Station. These include routes 32, 33, 321, 322, 324, 325, 326, and 351.