Paraparaumu railway station facts for kids

The Paraparaumu railway station is located in Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand. It is an important stop on the Kapiti Line, which is part of the main railway route called the North Island Main Trunk. This station is used by Tranz Metro's electric commuter trains that travel to and from Wellington.

From 1983 until February 20, 2011, Paraparaumu was the very last stop for Kapiti Line trains. But then, the electric train tracks were extended further north to Waikanae, so trains could go even further!

Train Services at Paraparaumu

Paraparaumu is the last station before Waikanae, which is the final stop for Kapiti Line commuter trains. These trains are run by Transdev Wellington under the Metlink brand. They travel between Wellington and Porirua or Waikanae. The trains used on this line are modern electric multiple units called Matangi trains (officially FT/FP class).

Besides the regular commuter trains, two other special trains also stop at Paraparaumu:

• The Capital Connection: This train connects Palmerston North to Wellington.
• The Northern Explorer: This long-distance train travels between Auckland and Wellington.

How Often Do Trains Run?

• During the day, outside of busy times, trains usually run every twenty minutes.
• During peak hours (when people are going to work or school), trains run more often.
• At night, they run less often.
• Before July 2018, trains ran every thirty minutes during off-peak times. This was changed to every twenty minutes on July 15, 2018.

Travel Times and Express Trains

• It takes about six minutes to get to Waikanae by train.
• It takes about thirty-three minutes to get to Porirua.
• It takes about fifty-four minutes to get to Wellington if the train stops at every station.
• Some express trains go faster, taking about forty-nine minutes to Wellington. These trains don't stop between Porirua and Wellington.
• During busy peak times, some trains from Wellington might only go as far as Porirua and then return to Wellington. Other peak trains might go express (non-stop) between Wellington and Porirua before stopping at all stations from Porirua to Waikanae.

Connecting with Buses

The Paraparaumu station is also a major place to switch to Metlink bus services. Many bus routes serve the station, including routes 250, 260, 261, and 262. Other routes like 251, 264, 280, and 290 also use the station, but less often.

History of Paraparaumu Station

The Paraparaumu railway station first opened on August 2, 1886. It was part of the Wellington-Manawatu Line, which was built by a company called the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR). This line connected Wellington to Longburn.

Early Buildings and Ownership

The very first station building was replaced in 1893. The new building actually came from the Shannon! In 1908, the New Zealand Government bought the WMR line. After that, the station continued to serve passengers on the main railway line (NIMT).

Electrification and Modern Trains

In the 1970s, commuter trains from Wellington started coming to Paraparaumu. These trains were pulled by diesel engines from Paekākāriki, which was as far as the electric tracks went at the time.

The electric tracks were then extended to Paraparaumu, and electric trains started running here on May 7, 1983. This happened soon after the arrival of the Ganz-Mavag EM/ET class EMUs, which were the main electric trains for almost 30 years. The commuter service was extended even further to Waikanae on February 20, 2011. This was also when the new Matangi electric trains were introduced.

Station Changes Over Time

The way the station is set up has changed quite a bit over the years.

• Before the electric tracks were extended to Waikanae in 2011, the station had a special "bay platform" (a track that ends at the station), a side platform, and another track on the eastern side.
• During the upgrades, a new side platform was built.
• A special walkway under the tracks (a pedestrian underpass) was built to connect the two platforms. This replaced an older bridge that connected the platforms to the car park.
• The bay platform is still there, but it's not used very often now.
• Paraparaumu is the only station on the Wellington train network, apart from Wellington station itself, that has more than two platforms.

Images for kids

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  Paraparaumu Station looking south towards Wellington

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  The station car park before it was renovated