Paremata railway station facts for kids

Paremata railway station is a train stop in Paremata, a town in Porirua, New Zealand. It's part of the Wellington Region's train system, called Metlink. This station is on the Kapiti Line, which is part of a bigger railway line called the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT).

The station has two tracks and a platform in the middle, known as an island platform. You can get to the station using an underground path. This path leads to a "Park and Ride" area, where people can leave their cars and catch the train. There's also a bus stop there. A bridge goes over State Highway 1, connecting the station to shops, Paremata School, and homes. Another bridge from the south end of the station also crosses the highway, leading to the nearby Papakowhai area.

Train Services at Paremata

Paremata is a stop on the Kapiti Line. This line runs commuter trains operated by Transdev Wellington under the Metlink name. These trains travel between Wellington and places like Porirua or Waikanae.

Types of Trains

Most trains that stop here are electric trains called Matangi units. These trains are powered by electricity. Two other types of trains, the Capital Connection and the Northern Explorer, are pulled by diesel engines. They pass through Paremata station but do not stop for passengers.

How Often Trains Run

All local trains going between Wellington and Plimmerton or Waikanae stop at Paremata. During the middle of the day, trains usually come every twenty minutes. In busy times, like morning and evening, they come more often. At night, they run less frequently. Before July 2018, trains ran every thirty minutes during off-peak hours, but this was changed to every twenty minutes.

Travel Times from Paremata

• It takes about four minutes to get to Porirua.
• A trip to Wellington takes about twenty-five minutes if the train stops at every station.
• If you take an express train that doesn't stop between Porirua and Wellington, the trip to Wellington is about twenty-one minutes.
• To Waikanae, it takes about thirty-five minutes.

Long-distance trains run by KiwiRail Scenic and freight trains (carrying goods) also pass by the station. However, they do not stop at Paremata.

Station History

The railway line through Paremata was first built by a company called the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR).

Early Days

The Paremata station officially opened on 21 September 1885. It was located near the old Paremata Barracks ruins. The very first train carried 59 people. In October 1885, a company called Cobb & Co built stables in Paremata. This made it possible to travel from Wellington to Wanganui in one day by using both train and horse-drawn coach.

The railway line was extended to Plimmerton in October 1885 and to Pukerua Bay by the end of that year. In 1886, the line reached Paekakariki.

Changes Over Time

In 1940, the line became electrified. This means that electric trains could now use the tracks. This happened after a new section of track, called the Tawa Flat deviation, was opened.

In 1960, a second track was added north of Paremata, going towards Mana. This made it a double-tracked line. The original station from 1885 was replaced with a new one. The new station was built on the south side of the Pauatahanui Inlet entrance, on land that was filled in to build a new bridge. It was nearly ten feet higher than the old station.

The old station yard had a large shed built during World War II for American forces. After the war, there wasn't much freight traffic, so the shed and yard were not replaced at the new station.