Parnell railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parnell
Auckland Transport Urban rail
Parnell railway station from the citybound platform. The heritage Newmarket station building is on the southbound platform and is undergoing refurbishment.
Location	Cheshire Street, Parnell, Auckland
Coordinates	36°51′19″S 174°46′40″E / 36.855336°S 174.777760°E / -36.855336; 174.777760
Owned by	KiwiRail (track and platforms) Auckland Transport (buildings)
Line(s)	Newmarket Line
Platforms	2 Side platforms
Tracks	Mainline (2)
Construction
Platform levels	1
Other information
Fare zone	City
History
Opened	12 March 2017 (12 March 2017)
Electrified	25 kV AC
Traffic
Passengers	2,900/week (2017)
Services
Preceding station   MAXX (Veolia)   Following station Britomart Terminus Southern Line Newmarket toward Papakura Western Line Newmarket toward Swanson

The Parnell railway station is a train station in Parnell, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It sits on the Newmarket Line, close to the Parnell Tunnel and the Auckland Domain. This station is a stop for trains on the Southern Line and Western Line. Trains on the Onehunga Line currently pass through without stopping.

The station first opened on 12 March 2017. At that time, it had basic facilities and served only a few train lines. Plans for the future include building a bridge over the tracks. This will make it easier for everyone to reach the platforms. New paths will also connect the station to the Auckland Domain, Parnell Town Centre, and the University of Auckland.

It was originally planned for all three train lines to stop at Parnell station. This depended on removing a road crossing at Sarawia Street in Newmarket. A new bridge was built to replace this crossing, which helped solve the problem.

History of Parnell Station

The Parnell railway station under construction. This view is from the Auckland Domain entrance, looking north towards the platforms. An AM class train is passing through, and a building from the former Mainline Steam depot is in the background.

Parnell Station during construction. The platforms and some fences are finished, but there are no shelters or other facilities yet.

In 2010, there was a plan to build the Parnell station early. This was to avoid extra costs later when the train lines in Auckland were being updated. The cost for the station was estimated to be around $13 million. Some money saved from upgrading the Newmarket station was suggested to help pay for this new station.

Old Train Sheds and New Buildings

The former Mainline Steam depot.

There was an idea to connect the new station with some old railway workshop sheds. These sheds belonged to the Mainline Steam depot next door. However, this idea did not happen. The Mainline Steam group moved out of the site in June 2015. The old sheds were then taken down in September 2015.

A historic station building from Newmarket station was moved to Parnell station in 2016-2017. This building was designed by George Troup in 1908. By early 2019, the building was being used for artist studios and an art gallery.

Opening the Station

In late 2015, Auckland Transport decided to delay opening Parnell station. They waited until a new road bridge at Cowie Street was finished. This bridge replaced a nearby road crossing on Sarawia Street. Auckland Transport got approval for the bridge in June 2016.

Trains finally started running at Parnell station on 12 March 2017. The official opening was on 13 March 2017. The Mayor of Auckland, Phil Goff, and local board chair, Pippa Coom, attended the event.

In July and August 2018, the Cowie Street bridge was completed and opened. The Sarawia Street road crossing was then closed. Because of these changes, a new train timetable started on 26 August 2018. This allowed Parnell to become a stop for all Southern Line and Western Line trains.

Station Layout and Connections

The Parnell station is located right next to the Auckland Domain. This is where the Auckland War Memorial Museum is. The station has two platforms, one for each direction. These platforms are connected by an underground walkway called a subway.

Future plans include creating more walking paths. These paths will connect the station to the Auckland Domain and the campuses of the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology. In November 2018, a walkway was opened. It connects Parnell Station to the University of Auckland's Carlaw Park Student Village and the Carlaw business centre. This area is close to the university's main campus.