Swanson railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swanson
Auckland Transport urban rail
Photo of the two platforms with an EMU in each.
Location	Swanson Road, Swanson, Auckland
Owned by	KiwiRail (track and platforms) Auckland Transport (buildings)
Line(s)	Western Line
Platforms	Side platforms
Tracks	Main line (2)
Construction
Platform levels	1
Parking	No
Bicycle facilities	No
History
Opened	18 July 1881
Electrified	25 kV AC
Traffic
Passengers (2009)	461 passengers/day
Services
Preceding station   MAXX (Veolia)   Following station Ranui toward Britomart Western Line Terminus

Swanson railway station is a train station in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Auckland Line and is an important stop for people using public transport.

Trains on the Western Line run from Swanson station all the way to Britomart in central Auckland. These services are managed by Auckland Transport.

Swanson station is special because it's the very end of Auckland's electrified train network in the west and north. This means that electric trains can only go as far as Swanson. In July 2015, train services to Waitakere station stopped because that part of the track wasn't electrified. Now, a special bus service helps people travel between Waitakere and Swanson stations.

The building you see at Swanson station today used to be at Avondale railway station. It was moved here after Avondale station got an upgrade.

History of Swanson Station

Swanson station has a long and interesting history. It has changed a lot over the years to become the modern station it is today.

• 1881: The station first opened its doors on 18 July.
• 1920: A signal box was built. This was a small building where workers controlled the train signals and tracks.
• 1925: Sadly, the signal box was destroyed by fire after being hit by lightning.
• 1970: The signal box was removed completely.
• 1972: The station stopped handling goods, focusing only on passenger trains. The old buildings were replaced with a simple platform shelter.
• 1995: The old building from Avondale railway station was moved to Swanson. It is now known as the Swanson Station Cafe.
• 2000: A new platform was built on the east side of the tracks.
• 2008: Another new platform was added on the west side. This helped prepare the station for double tracks, meaning trains could go in both directions at the same time.
• 2011: Work began to electrify the train lines. This means adding overhead wires to power electric trains.
• 2014: The electrification work was finished, and the station's tracks were ready for electric trains.

A footpath leading to a carpark. This photo faces east and was taken from platform 1.

A photo showing the platforms and tracks leading into the station. This photo faces east.

A photo of platform 2 facing east, with an EMU (electric train) on platform 1.