Upper Hutt railway station facts for kids
The Upper Hutt railway station is a train station in the middle of Upper Hutt, New Zealand. It's part of the Wairarapa Line and is about 32.4 kilometers (20.1 miles) north of Wellington. Trains here are run by Transdev Wellington for the Greater Wellington Regional Council. This station is the last stop for electric trains on the Hutt Valley Line coming from Wellington. The diesel-powered Wairarapa Connection also stops here on its way between Wellington and Masterton.
The station first opened in February 1876. It was largely rebuilt in 1955 when the train lines to Upper Hutt became electric. In 2015, the station got another upgrade with a new building and improved platforms.
Upper Hutt station has two platforms: one next to the main track and another at the end of a side track. Electric trains can be stored overnight in fenced areas next to the station. There's also a special side track and platform for suburban trains that end their journey at Upper Hutt.
Quick facts for kids
Upper Hutt
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| Metlink suburban rail | ||||||||||||||||
Rebuilt Upper Hutt railway station, May 2016
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| Location | Station Crescent, Upper Hutt, New Zealand | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°7′34.11″S 175°4′13.77″E / 41.1261417°S 175.0704917°E | |||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Greater Wellington Regional Council | |||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Wairarapa Line | |||||||||||||||
| Platforms | Single, Island with bay platform (southern end) | |||||||||||||||
| Tracks | Main lines: 1 Crossing loops: 1 Sidings: 1 (Bay Platform) Row sidings: 5 (EMU storage in fenced area) Private sidings: 1 (to Parapine) |
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| Connections | Bus services | |||||||||||||||
| Construction | ||||||||||||||||
| Parking | Yes | |||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | |||||||||||||||
| Disabled access | Yes | |||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||
| Station code | UPPE (Metlink) UPH (KiwiRail Network) |
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| Fare zone | 7 | |||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1 February 1876 | |||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1955 2015 |
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| Electrified | 24 July 1955 | |||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||
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Contents
History of Upper Hutt Station
How the Station Started
The train tracks reached Upper Hutt in January 1876. There was bad flooding that blocked the road between Upper Hutt and Taita. To help people travel, Upper Hutt station opened on February 1, 1876. This happened even though the station buildings weren't fully finished yet. The train line and station were then given to the local government to run while more tracks were built.
Early Train Services
Once the line was open to Upper Hutt, more and more people and goods started using it. At first, most of the goods were timber and wool. Passenger trains ran three times a day from Upper Hutt to Wellington and back. Because of the new train service, fewer road coaches were needed. The train station in Upper Hutt became a busy hub, and train traffic increased by 50%.
In its first year, the station got a building, a shed for goods, a coal storage area, an engine shed, and two water tanks. This cost about £2,040. In 1955, a new station building was put up. This was part of a big upgrade for the new electric trains coming to the Hutt Valley Line.
Signals and Safety
When the station first opened, trains only ran during the day and were slow. So, there were no fixed signals to control them. Upper Hutt was one of the first stations on the Wairarapa Line to get signals. These signals helped guide trains safely. By 1921, there were so many trains that new automatic signals were installed. These new signals started working between Wellington and Upper Hutt in early 1923.
In 1955, after the Remutaka Tunnel opened, a special system called Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) was put in place at Upper Hutt station. This system helped control train tracks and signals between Trentham and Featherston. However, only some parts could be controlled directly from Upper Hutt. On February 6, 2007, the Upper Hutt signal box was closed. Now, all train control for this line is done from central Wellington.
All passenger trains pulled by locomotives between Wellington and Upper Hutt were replaced by electric trains starting July 24, 1955.
The 2015 Station Upgrade
In June 2014, the Greater Wellington Regional Council decided to upgrade Upper Hutt station. Work began on January 5, 2015. First, they improved the platform south of the station building. They resurfaced it and added two "butterfly" shelters.
The ticket office and staff moved to temporary buildings on May 11, 2015. This happened after the platform work was finished. Soon after, work started to remove asbestos from the old building before it was taken down. The new station officially opened in December 2015. In 2016, 94 new parking spaces were added, bringing the total from 228 to 322.
Train and Bus Services
Train Services
Metlink runs electric suburban trains on the Hutt Valley Line between Wellington and Upper Hutt. It also runs the Wairarapa Connection, which is a diesel train service between Wellington and Masterton that stops at Upper Hutt.
Here's how often trains usually run during the day:
- Three trains per hour (tph) to Wellington, stopping at all stations.
- Two Wairarapa Connection trains to Wellington, stopping only at Waterloo and Petone.
- Two Wairarapa Connection trains to Masterton, stopping at all stations.
During the busy morning peak time, trains run more often:
- Three trains per hour (tph) to Wellington, stopping at all stations to Taita, then only at Waterloo.
- Three Wairarapa Connection trains to Wellington, stopping only at Waterloo and Petone.
Bus Services
Several Metlink bus routes serve Upper Hutt station, connecting it to other areas:
- Route 110: From Petone to Emerald Hill.
- Route 111: To Totara Park.
- Route 113: To Riverstone Terraces.
- Route 112: To Te Mārua.
- Route 114: To Trentham via Poets Block.
- Route 115: To Pinehaven.
Images for kids
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Upper Hutt railway station car park.
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Looking south from Upper Hutt station platform. The dock is to the right, the main line to the left of the platform, and the crossing loop at far left. To the left of the crossing loop is the southern entrance to the EMU storage area.
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Upper Hutt railway station dock platform terminus (at buffer) in front of the railway station building. The blue boxes on the platform are cycle storage lockers.
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EMU storage area and row sidings at Upper Hutt railway station in a fenced part of the station yard. In the foreground are the crossing loop (left), and main line (right).
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Looking north along the Upper Hutt railway station platform. To the left is the dock and to the right are the main line and crossing loop. Behind the fence (right) is the EMU storage area. In the background is the station building (centre), and neighbouring big-format retailers (right).
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Neighbouring big-format retailers at Upper Hutt railway station, from foreground to background: Briscoes, Wellington Beds, Big Save Furniture, Mitre 10 Mega
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Bus terminal
