Waterloo railway station, Lower Hutt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waterloo
Metlink suburban rail
Location	Cambridge Terrace, Waterloo, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Coordinates	41°12′49.77″S 174°55′15.95″E / 41.2138250°S 174.9210972°E / -41.2138250; 174.9210972
Owned by	Greater Wellington Regional Council
Line(s)	Wairarapa Line
Platforms	Dual, side
Tracks	Main line (2)
Connections	Bus services
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Station code	WATE
Fare zone	4
History
Opened	26 May 1927
Rebuilt	26 November 1988
Electrified	12 September 1953
Previous names	Waterloo
Services
Preceding station   Transdev Wellington   Following station Epuni toward Upper Hutt Hutt Valley Line Woburn toward Wellington Upper Hutt toward Masterton Wairarapa Connection Petone toward Wellington

Waterloo railway station is a busy train station in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. It used to be called Waterloo Interchange or Hutt Central. This station is a key spot for people traveling by train and bus.

Waterloo station has two platforms. It serves the nearby areas of Waterloo, Lower Hutt Central, and Woburn. The station is part of the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line. It is about 15.5 kilometers (9.6 miles) north of Wellington.

Trains from Waterloo go to Wellington, Taita, Upper Hutt, and Masterton. It is also a major bus-rail interchange. This means it connects buses to and from central Lower Hutt, Naenae, and Wainuiomata with trains going to and from Wellington.

History of Waterloo Station

Waterloo station in 1950, looking south.

Waterloo station was built for two main reasons. First, the old Petone Workshops were no longer useful. Second, the train line between Petone and Haywards was too busy. There was no space to add more tracks on its old path. So, a new main train line had to be built.

Engineers planned the new line between 1924 and 1925. On May 26, 1927, the train tracks reached Waterloo. At that time, Waterloo was mostly open fields. This station was the end of the Hutt Valley Branch line until 1946. That year, the line was extended north to Naenae.

It was always planned that Waterloo would one day serve a large town. This proved true after World War II when many people moved to the area. The Hutt Valley grew a lot in the 1940s. Because of this, in February 1946, it was decided to add electric trains. Electric trains started running between Waterloo and Wellington in August 1953.

Until March 1, 1954, Waterloo only served local passenger trains. Trains going to Upper Hutt and Wairarapa still used the old line. This old line was on the western side of the Hutt Valley.

In 1986, a study about transport in the Hutt Valley was done. Waterloo was chosen to be the main place where buses and trains would connect. Before this, Woburn had been the main connection point. Waterloo was a better choice because it was closer to homes and shops. It also had enough space to build bus platforms.

The new bus and train connection facility at Waterloo opened on November 26, 1988. By March of the next year, all the new public transport routes and timetables were fully set up.

Train and Bus Services

Train Services

Transdev Wellington runs electric suburban trains on the Hutt Valley Line. These trains go between Wellington and Upper Hutt, stopping at Waterloo. They also operate the Wairarapa Connection. This is a diesel-powered train service between Wellington and Masterton, also stopping at Waterloo.

Here is a basic timetable for trains during the day, outside of busy times:

• Three trains per hour (tph) go to Wellington. These trains stop at all stations.
• Three trains per hour (tph) go to Upper Hutt. These trains also stop at all stations.
• Two Wairarapa Connection trains go to Wellington. They only stop at Petone.
• Two Wairarapa Connection trains go to Masterton. They stop at all stations from Upper Hutt onwards.

Here is a basic timetable for trains during the busy morning peak time:

• Six trains per hour (tph) go to Wellington.
  • Three of these trains stop at all stations to Petone.
  • Three of these trains run non-stop.
• Two trains per hour (tph) go to Upper Hutt. These trains stop at all stations.
• Three Wairarapa Connection trains go to Wellington. They only stop at Petone.

Bus Services

Metlink bus routes 121, 130, 150, 160, and 170 all serve Waterloo station.