Ngaio railway station

Ngaio railway station is one of eight railway stations on the Johnsonville Branch, a commuter branch railway north of Wellington in New Zealand’s North Island, and serves the suburb of Ngaio. The station was erected and operated by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR) on their line from Wellington to Longburn. The area served by this station used to be called Crofton, until the suburb was renamed to Ngaio in 1908 to avoid confusion with Crofton, a suburb of Marton in the Manawatu.[2] From the acquisition of the WMR by the New Zealand Railways Department in 1908 until the opening of the Tawa Flat deviation in 1937, the station was on the North Island Main Trunk railway. On 2 July 1938 the truncated section of the line to Johnsonville became the Johnsonville Branch.

Ngaio
Metlink commuter rail
Ngaio railway station, looking North (2008).
Location	Collingwood Street, Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand
Coordinates	41°15′3.53″S 174°46′18.58″E
Owned by	Greater Wellington Regional Council
Line(s)	Johnsonville Line
Platforms	Dual side
Tracks	Main line (1) Crossing loop (1)
Connections	Bus services
Construction
Parking	25 spaces
Other information
Fare zone	3[1]
History
Opened	21 September 1885
Closed	1 September 1964 (freight)
Rebuilt	1967, c2010
Electrified	2 July 1938
Previous names	Crofton
Services
Preceding station   Metlink   Following station Awarua Street toward Johnsonville Johnsonville Line Crofton Downs toward Wellington

Former Ngaio yard layout
to Johnsonville Collingwood Street runaway siding signal box runaway siding to Wellington

Ngaio railway station, looking south in the direction of Crofton Downs station.

Matangi electric multiple unit trains are operated by Tranz Metro under the Metlink brand through this station in both directions to Johnsonville (to the north) and Wellington (to the south).

History

Ngaio was one of three stations constructed by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company on what is now known as the Johnsonville Branch.[3] It was opened on 21 September 1885 along with the first section of the company’s line between Wellington and Paramata.[4] Timetabled services began several days later on the 24th.

The station originally only had a single side platform, with the present-day second side platform and shelter being added at a later date. The points were manually controlled from a signal box at the southern end of the station into the 1960s,[5] with this being one of the last such sections of the line before complete automation.[2]

In 2009 the loop was lengthened towards Wellington and the southbound platform was replaced and extended. Then the northbound platform was replaced and extended to enable the new Matangi EMUs to be used on the line. Other upgrades included new platform lighting, seating, and signage.

Operation

Passenger trains cross at this station as the Up-train platform is on a crossing loop. Runaway sidings are located at both the southern and northern ends of the station for Down and Up trains (respectively). Colour light signals are also located at both ends of the platforms.

Part of the Ngaio railway station car park.

Services

Trains run in both directions through this station, departing at half-hourly intervals, supplemented by a 13/13/26 schedule at peak times on week days.

The #26 bus route passes close by this station, along Ottawa Road and Crofton Road, at the end of Waikowhai Street.

Facilities

This station has dual side platforms with a passenger shelter on each. Access between the platforms is by way of at-grade pedestrian level crossings at one end of the platforms, the former access at both ends being removed during the recent extension of platform lengths. There is pedestrian access to Waikowhai Street from the Down train platform, and a car park off Collingwood Street, behind the Up train platform.

Footnotes

1. "Text description of fare zone boundaries". Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
2. Churchman, Geoffrey B. (1998) [1988]. "North Island Main Trunk". The Story of The Wellington to Johnsonville Railway (Second ed.). Wellington: IPL Books. ISBN 0-908876-05-X. In the 1920s a Main Trunk express stops at Ngaio Station (known as "Crofton Station" until 1908 when the suburb was renamed). The signal box survived into the 1960s.
3. Hoy, Douglas G. (1970). "The Second Railway". Rails Out Of The Capital. Wellington: The New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society. p. 22. As well as Johnsonville two other stations were erected on this section, the first at Crofton, now called Ngaio, and at Khandallah.
4. "The Second Railway". Rails Out Of The Capital. p. 23. ... to Paramata, at which point the line was opened on September 21st 1885.
5. "The Railway Today". Rails Out Of The Capital. p. 81. The points are [sic] operated from the small signal box also at the south end. This is however one of the odd cases when the line is manually operated as the branch is automated.

External links

• Train timetables from Metlink.
• "Palmerston North Express and another train (photo)". Evening Post in Papers Past. 2 November 1935.
• "Steam at Ngaio Station (photo)". Evening Post in Papers Past. 2 July 1938.
• "Steam train approaching Ngaio Station (photo)". Evening Post in Papers Past. 2 July 1938.