Johnsonville Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Johnsonville railway station is the terminus of the Johnsonville Line, one of eight stations on the commuter branch railway north of Wellington
in New Zealand
’s North Island. It serves the suburb of Johnsonville
, and as a bus interchange attracts traffic from other suburbs to the north and east.
The station is beside Johnsonville Mall, a major regional shopping centre, which incorporates a Countdown supermarket. Numerous other businesses and organisations are nearby in a busy retail and commercial area.
Electric multiple unit trains are operated by Tranz Metro
as part of the Metlink
network to and from Wellington
.
that now the Johnsonville Line. It remained a through station following government purchase of the line and its incorporation into the North Island Main Trunk Railway, for freight until 1935 and passengers until 19 June 1937, when the Tawa Flat deviation
was opened to all traffic and the old line between Johnsonville and Tawa was closed. This coincided with the opening of the new Wellington railway station.
Though the Railways Department wanted to keep the line closed, public pressure prevailed and the line was upgraded and electrified. The track between Johnsonville and Tawa was removed, and the new Johnsonville Line reopened on 2 July 1938 with Johnsonville as its terminus.
The station used to be a much more extensive facility. In the WMR days, the station consisted of a platform, wooden station building, sidings, and extensive stock yards. The original WMR station building was replaced in 1915. Up to the last major reconfiguration of the yard there were four roads beside the platform, the outer most of which served the goods shed, with a separate siding serving the stock yards. The track had been removed from one side of the island platform to make way for a car park.
Significant sources of goods traffic through this station included livestock and timber. Local pressure led to the transfer of livestock traffic to new sidings near Raroa station in 1958, though the Johnsonville sidings were not lifted until 1970.
In 1984 the yard was realigned to make way for an expansion of the nearby shopping facilities. The line was truncated; all sidings, ancillary buildings, and stockyards were removed; the platform was moved further south, closer to Broderick Road; and a new station building was constructed. These changes meant that there are no "run-around" facilities, making it difficult to operate locomotive-hauled trains on the line. A Countdown supermarket occupies the site of the former platform and station building.
The following Metlink
bus services terminate at or connect through this station, referred to as the Johnsonville Hub on bus displays:
Behind the station building are the bus interchange and mall car park. There is "park and ride" commuter parking by the south end of the platform separate from the Mall car park, and further parking in Moorefield Road across the line and north of the traffic lights.
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
’s North Island. It serves the suburb of Johnsonville
Johnsonville, New Zealand
Johnsonville is a large suburb in northern Wellington, New Zealand. It is seven kilometres north of the city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua . The population of "J'ville" was about 6,500 at the 2001 census.- Public transport :Johnsonville is a reasonably...
, and as a bus interchange attracts traffic from other suburbs to the north and east.
The station is beside Johnsonville Mall, a major regional shopping centre, which incorporates a Countdown supermarket. Numerous other businesses and organisations are nearby in a busy retail and commercial area.
Electric multiple unit trains are operated by Tranz Metro
Tranz Metro
Tranz Metro, part of KiwiRail, is the operator of Metlink suburban trains owned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council in the Wellington Region of New Zealand....
as part of the Metlink
Public transport in Wellington
Public transport in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is well developed compared to other parts of the country. The system covers the Greater Wellington region, including Wellington city, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa.-Administration:Public transport in...
network to and from Wellington
Wellington Railway Station
Wellington Railway Station is the southern terminus of New Zealand's North Island Main Trunk railway, Wairarapa Line and Johnsonville Line. In terms of number of services and in passenger numbers, it is New Zealand's busiest railway station.-Development:...
.
History
The original Johnsonville station was constructed by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company and was completed in 1883 though it was not used until the commencement of services on 24 September 1885 with the station having been officially opened along with the Wellington to Paremata section of the line on the 21st. Johnsonville was one of three stations built by the WMR on the section of the Wellington – Manawatu LineWellington - Manawatu Line
The Wellington and Manawatu Line is an unofficial name for the section of New Zealand's North Island Main Trunk Railway between Wellington and Palmerston North...
that now the Johnsonville Line. It remained a through station following government purchase of the line and its incorporation into the North Island Main Trunk Railway, for freight until 1935 and passengers until 19 June 1937, when the Tawa Flat deviation
Tawa Flat deviation
The Tawa Flat deviation is a double-track section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway just north of Wellington, New Zealand. It includes two tunnels, Tawa No. 1 and Tawa No. 2 , separated by the Ngauranga Gorge. No. 2 tunnel passes under Newlands and comes out at Glenside, on the way to Tawa...
was opened to all traffic and the old line between Johnsonville and Tawa was closed. This coincided with the opening of the new Wellington railway station.
Though the Railways Department wanted to keep the line closed, public pressure prevailed and the line was upgraded and electrified. The track between Johnsonville and Tawa was removed, and the new Johnsonville Line reopened on 2 July 1938 with Johnsonville as its terminus.
The station used to be a much more extensive facility. In the WMR days, the station consisted of a platform, wooden station building, sidings, and extensive stock yards. The original WMR station building was replaced in 1915. Up to the last major reconfiguration of the yard there were four roads beside the platform, the outer most of which served the goods shed, with a separate siding serving the stock yards. The track had been removed from one side of the island platform to make way for a car park.
Significant sources of goods traffic through this station included livestock and timber. Local pressure led to the transfer of livestock traffic to new sidings near Raroa station in 1958, though the Johnsonville sidings were not lifted until 1970.
In 1984 the yard was realigned to make way for an expansion of the nearby shopping facilities. The line was truncated; all sidings, ancillary buildings, and stockyards were removed; the platform was moved further south, closer to Broderick Road; and a new station building was constructed. These changes meant that there are no "run-around" facilities, making it difficult to operate locomotive-hauled trains on the line. A Countdown supermarket occupies the site of the former platform and station building.
Services
Trains depart at half-hourly intervals for Wellington, supplemented by a 13/13/26 schedule at peak times on week days.The following Metlink
Public transport in Wellington
Public transport in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is well developed compared to other parts of the country. The system covers the Greater Wellington region, including Wellington city, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa.-Administration:Public transport in...
bus services terminate at or connect through this station, referred to as the Johnsonville Hub on bus displays:
- 47: John Street
- 53: Johnsonville West
- 54: Churton Park
- 55: Grenada Village
- 56: Newlands
- 59: Johnsonville – Porirua
Facilities
This station has a single side platform and station building, in which operates a small convenience store. It is also staffed on a limited basis for ticket sales. Access is from Moorefield Road or Johnsonville Mall.Behind the station building are the bus interchange and mall car park. There is "park and ride" commuter parking by the south end of the platform separate from the Mall car park, and further parking in Moorefield Road across the line and north of the traffic lights.