Takapu Road Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Takapu Road Railway Station is on the suburban rail network of Wellington
, New Zealand
, on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT). It is double track
ed with side platform
s. It serves the suburbs of Redwood
and Grenada North.
under the Metlink brand every 30 minutes off-peak, and more frequently during peak periods. Some peak services run express between Porirua
and Wellington
and do not stop at Takapu Road.
They are operated by electric multiple unit
s, formerly DM/D class but now almost always EM/ET class. Two diesel-hauled
carriage trains, the Capital Connection and the Overlander, both pass through the station but do not stop.
immediately to the north. The WMR built the original route of the NIMT between Wellington and Longburn
and it was purchased by the New Zealand Railways Department
(NZR) in December 1908. The original route between Wellington and Porirua, via Johnsonville
and now truncated to the Johnsonville Line, was bypassed in the 1930s by the Tawa Flat deviation
. Takapu Road is on the northern section of this deviation. The deviation opened for freight traffic on 24 July 1935 but Takapu Road did not open until passenger services began on 19 June 1937. The line was electrified
in June 1940.
According to Hoy :
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...
, 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...
, on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT). It is double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
ed with side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s. It serves the suburbs of Redwood
Redwood, Wellington
Redwood is a part of Tawa, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. It is on the North Island Main Trunk Railway and is served by two stations, Redwood Railway Station and Takapu Road Railway Station. The Redwood subdivision was built on land acquired from the Catholic Church, on the condition that...
and Grenada North.
Services
Takapu Road is served by Kapiti Line commuter trains operated by Tranz MetroTranz 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....
under the Metlink brand every 30 minutes off-peak, and more frequently during peak periods. Some peak services run express between Porirua
Porirua Railway Station
Porirua Railway Station is an important intermediate station in New Zealand on the Kapiti Line from Wellington and is part of Wellington's Metlink suburban rail network operated by Tranz Metro....
and 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:...
and do not stop at Takapu Road.
They are operated by electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s, formerly DM/D class but now almost always EM/ET class. Two diesel-hauled
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
carriage trains, the Capital Connection and the Overlander, both pass through the station but do not stop.
History
Takapu Road is one of only two stations on the Kapiti Line not on track built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR); the other is RedwoodRedwood Railway Station
Redwood Railway Station on the suburban rail network of Wellington, New Zealand is on the North Island Main Trunk Railway . It is double tracked with staggered side platforms; the up platform is on the north side of the Tawa Street level crossing, the down platform on the south.- Services...
immediately to the north. The WMR built the original route of the NIMT between Wellington and Longburn
Longburn
Longburn is a rural settlement just outside of Palmerston North in the Manawatu-Wanganui area of New Zealand. Made up of large dairy processing plants Longburn is often mistaken to be a small township and not seen as a large satellite town of Palmerston North...
and it was purchased by the New Zealand Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
(NZR) in December 1908. The original route between Wellington and Porirua, via 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 now truncated to the Johnsonville Line, was bypassed in the 1930s by 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...
. Takapu Road is on the northern section of this deviation. The deviation opened for freight traffic on 24 July 1935 but Takapu Road did not open until passenger services began on 19 June 1937. The line was electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
in June 1940.
According to Hoy :
- Takapu Road station was built on private land. The station, and the fact that all but a few suburban trains would stop there, was part of the agreement of passing through. It is only in recent years that extra passengers have begun using the station as more homes are built in the district.