Palmerston North railway station
Palmerston North | |||||||||||||||||||||
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General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Matthews Avenue, Palmerston North New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 40°20′40″S 175°35′40″E / 40.3444°S 175.5944°E | ||||||||||||||||||||
Elevation | 30 m (98 ft) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Owned by | KiwiRail | ||||||||||||||||||||
Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance | Wellington 136.23 km (84.65 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Platforms | 1 side platform | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tracks | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Connections | Napier & Gisborne line (goods only) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||
Parking | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 20 October 1876 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Rebuilt | 1891, 1963 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Electrified | 25 kV 50 Hz AC | ||||||||||||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Historic railways | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Palmerston North railway station is a main station on the North Island Main Trunk serving the city of Palmerston North in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand.
It is the northern terminus of the Capital Connection long-distance commuter train to Wellington and a major stop on the Northern Explorer service between Auckland and Wellington.
A new Palmerston North (regional) intermodal freight hub is proposed by KiwiRail for a site to the north-east of Palmerston North. The plan has been developed with a grant of $40 million from the Provincial Growth Fund, as announced by the minister Shane Jones on 15 November 2018. The freight hub would replace the Tremaine Avenue freight yard,[1][2][3] which is to the east of the station[4] and provides mainly for freight to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.[5]
Milson deviation
The original Palmerston North Central railway station was opened on 20 October 1876. Traffic increased with the opening of the line to Napier via Woodville in 1891, and the station was moved 30 chains (603m) south in March 1891. But it was still a bottleneck, and remained the longest-persisting bottleneck on the Main Trunk until the 1960s.
Changes were recommended by Hiley in 1914, a commission in 1916 and the Fay-Raven commission in 1924–25. Construction of the Milson deviation to shift the line and station northwest and away from the centre of Palmerston North started in May 1926,
Work by the
Current use
The station currently serves one route – the Capital Connection. This service see the station visited by 1 or 2 trains per weekday – down from >60 when the station was opened.[11] Heritage excursions also occasionally use the station. The main building is used as KiwiRail offices or storage, and the old cafeteria is used as an after-school care centre. The station is not served by a city bus route but has a taxi rank.
Gallery
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Official opening of Milson Deviation - 27 July 1959
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Milson Deviation Opening Ceremony - 27 July 1959
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Milson Deviation
References
Citations
- ^ "New $40-million rail freight centre for Palmerston North". Stuff (Fairfax). 15 November 2018.
- ^ "Regional Economic Development". The Beehive. 15 November 2018.
- ^ "Palmerston North freight hub (timetable)". KiwiRail. 2019.
- ^ "Palmerston North". KiwiRail. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ "Rail Freight Timetables". KiwiRail. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ Leitch & Scott 1995, p. 33.
- ^ "SUSPENSION OF WORK. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 April 1929. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "PUBLIC WORKS. PRESS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 October 1929. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ a b c Leitch & Scott 1995, p. 34.
- ^ "PALMERSTON N. DEVIATION TO BE RESUMED. MANAWATU HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 January 1938. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "The old station and yards in Palmerston North". Archives New Zealand.
Bibliography
- Pierre, Bill, North Island Main Trunk pp. 192–199 (Reed, Wellington, 1981) ISBN 0-589-01316-5
- Leitch, David; Scott, Brian (1995). Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways (1998 ed.). Wellington: Grantham House. ISBN 1-86934-048-5.