The refurbished Simla Crescent Station on the Johnsonville railway line opened to passengers on Monday 21 December. The station has been temporarily closed for since mid-October to enable improvements and extensions to the station platform.
The platform has been extended to the north so that longer trains can use the Johnsonville Line. At the same time the station platform was re-sealed with the addition of passenger safety features such as yellow tactile strips at the platform edge.
Wellington Region Rail Programme Director David Gordon thanked passengers and nearby residents for their patience during construction.
“There is no doubt this platform work is disruptive to passengers but I hope they’ll be patient with us while we carry out these improvements,” David Gordon said.
“People have been really understanding about the amount of work that has been happening on the Johnsonville line over the past 12 months, from the tunnel lowering in January, to ongoing maintenance and track work, to the series of station upgrades along the line.
“With a number of upgraded stations now open for use, hopefully people can start to see some of the tangible benefits of the work we’ve been doing.”
Simla Crescent is the latest in a series of stations to be upgraded on the Johnsonville Line including Raroa, Khandallah and Awarua St Stations. Work is nearing completion at Ngaio and Crofton Downs Stations. Pukerua Bay on the Paraparaumu Line is temporarily closed for reconstruction and Redwood Station will also close temporarily in early February for major upgrade.
The station upgrades are part of the Wellington Region Rail Programme, a joint initiative between KiwiRail (Tranz Metro and ONTRACK) and GWRC to improve passenger rail services.
The Wellington Region Rail Programme includes:
• A fleet of new electric trains – the Matangi trains
• Extension of electrification and double tracked lines to take commuter services to Waikanae;
• Installation of power supply equipment and railway signalling;
• Adding another line into Wellington Railway Station to reduce delays;
• Making the Johnsonville Line tunnels larger; and
• Improving a number of platform and station facilities.