Pukerua Bay Station is set to re-open to passengers tomorrow (2 February) following the installation of a new platform over the summer
Wellington Region Rail Programme Director David Gordon said the original island platform has been demolished and completely rebuilt as part of $1million worth of improvements to the station.
“We’ve worked hard so we can re-open the station with the new school year starting up again,” David Gordon said.
“There is still tidy up work to do around the site but we wanted to get it open for passengers and back up and running again as soon as possible.”
Pukerua Bay station was temporarily closed on 30 November last year so construction could take place. The work was necessary to accommodate the fleet of new Matangi trains arriving in the latter half of the year.
“We’re working on a number of stations around the region as part of the wider project to improve the rail network, ready for the new trains,” David Gordon explained.
“There is no question that the process of making these improvements is disruptive for passengers – and the residents who live near our worksites – but people are being really understanding of what we have to do.
“With a number of upgraded stations now open for use, hopefully passengers can start to enjoy some of the benefits of the work we’ve been doing.”
The new platform at Pukerua Bay is slightly higher than the original, bringing it into line with other stations on the network. It now has safety features such as yellow tactile strips plus electrical ducting in place to support a real time passenger information system to be introduced in future by Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Redwood Station in Tawa will also have both its platforms rebuilt, closing on 8 February for up to four months to allow the work to take place.
The Wellington Region Rail Programme is a joint initiative between KiwiRail (Tranz Metro and ONTRACK) and Greater Wellington Regional Council to improve passenger rail services.
The $550 million 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.