List of Christchurch railway stations

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This is a list of railway stations in the Christchurch region, both those still in service and those that have been closed. Included are stations on the following lines: Eyreton Branch, Little River Branch, Main North Line out to Rangiora, Main South Line out to Burnham, Midland Line out to Springfield, Oxford Branch, Southbridge Branch, Whitecliffs Branch.

[edit] List

[edit] Stations

[edit] Addington

Until the 1970s, Addington was a major facility for the receiving and sale of livestock, with significant stock yards, races and loading platforms beside the track. It handled livestock traffic from as far afield as Marlborough, South Canterbury and the West Coast, with the proceeds of the sales destined for locations all over the South Island. Given the limited size of the lorry transport available at the time, it is understandable how the railways could compete with road transport for this type of traffic, even for relatively short distances.

One particularly sought-after source of livestock for Addington was the sheep of the Molesworth cattle and sheep station in Marlborough. From 1957 until about 1970, this livestock was driven to the railhead at Culverden (on the Waiau Branch line) then transported in several trains to Addington. In the last years of this traffic, there were in excess of 1,000 head to move, requiring a substantial portion of the cattle wagon fleet in the South Island.

Today, the passenger facilities are gone, but the site still retains a signal box, several loops and railsheds for the storage of rolling stock. The land formerly occupied by the saleyards is currently a vacant lot.

See also: Aerial view of the saleyards.

The former saleyards building.

Saleyards land and rear of the saleyards building.

Loading races for stock trucks.

[edit] Christchurch

Since the railways began operating in Canterbury, there have been three railway stations called Christchurch. These stations have been sited at the following locations:

• Madras Street
• Moorhouse Avenue (opened 1867)
• Addington (opened 5 April 1993)

The first station was built by the Canterbury Provincial Council and initially served as the terminus of the 7 km broad gauge line between Christchurch and the wharf at Ferrymead. The station building was a standard wooden structure, typical of the period. After the Lyttelton rail tunnel opened in 1867, this station became one of several stations along the expanding Canterbury Great Southern Railway (Main South Line).

The second station was opened in 1877 a short distance to the west along the Main South Line from the original station, and coincided with the re-gauging of the lines built by the Canterbury Provincial Council to the new national standard. The initial station building on this site was a grand, Victorian-era wooden structure, and it was only much later on 1 November 1960^[4] that the present day brick building replaced it on the same site. The latter building is still standing today and houses a multiplex cinema and the Science Alive! exhibition.

The third station opened at Addington on 5 April 1993 on the site of the Addington Railway Workshops, closed in 1990. This smaller building at the junction of the Main South Line and Main North Line is adequate for the remaining (long distance) passenger services. With the elimination of the triangle link track for west-bound traffic on the Main South Line to access the Main North Line, the departure of the north-bound Tranz Coastal service is simpler. This station is also the terminus of the Tranz Alpine and Tranz Coastal services.

See also: Aerial view of the Moorhouse Avenue station, Aerial view of the Addington station.

Christchurch railway station overview.

Travel Centre and main station entrance.

Station platform and luggage conveyer, looking north-east towards new Blenheim Road overpass.

Station from north end of platform, looking towards Addington Junction.

[edit] Heathcote

Overview of the former Heathcote station site showing the only remnant of the station still visible, its platform. The Main South Line disappears into the Lyttelton rail tunnel beneath where this picture was taken from.

Originally known as The Valley, this station was sited about 240 meters from the mouth of the Lyttelton rail tunnel. It was equipped with a signal box, freight sidings for nearby industrial customers as well as passenger facilities and a platform, which is the only remaining feature. Public access is from Station Road, at the intersection with Flavell Street, Marsden Street and Rollin Street.

The signal box, constructed in 1870, was to have been moved to the Ferrymead Heritage Park for use in the rail operations there after many years of disuse until it was destroyed on-site by fire in September 1996, shortly before its relocation.

Public access to the Heathcote station platform is gained through this gate from Station Road.

Looking along the Heathcote station platform in the direction of the Lyttelton rail tunnel.

Looking along the Heathcote station platform in the direction of the Lyttelton rail tunnel.

Looking along the Heathcote station platform in the direction of Ferrymead.

[edit] Lyttelton

Lyttelton railway station.

The first Lyttelton station was sited on reclaimed shoreline which was built using spoil extracted during the boring of the rail tunnel. It opened on 9 December 1867, shortly after the tunnel, to a crowd of several hundred people when the first train arrived. Some of the first passengers to arrive commented to the effect that the station was not finished, even appearing temporary in nature.

Plans for the second station were drawn up in January 1873. John Marshman, General Manager of the Canterbury Provincial Railway, successfully managed to convince the provincial government to erect verandahs over the station platforms arguing that “… I do not remember seeing anywhere a railway station of the dimensions and importance of that at Lyttelton where people were sent out of doors in all weathers to reach the carriages.” The station was brought into service on completion in August 1873.

With the arrival of the narrow gauge lines in Lyttelton in April 1876, a new station was called for. This station was to have had two platforms with three lines between them and an all-over roof to protect the rolling stock at night. What ended up getting built was a station with six lines between the platforms and the only cover being provided was that for the protection of the passengers.

Lyttelton railway station from above.

Lyttelton station is noteworthy for several reasons. In 1929, Lyttelton became the terminus of the first suburban electrified section in the country for passenger trains from Christchurch, a feature that lasted until 1970 when the electric locomotives were withdrawn from service. The station was also served by suburban passenger trains until 28 February 1972, and by "boat train" express services that connected with the overnight steamer ferries operated by the Union Steamship Company between Wellington and Lyttelton until September 1976. The Lyttelton station building survives today as a more modern brick structure (opened in 1963), and houses an arts and crafts business. Though it no longer serves passenger trains, it is still one of the busiest rail freight facilities in the country.

Lyttelton railway station as seen from Norwich Quay.

Lyttelton railway station signal box.

[edit] Riccarton

The Riccarton railway station was last serviced by a single weekday return service between Christchurch and Rangiora in 1976. These services were popular with commuters working in the eastern parts of the city, and also with railway staff based at the Addington Workshops.

In 1959, there were still two daily return services. Riccarton station at the time had a small but busy freight yard, handling coal consignments for local merchants, timber from the West Coast, and wheat and flour traffic for the mill sited on land that now forms the grounds of Christchurch Girls’ High School.

For many years, a special train ran through Riccarton station to the October meeting of the Kaikoura Trotting Club. It conveyed patrons, horses, trainers, sulkies and jockeys. The popularity of this train diminished as horse floats were used to take horses and trainers to the meetings, and patrons opting to travel using private cars. The fact that the meetings were held midweek also limited the appeal.

In its heyday, in addition to the platform, station building and main line, the station also had a couple of loops and a curved siding from the north end of the yard that provided access to the flour mill. Today, no obvious signs of the station remain. The yard is now a bus and car park, and a cycle/walk way runs along the western side of the line connecting Fendalton Road with Kereru Lane, which runs the length of the former yard.

[edit] Rolleston

The small south Canterbury town of Rolleston was first served by a railway station built by the Canterbury Provincial Railways on their broad gauge line from Christchurch, which was then known as the Canterbury Great Southern Railway. Since then, the station has been patronised by a variety of services, most recently by the long-distance TranzAlpine passenger train ^[5].

The station is located on State Highway 1, at the intersection of Main South Road and Rolleston Drive.

See also: Map of station location.

Rolleston railway station, looking north towards Templeton.

Loading bank.

Station building.

Rolleston station yard, looking south in the direction of the Midland Line junction.

[edit] See also

• Rail transport in Christchurch

[edit] References

• Quail Map Company (1993). New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas, 4th edition, England: The Quail Map Company. ISBN 0-900609-92-3. 
• Bromby, Robin (2003). Rails That Built A Nation: An Encyclopedia of New Zealand Railways. Wellington: Grantham House Publishing. ISBN 1-86934-080-9. 
• Churchman, Geoffrey B.; Hurst, Tony [1990] (2001). The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey Through History, 2nd edition, Wellington: Transpress New Zealand. ISBN 0-908876-20-3. 
• McQueen, Euan (2005). Rails In The Hinterland: New Zealand’s Vanishing Railway Landscape. Wellington: Grantham House Publishing. ISBN 1-86934-094-9. 
• Pierre, W. A. (1964). Canterbury Provincial Railways: Genesis of the N.Z.R. System. Wellington: The New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society. 

[edit] Footnotes