| Muri Metlink suburban rail |
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| Station statistics | ||||||||||||||||
| Lines | North Island Main Trunk | |||||||||||||||
| Platforms | Dual Side | |||||||||||||||
| Tracks | Mainline (2) | |||||||||||||||
| Parking | No | |||||||||||||||
| Baggage check | No | |||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 28 July 1952 | |||||||||||||||
| Closed | 30 April 2011 | |||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Tranz Metro | |||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||
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The now disused Muri Railway Station is located on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) in Pukerua Bay, New Zealand and is part of the suburban rail network of Wellington. It is double tracked, has a side platform layout on a straight section between two curves, and is 31.2 km from Wellington Railway Station, the southern terminus of the NIMT. Another railway station in Pukerua Bay, Pukerua Bay Railway Station remains operating.
Muri was served by Kapiti Line commuter trains operated by Tranz Metro under the Metlink brand until 2011. Trains running every thirty minutes off-peak, and more frequently during peak periods used to stop in Muri until its closure.[1] The platform and buildings remain in their original state.
The commuter trains at the time were operated by electric multiple units. These were formerly DM/D class units but from the '90s only units of the EM/ET class. Two diesel-hauled carriage trains, the Capital Connection and the Overlander, pass through the station but did not stop even when the station was still open.
Muri and Kenepuru stations had been considered for closure by the Greater Wellington Regional Council, claiming that both had low usage and would require considerable expenditure to upgrade for the new Matangi units and for safety considerations ($600,000 estimated for Muri).[2] Following a sub-committee meeting of the Greater Wellington Regional Council, Muri station was closed on 30 April 2011.[3]
The line through Muri was originally part of the Wellington - Manawatu Line. Built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR), the full line to Longburn was completed in 1886. During the last stage of finishing the tunnels on the coastal escarpment towards Paekakariki, the last stop coming from Wellington was called Pukerua, near where Muri Station is today. There were no roads into the area yet and passengers had to leave the train, climb down to the beach and continue by rail on temporary tracks to Paekakariki.
Material for the construction of the railway north of Muri was offloaded from ships anchored off Pukerua into small boats and brought to the beach. From there, a tramway took the rails, sleepers and bricks up to the railway track at Muri.
Muri Station was opened on 28 July 1952. Muri was 45 chains (905 m) north of the existing Pukerua Bay Station, and was closer to the centre of the population of Pukerua Bay at the time.