Papatoetoe railway station explained

Papatoetoe
Type:Auckland Transport Urban rail
Address:Station and Shirley Roads, Papatoetoe
Coordinates:-36.9782°N 174.8498°W
Line:Eastern Line
Southern Line
Platform:Island platform
Tracks:Mainline (3)
Parking:Yes
Bicycle:Yes
Accessible:Yes
Passengers:3,074 passengers/weekday[1]
Pass Year:2011
Opened:1875[2]
Rebuilt:2006
Electrified:25 kV AC[3]
Owned:KiwiRail (track and platforms)
Auckland Transport (buildings)
Zone:Manukau North

Papatoetoe railway station is on the Southern Line and Eastern Line of the Auckland railway network in New Zealand. It is between Station Road and Shirley Road, across the street from Papatoetoe West School, and has an island platform layout.

History

Papatoetoe was originally called Papatoitoi, a corruption of its true name. The name was corrected in 1907, by the New Zealand Railways Department, because of the obvious discrepancy with the town it served, which has always been spelt as "Papatoetoe".

The station was first opened in 1875, at a site near the modern-day Station Road bridge.[4] In 1919, the station building was substantially extended. The station building was closed in 1987, and removed from the site in 1999.[4]

In 2005, the 1920 railway pedestrian bridge was moved from the site, becoming the Aerovista Footbridge along the Puhinui Creek in Wiri.[4]

Old station building

The old station building, restored by the Papatoetoe Railway Station Preservation Trust, was moved to the corner of Station Road, Shirley Road, Tavern Lane & St George Street and repurposed into a café, opening on 31 October 2004.[4] Parts of this building dated back to 1875.

The old station is an integral part of the area's history, with Old Papatoetoe developing as a commercial centre.

Timeline

Year Notes
1875 The railway line from Auckland reached Papatoetoe. The first railway station was built between May and August and named Papatoitoi Station (note spelling). The building was on the western side of the present road bridge.
1887 The stationmaster was removed from the station due to the financial depression. The station became an unofficered flag station until 1914.
1907 The station name was changed to Papatoetoe.
1914 The station had two rooms added to it, and was open for all business, with a new stationmaster being appointed. Reports list the station as being moved to the western side of the track.
1918 The station was moved and resited.
1919 The station reopened, with a 14-ft diameter railway windmill and a 6000-gallon water vat. These provided water for the station and for locomotives that shunted or turned at Papatoetoe. A peaked roof and verandahs were added during this time.
1926 The reinforced concrete road bridge south of the station was built by the Public Works Department, replacing a temporary wooden structure.
1928 A row of railway houses was built in Station Road, on the west side of the station. Fabricated sections were supplied by the New Zealand Railways House Factory, Frankton.
1942 The windmill and water tower were removed after the station was connected to the town water supply.
1976 After a burglary, the goods shed was set alight and burnt down.
1987 Staff were withdrawn after a centralisation of booking offices.

Services

Auckland One Rail, on behalf of Auckland Transport, operates suburban services to Waitematā, Manukau, Papakura and Pukekohe via Papatoetoe. The typical weekday off-peak timetable is:[5] [6]

Bus routes 31, 36 and 313 serve Papatoetoe station.[7]

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Auckland Transport Board Meeting (20 November 2012) Agenda Item 10(i) "Rail Electrification Extension" p. 16
  2. Web site: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations. Scoble. Juliet. 2010. Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. 10 October 2019. 24 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180124135845/http://railheritage.org.nz/assets/Dates_and_names.pdf. dead.
  3. Web site: Auckland Electrifcation Map . 11 July 2014 . 28 April 2014 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20140518175013/http://www.kiwirail.co.nz/uploads/Publications/Electrification%20map_28.04.14.pdf . 18 May 2014 . dead .
  4. Web site: Papatoetoe Heritage Trail . 2013 . . 31 March 2023.
  5. Web site: Eastern Line . Auckland Transport . 18 September 2022.
  6. Web site: Southern Line . Auckland Transport . 18 September 2022.
  7. Web site: Southern Guide . Auckland Transport . 19 March 2023 .