Glen Eden railway station explained

Glen Eden
Coordinates:-36.9103°N 174.6533°W
Platform:Side platforms
Levels:1
Tracks:Mainline (two)
Parking:Yes
Bicycle:Yes
Passengers:1,543 passengers/day
Pass Year:2009
Opened:1880
Electrified:25 kV AC[1]
Accessible:Yes
Owned:KiwiRail (track and platforms)
Auckland Transport (buildings)
Zone:Waitakere

Glen Eden railway station is located on the Western Line of the AT Metro rail network in Auckland, New Zealand. The station house is a local historical landmark that was restored in 2001. A cafe is located in the old station building.

History

The station was opened on 29 March 1880 as one of the original stations on the North Auckland Line.[2] The station's location determined the placement of the nearby Waikumete Cemetery. Special trains ran from Auckland on Sundays carrying the deceased and their entourage, and a dedicated platform was constructed to serve these trains.[3] This unique function is one of the reasons that the station is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category II heritage building. The station was added to the heritage register on 30 October 1998, with register number 7435.

The train station was the centre of the Glen Eden community during the turn of the century, with most stores and services located adjacent to the station.[4] The station habitually dealt with scrub fires, caused due to sparks from the locomotive engines and the adjacent Archibald's Sawmill.[4] The Waikumete Cemetery was opened in 1886, due to its proximity to the train station.[5] The station became a transportation hub for Waitākere Ranges holidaymakers, who would take coaches from the train station to holiday at guest houses located in places such as Waiatarua, Karekare and Piha.[6]

Services

Bus routes 152, 154 and 172 pass by the station on the adjacent West Coast Road.[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Auckland Electrifcation Map . 26 September 2014 . September 2014 . . 27 November 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141127180924/http://www.kiwirail.co.nz/uploads/Maps/Electrification%20Map%20September%202014.pdf . dead .
  2. Web site: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations . Scoble . Juliet . 2010 . Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand . 12 October 2019 . 24 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200724032358/http://www.railheritage.org.nz/assets/dates_and_names.pdf . dead .
  3. H. J. Hansen and F. J. Neil, Tracks in the North (Auckland: H. J. Hansen, 1992), 100.
  4. Book: Pauline. Vela . In Those Days: An Oral History of Glen Eden . 1989 . Glen Eden Borough Council . 0-473-00862-9 . Tales of Scroggy Hill . 26–29.
  5. Book: Pauline. Vela . In Those Days: An Oral History of Glen Eden . 1989 . Glen Eden Borough Council . 0-473-00862-9 . The City of the Dead . 30–33.
  6. Book: Pauline. Vela . In Those Days: An Oral History of Glen Eden . 1989 . Glen Eden Borough Council . 0-473-00862-9 . From Four Horses to Four Wheels . 80–81.
  7. Web site: Western Guide. Auckland Transport . 27 April 2021.