By Justin Wong, Local Democracy reporter
KiwiRail has removed the tracks between Melling and Western Hutt stations after the former closed for three years on Christmas Eve. Photo: The Post / Robert Kitchin
Just a little more than two weeks after the 6.37pm service departed Melling Station on Christmas Eve, tracks and overhead cables between Melling and Western Hutt train stations have been removed.
Following that departure, the station was then closed for a projected three years.
The closure is part of the $1.5 billion Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi RiverLink project, led by the government, local councils and mana whenua. It will shift the station 300 metres south in Lower Hutt to make way for a new State Highway 2 interchange.
A KiwiRail spokesperson confirmed that the department had finished pulling up the tracks and taking down the overhead lines between the stations and handed the work site over to the New Zealand Transport Agency/ Waka Kotahi (NZTA), which would be responsible for relocating the Melling station building.
In the interim, trains would continue running on the Melling Line, terminating at Western Hutt station. Melling Station won't reopen until about late 2028, after the building has been moved and a new footbridge connecting it with the city centre completed.
Melling Line trains from Wellington now terminate at Western Hutt. Photo: The Post / Robert Kitchin
RiverLink's other objectives include strengthening the city's flood defences and reorientating the city centre closer to Te Awa Kairangi Hutt River by building new stopbanks and widening and deepening the river.
The Hutt City Council had warned of major disruptions to the city centre's arterial routes during construction which started late last year.
The Greater Wellington Regional Council has already announced public transport alternatives for the roughly 370 weekday Melling passengers, saying the "short-term disruption" will ultimately help revitalise the city.
Bus routes 145 and 149 that run to western hill suburbs have been rerouted to stop at Waterloo Station and Hutt Valley Line rush-hour trains will have extra capacity. Waterloo and Petone stations will have extra bike racks and there will be more temporary park and ride spaces available at Petone.
Regional council chairperson Daran Ponter had hoped the asbestos-ridden Melling station building, which had not been used for years, would be demolished and a replacement built at the new location. Those plans couldn't go ahead because of its heritage listing.
"Melling Station has served the Hutt Valley community for decades and, while we farewell its current location, we look forward to a future where the station is part of a modern, resilient transport network," he said on Christmas Eve, before boarding the last train back to Wellington.
Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
