Ōtāhuhu Railway Station

Ōtāhuhu railway station is located on the Eastern and Southern Lines of the Auckland rail network in New Zealand. It has an island platform configuration and is part of an integrated bus-train major transport hub. It can be reached by steps and lift from an overhead concourse that leads from the adjacent bus transfer station and Walmsley Road.

Ōtāhuhu station features a historic, decommissioned signal box and is the point where both freight and passenger trains enter and exit the main line from the Westfield locomotive depot.

The station was opened on 20 May 1875 to serve the increasing settlement at Ōtāhuhu, with a road eventually constructed to the station. The station included a goods shed and a main building, which however burned down in 1909 after a fire in the oil room got out of hand with no water supply available to suppress the fires.

Upgrade

In May 2011, Auckland Transport and KiwiRail started work to lengthen the platform to accommodate longer passenger trains. The platform area around the signal box was raised and further platform installed around the base of the pedestrian over bridge to Walmsley Road.

In July 2011, the signal box at the station was one of the last to be decommissioned in Auckland, as part of a project to upgrade the signalling of the Auckland suburban network in preparation for electrification. Mainline signalling in the Ōtāhuhu station limits will be operated from the National Train Control Centre (NTCC) in Wellington, along with the rest of the Auckland network.

A new southbound platform, of track and four crossovers were opened in December 2020, as part of the City Rail Link works to enable trains to turn back and reduce the need for bus passengers to use the bridge.

Bus-train interchange

Concern was raised in 2007 about the 1.2 km walk between the station and the nearest bus services, with the station located in an out-of-the-way industrial area. These concerns were addressed by the construction of a bus-train interchange which opened on 29 October 2016.

A public open day was held with station designers in August 2014. Enabling works began in November 2014 after the temporary closure of Titi Street Bridge. The following year (November 2015) main construction works began (building the concourse area and landscaping).

The $28 million bus-train interchange and concourse was completed in October 2016 and was opened on 29 October 2016.

The decommissioned signal box has been retained as a historic feature of the new station.

Nearby infrastructure

Ōtāhuhu Railway Workshops

The Ōtāhuhu Railway Workshops were established in December 1928, replacing the older Newmarket Workshops. They quickly became one of the largest employers in the area, with approximately 1,000 people working there. The facility was primarily responsible for the construction and maintenance of wagons and carriages. Over time, due to restructuring within the New Zealand Railways Corporation, the workshops were progressively closed, with the final closure occurring on 30 June 1992.

Rail Fabrication Facility

Further south, between Ōtāhuhu station and Māngere station, a rail fabrication facility was constructed. This facility remains operational to this day.

Ōtāhuhu Locomotive Depot

Ōtāhuhu also housed Auckland's second-largest locomotive depot, which opened in 1905. This depot served as a significant hub for locomotive operations until its closure in 1968, coinciding with the opening of the Westfield facility.

These facilities played a crucial role in the development and maintenance of New Zealand's railway infrastructure, particularly in the North Island.

Services

Auckland One Rail, on behalf of Auckland Transport, operates suburban services to Britomart, Manukau, and Pukekohe via Ōtāhuhu. The typical weekday off-peak timetable is:
*6 tph to Britomart, consisting of:
**3 tph via Glen Innes (Eastern Line)
**3 tph via Penrose and Newmarket (Southern Line)
*3 tph to Manukau
*3 tph to Pukekohe

Bus routes 32, 33, 321, 323, 324, 325, 326, 351 670, RBS and RBE serve Ōtāhuhu Station.

See also

* List of Auckland railway stations
* Public transport in Auckland

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otahuhu railway station
Rail transport in Auckland
Railway stations in New Zealand opened in 1873
Bus stations in New Zealand
Transport buildings and structures in the Auckland Region