Sylvia Park railway station

Sylvia Park
Auckland Transport Urban rail
View of the station in 2007 from the station overbridge, prior to electrification.
General information
LocationMount Wellington, Auckland
Coordinates36°54′53″S 174°50′33″E / 36.914661°S 174.842624°E / -36.914661; 174.842624
Owned byKiwiRail (track and platforms)
Auckland Transport (buildings)[1]
Operated byAuckland One Rail
Line(s)Eastern Line
PlatformsIsland platform
TracksMainline (2)
Construction
Platform levels1
ParkingYes (via Sylvia Park Mall)
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes (Lifts)
Other information
Station codeSYP
Fare zoneIsthmus
History
Opened2 July 2007; 17 years ago (2007-07-02)
Electrified25 kV AC
Services
Preceding station Auckland Transport
(Auckland One Rail) 		Following station
Panmure
towards Waitematā
 Eastern Line Ōtāhuhu
towards Manukau

Sylvia Park railway station is located on the North Island Main Trunk line in New Zealand. Eastern Line services of the Auckland passenger network are the only regular services that stop at the station. It serves Sylvia Park mall and the surrounding suburb of Mount Wellington and has an island platform layout.

History

The original Sylvia Park station was constructed, along with five others, in 1929 on the route of the Westfield Deviation, which was being built to divert the Auckland–Westfield section of the North Island Main Trunk line (NIMT) via a flatter, faster eastern route to link up with the original NIMT tracks at Westfield Junction.[2] The station opened to goods traffic in September of that year, and opened to all traffic in November the following year.[3]

This station was closed during the World War II period (1940–1945), due to the American government buying the land next to the railway and using it for army sheds. The old station closed entirely in March 1983, except for a private siding.[3]

The elevators and bridges connecting to the island platform

The new Sylvia Park station was funded by the builders of the Sylvia Park Shopping Centre, located next to the station,[4] and built by ARTNL/ARTA. It opened to the public on Monday 2 July 2007.[5][6] The station cost NZ$5 million to build.[6]

The station has a fairly high patronage, with many people travelling to shop at the Sylvia Park Shopping Centre.

The station was temporarily closed between March 2023 and January 2024 due to Stage 2 of the Rail Network Rebuild. The Eastern Line was temporarily closed between Ōtāhuhu and Waitematā for major track renewal work and to prepare the Eastern Line for the opening of the City Rail Link.[7]

Services

Auckland One Rail, on behalf of Auckland Transport, operates suburban services to Waitematā and Manukau via Sylvia Park. The basic weekday off-peak timetable is:

  • 3 tph to Waitematā
  • 3 tph to Manukau

Bus routes 32, 66, 74, 298 and 782 serve Sylvia Park.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Auckland Transport Code of Practice" (PDF). Auckland Transport. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Westfield Deviation – One track in use by May". The New Zealand Herald. 27 February 1929. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b Scoble, Juliet (2010). "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Sylvia Park Train Station Opens". Scoop.co.nz. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  5. ^ Dearnaley, Mathew (2 July 2007). "Next stop, shopping ... big centre gets its own rail station". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  6. ^ a b The New Zealand Herald (28 June 2007). "Train temptations". Retrieved 28 June 2007.
  7. ^ Hue, Justin. "Traffic woes as many Eastern trains to halt for rest of year". Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Mt Wellington/Sylvia Park/Pt England Central Bus Timetable" (PDF). Auckland Transport. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Central Guide" (PDF). Auckland Transport. Retrieved 19 March 2023.