Subscribe to RSSParnell Train Station Work Starts
Initial work for the planned Parnell railway station began this morning.
This involves lowering and re-aligning the tracks where the station will be - at the foot of the Domain off Cheshire St where the Mainline Steam Depot is.
PARNELL STATION; Work started today
The project will cost $19.2m.
The track is being lowered to enable the appropriate grade for the station platforms.
The works continue over the next month, as part of the Christmas rail disruptions.
The station should be finished mid-2013.
PARNELL STATION: How it will look
MAINLINE STEAM: A busy construction site for a month
The new station will include the old Newmarket station building, which was removed for the construction of the present revamped station, is in storage in Henderson.
It is in two sections and will need to be re-joined after the move to its new home Parnell. That will cost $1.1m to achieve. Mainline Steam is keen to use some of the building for its offices.
The track lowering needed to be done pre-electrification.
The work involves:
- Lowering the track by a maximum depth of approximately 1.75m over a length of 600m in order to achieve a 1:80 grade for station platforms;
- One retaining structure on the eastern side of the track (within the existing designation);
- Two retaining structures up to 4m on the western side of the track, portions of which are location outside the existing designation boundary and within the proposed alteration area (i.e. on Domain land);
- Batter slopes located on the existing and extended designation i.e. including on the Auckland Domain land;
- Formalising drainage systems located on the existing and extended designation i.e. including on the Auckland Domain land;
- Track realignment including shifting the track up to 1.8m east (away from the Auckland Domain) to accommodate the station platforms, while maintaining the existing use of Mainline Steam;
- Closure of the existing pedestrian underpass which provides access to/from Auckland Domain and construction of a new underpass approximately 60m to the north and formation of new connecting pedestrian path on the Auckland Domain;
- Earthworks involving 17,000m
- Vegetation clearance to provide for the above works. This comprises native and exotic species, native understorey shrubs, grasses, open grass and weed areas.
An existing underpass to the Domain also has to be removed and replaced.
Parnell station will go here
Three weeks ago, Auckland Council approved an extension of a railway designation into the Auckland Domain to allow the lowering of tracks.
The Auckland Transport application for the extension covers a 538m strip of land alongside the existing rail line, covering 2954m2.
PARNELL STATION: Where it fits in
The ARC has pushed for a heritage station there for years.
Parnell Inc, the Parnell business group, came up with its idea and found a champion in ARC Chair Mike Lee who has continued to push for it.
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13 Comments
Spending $1.1m just to move the old station from storage to Parnell is a gross misuse of public funds!
Well Chris I’d rather have a new building, but if you’re worried about a misuse of public funds, especially of the gross variety, I think you should be much more concerned about the BILLIONS being wasted on daft duplicate State Highways like Puford and Transmission Gully.
@Chris - it isn’t clear from the article, but I assume the $1.1M covers a lot more than just the move. There is a lot of work to get the building back and in shape — ie. foundations, wiring, drains and plumbing, etc.
It doesn’t sound like it would be enough to cover the internal fit-out though, based on how much even home renovations cost. I’m sure it is in the reports — maybe Jon can clarify based on what he read?
@Feijoa yes it includes restoration
@Chris R - $1.1 is nothing compared to what Joyce is blowing on the RoNS, 100 million just to investigate the Holiday Highway. Banks when in office spend 24 odd million attempting to sell us the Eastern Highway.
I think 1.1 million is well worth paying to have the old Newmarket station relocated there. It will be great if it is done right. Very happy they are doing it.
Anyone know expected patronage numbers from the new station? $19.2 million seems to be a lot of money for a new station which I would have thought would struggle to get a 1000 passengers a day.
Wonder what else we could’ve got for that total amount of money - a couple of crossovers, some passing loops, another platform at Britomart?
@TFT, given that it is so close to the universities I would say that it will become one of the most utilised stations on the network.
I still think that a third track should have been allowed for. At some stage the other tunnel that is closed off could be widened without too much effort.
@TFT Auckland Transport is now predicting that the station will end up being among the 5th most used stations on the Auckland rail network.
Jon C / TFT - Which based on current patronage would see it getting around 2000 boarding’s per day or about 4000 trips beginning or ending there which isn’t too bad. Also these are likely to be new trips seeing as the area isn’t currently served by a rail station.
The actual tracks relocation works are about $500k
@Chris R. Regarding the new Parnell station, the distance between Britomart and Newmarket is probably the longest distance between stations on the suburban network discounting Pukekohe. This station is long overdue and I for one will get the train to work in the Strand, also to use a Heritage station building will be great (as they do in most Sydney suburbs). John
Fantastic news this, great to see the old station being reused, it keeps some heritage going. Parnell is a village location of Auckland will make it easier for tourist to visit. Not only that but parnell should be identified for some higher density living with taste to create a larger population servicing this are which will improve business in the area.