Papakura Railway Station

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Papakura Railway Station is on the Southern Line of the Auckland railway network in New Zealand.Station designHistoricalThe station was opened on 20 May 1875, although some services were available from October 1874. Goods services were closed on 3 November 1986.Prior to October 2012, the station had an island platform between the main lines, complete with original wooden station building and signal panel, and a suburban side platform to the west. It had a bowstring footbridge connecting the platforms, which dated from at least the 1930s, constructed of old railway iron and sleepers.UpgradesIn 2007, the island platform was extended to the north, and new shelters were installed. Sidings were commissioned at the east of the station yard for stabling trains overnight. The heritage footbridge was demolished and scrapped, despite some local opposition, and replaced with a concrete bridge with two passenger lifts.The upgrade cost NZ$4,900,000 and was paid for as part of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority's (ARTA) system-wide upgrade of stations. Platforms were lengthened to enable six-car trains, because of anticipated growth in passenger numbers. 3,000 people passed through each day as of 2007, and another thousand were anticipated to use the station within five years. The new station was the seventh station to be redeveloped by ARTA in 2007.In 2012 - 13, KiwiRail funded a significant upgrade as part of the Auckland Electrification Project, and to provide resiliency for suburban trains and freight trains heading south. The signalling was completely replaced, and the station building and signal panel, commissioned more than 80 years earlier, were relocated to the western suburban platform, Platform 3. The building was refurbished and restored, and contains the preserved panel on display, a ticket office, public toilets and space for a coffee kiosk.