Paremata Railway Station

Story

Paremata Railway Station on the Kapiti Line section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) in Paremata in the city of Porirua, New Zealand, is part of the Wellington Region's Tranz Metro suburban rail network.It is double tracked with an island platform. It has subway access to a Park and Ride to the south-east, which includes a bus stop and an overbridge across State Highway 1 to Paremata's southern commercial centre, Paremata School, and the nearby residential areas. From the south end of the station, another pedestrian overbridge leads across the state highway to the western end of Paremata Crescent, giving access to the adjoining Papakowhai suburb.ServicesParemata is served by electric multiple unit (EMU) trains operated by Tranz Metro, a subsidiary of KiwiRail, under contract with the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Trains run every day from early morning to late evening, every 30 minutes outside peak times, and more frequently during peak periods. All services running between Paraparaumu and Wellington stop in Paremata.KiwiRail Scenic long-distance trains and diesel hauled KiwiRail freight trains pass by the station but do not stop.HistoryThe line was originally part of the Wellington - Manawatu Line built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR). The line to Paremata station, which was close to the Paremata Barracks ruins, was opened on 21 September 1885, without ceremony. The first train with 59 people aboard had three composite coaches and a van. Cobb & Co built stables at Paremata, and from October 1885 an early train leaving town at 7 a.m. made it possible to travel from Wellington to Wanganui in one day by rail and coach. The line was extended to Plimmerton in October, and Pukerua Bay by the end of the year. The line was extended to Paekakariki in 1886, and was electrified (with locomotive-hauled carriage trains) in 1940 after the opening of the Tawa Flat deviation.