Train tracks and overhead cables between Melling and Western Hutt stations have been removed as part of the $1.5 billion RiverLink project, effectively closing Melling Station for approximately three years.
Melling Station Closure and RiverLink Project
The removal of the tracks and cables occurred just over two weeks after the last train departed Melling Station on Christmas Eve. KiwiRail has handed the work site over to Waka Kotahi (New Zealand Transport Agency), which will oversee the relocation of the Melling station building.
The closure is necessary to shift the station 300 meters south in Lower Hutt to accommodate a new State Highway 2 interchange. RiverLink also aims to strengthen the city’s flood defenses and reorient the city centre closer to the Hutt River by building new stopbanks and widening and deepening the river.
Trains on the Melling Line will continue to run, terminating at Western Hutt station during the construction period. Melling Station is not expected to reopen until late 2028, after the building is moved and a new footbridge is completed.
The Greater Wellington Regional Council has announced public transport alternatives for the approximately 370 weekday Melling passengers. Bus routes 145 and 149, serving western hill suburbs, have been rerouted to stop at Waterloo Station. Rush-hour trains on the Hutt Valley Line will have increased capacity, and Waterloo and Petone stations will receive additional bike racks and temporary park and ride spaces.
Plans to demolish the asbestos-ridden Melling station building and construct a replacement at the new location were not possible due to the station’s heritage listing. Regional council chairperson Daran Ponter expressed optimism about the project, stating the disruption will ultimately revitalize the city.
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