Lyttelton | |||||
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| New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR) suburban rail | |||||
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| General information | |||||
| Location | Norwich Quay, Lyttelton, New Zealand | ||||
| Coordinates | 43°36′14.51″S 172°43′8.75″E / 43.6040306°S 172.7190972°E (first) 43°36′16.32″S 172°43′19.09″E / 43.6045333°S 172.7219694°E (second) 43°36′16.64″S 172°43′20.49″E / 43.6046222°S 172.7223583°E (third) | ||||
| Owned by | KiwiRail | ||||
| Line(s) | Lyttelton Line | ||||
| Platforms | Single side (truncated) and dock (removed) | ||||
| Tracks | Main line (1) | ||||
| Connections | Metro bus routes 28 and 35 Diamond Harbour ferry Steamer Express inter-island ferry (discontinued) | ||||
| Construction | |||||
| Parking | Yes | ||||
| Bicycle facilities | No | ||||
| History | |||||
| Opened | 9 December 1867 (first) August 1873 (second) 14 October 1963 (third) | ||||
| Closed | August 1873 (first) 10 June 1963 (second) | ||||
| Electrified | 14 February 1929 – 18 September 1970 | ||||
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Lyttelton railway station is the northern terminus of the Main South Line, a main trunk railway line from Lyttelton to Invercargill in the South Island of New Zealand. There have been three stations built at Lyttelton, with the most recent of these still being used for railway purposes.
Both freight and passenger services have featured at Lyttelton since it opened in 1867. With the cessation of suburban passenger trains to Lyttelton in the 1970s, freight became the mainstay of railway business at Lyttelton and passenger traffic from Lyttelton now plays only a minor role. Tranz Scenic have run a limited tourist service from the station during the summer season in recent years, though patronage of the trains is limited to cruise ship passengers. Proposals have been made to reinstate a commuter rail service from Lyttelton, but that is not considered to be a realistic possibility for the foreseeable future. Rail operations at Lyttelton have included all three forms of motive power, with steam being dominant until the late 1960s, after which diesel began to take over, with electric power being used from 1929 to 1970. All trains at Lyttelton are now diesel-hauled.
Public transport connections at Lyttelton include Metro bus routes 28 and 35 (for which the nearest bus stop is a short distance down Norwich Quay from the station), and the Diamond Harbour ferry, which departs from a jetty opposite the station. Until they were discontinued in 1976, the Steamer Express inter-island ferries connected with passenger trains at Lyttelton on wharf no. 2 (opposite the station). Other nearby amenities include Lyttelton Main School, a medical clinic, several hotels, and the Lyttelton central business district.