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.
History
Facilities
First station (1867–1873) On 16 April 1861, Canterbury Superintendent, William Moorhouse, engaged the services of Melbourne-based contractors Holmes & Co. to construct the Lyttelton rail tunnel. The contract did not cover the erection of stations, but they, including the station at Lyttelton, were also built by the contractor at cost plus a margin of 15%. Work on the contract commenced later that year.
The original plan for the Lyttelton station, as suggested in 1864 by Provincial Engineer Edward Dobson, was to have the track terminate at a station on a jetty in line with the rail tunnel, as was subsequently done at Port Chalmers in Dunedin. The following year, the provincial executive decided instead to locate the station in front of the town. That necessitated the reclamation of land for the station and yard, using fill extracted from the bore of the tunnel . Plans for the station included an export shed, goods shed, offices, and a platform.
The station opened on 9 December 1867, coinciding with the official opening of the tunnel. The arrival of the first train was viewed by a crowd of around 500 people. Some of the first passengers commented that the station was not finished, even appearing temporary in nature.
The station building was a small wooden structure with a gabled roof, with dimensions of . Trains were worked to the sides of ships for the transfer of cargo by means of wagon turntables, because the tracks in the station yard were at right angles to the wharves. Access to the goods shed was provided by means of a traverser.
Second station (1873–1963) Plans for the second station were drawn up in January 1873. John Marshman, General Manager of the Canterbury Provincial Railways, successfully convinced the provincial government to erect verandas over the station platforms arguing that "... I do not remember seeing anywhere a railway station of the dimensions and importance of that at Lyttelton where people were sent out of doors in all weathers to reach the carriages". The station was brought into service on completion in August 1873.
With several alterations and additions, that station served Lyttelton for 90 years, until replaced by a modern structure in 1963. The station offices were at right angles to the passenger platforms, originally on the western side of Oxford Street, but moved to the other side of that street in about 1882. The platform was lengthened in 1903 to accommodate an additional two carriages, necessitating the relocation of the lamp room to a position near the engine shed. The railway stores shed was destroyed by fire, presumed to be arson, on 6 November 1937. Following the removal of a siding to Kinsey & Company's store near the station, a extension of the platform at the west end was authorised in 1950, because of difficulties in placing mixed consists (a common practice at the time) at the platform.
The many decades of service provided by that station necessitated several significant repairs or renovations during its existence. In 1910, the District Engineer wrote to the Chief Engineer to point out the many defects that had developed, and expressed his preference for the erection of a new station. That was not accepted, and he was directed to make whatever repairs were necessary to the existing structure. A report from the District Engineer in 1935 noted that several buildings at Lyttelton, dating from 1882, were irreparably infested with borer. By the 1950s, years of deferred maintenance had led to the station buildings becoming dilapidated. Despite that, it was not until the late 1950s that a decision was finally made to replace the station.
Proposed station (1920s) By the time electrification became a serious proposition for Christchurch in the 1920s, the Lyttelton station was showing its age. Because upgrading the line between Christchurch and Lyttelton was a major undertaking, it was proposed that it would be an opportune time to replace the Lyttelton station with a new facility. It was also around that time that plans were being prepared for a new station at Christchurch, and the idea was to build a new station for Lyttelton at the same time.
The Minister of Railways, Gordon Coates, included the construction of a new station at Lyttelton in the programme of works for 1924. Though plans for the station were completed in 1927 and promises made by the Railways Department to build it after the electrification of the Lyttelton rail tunnel, there was no progress. In 1928, the stationmaster noted that the construction of a new station at Lyttelton had been indefinitely postponed, and he arranged for the station buildings to be painted instead.
The matter of a new station was again raised in the mid-1930s, by which time the facilities at Lyttelton had continued to deteriorate. On 10 August 1936, the same year that plans for the new Christchurch station were approved, the Minister of Railways, Dan Sullivan, said that "the matter is receiving consideration at present, but the request has to be considered in the light of requests for stations in other places where there are also very good claims." He claimed that Lyttelton could expect a new station, but he could not say when that would happen. Early the following year, when the stationmaster asked to be consulted about the plans for the new station, he was informed by the District Traffic Manager that there were no proposals, of even a tentative nature, for a new station at Lyttelton. The station was finally painted in 1940 following concerns expressed by the local council about its appearance, a move that was regarded as evidence that the Railways Department had shelved plans to build a new station.
Third station and yard (1963 – present)
The Chief Civil Engineer wrote to the District Engineer on 5 July 1957 to inform him that Lyttelton was next in line for a station upgrade. A survey of the existing building was requested so that Working Estimates for the project could be prepared. After considering the many faults in the building highlighted by that survey, the Chief Civil Engineer confirmed in writing to the District Engineer on 12 February 1959 that it had been decided to replace the station building rather than try to renovate it. He therefore requested that the requirements of the staff based at Lyttelton be determined, and that plans be prepared for a suitable new structure.
Even before the third station opened, there were doubts about the long-term viability of passenger rail services between Lyttelton and Christchurch. The Lyttelton road tunnel was soon to become a reality, providing a much more convenient road link between Lyttelton Harbour and the Canterbury Plains. It was expected to make road transport a serious competitor to the railways for the custom of passengers, and concerns were expressed that a new station for Lyttelton could not be justified. Despite that, the Minister of Railways, John McAlpine, announced on 7 August 1962 that the Cabinet had approved a redevelopment of the railway facilities at Lyttelton.
As part of the station redevelopment, the functions of the Goods Office were moved to the former Harbour Board building, on the corner of Oxford Street and Norwich Quay. That building was also to house the station master, the railway port superintendent and the goods supervisor, as well as their respective support staff. Renovation of the building for its new function was underway in September 1962, and was expected to be completed by the end of the year. Following completion of the renovations, and the relocation of the goods office, the old Goods Office building was scheduled for demolition. The demolition was delayed while the power supply for the station was re-routed, because it had fed through the Goods Office building. The land formerly occupied by that building was reallocated for use as a car park.
Once work on the Goods Office was completed, construction of the new station commenced in January 1963, next to the existing station. The old station remained in use while the new station was being built. The first section of the new station was brought into service on 10 June 1963. At that time, the old station was demolished in stages to make way for the construction of the remainder of the new station.
The official opening ceremony was held on 14 October 1963, presided over by the mayor of Lyttelton, J. B. Collett. Various other dignitaries and invited guests were present, including the Minister of Railways, John McAlpine (who officially opened the station), the local member for parliament, Norman Kirk, and the Railways general manager, A. T. Gandell. An invitation to attend was also extended to members of the public. During his speech, the mayor expressed his confidence that, despite the impending completion of the Lyttelton road tunnel, and the desire expressed by the Christchurch Transport Board to operate bus services to Lyttelton, both road and rail could coexist to meet Lyttelton's transport requirements. Two buses were provided to convey official guests to the Borough Council Chambers for morning tea.
A new goods shed at Lyttelton was completed and ready for use on 7 December 1970. Many years later, in 1988, an internal Railways Department memorandum noted that the goods shed had been closed.
In 1972. it was proposed to alter the station building to accommodate all of the salaried division staff based at Lyttelton. At the time, they were working in the old Harbour Board building, which was considered to be an unsatisfactory situation. With the reduction in traffic to Lyttelton following the cancellation of suburban passenger services, some of the facilities in the station building were no longer required, and it was suggested that the building could be better utilised to house the remaining staff.
On 30 September 1977, the District Engineer requested that the dock siding at Lyttelton station be removed because the track was in poor condition and access to the siding by trains was not possible. Several days later, the District Traffic Manager responded that the track had, in fact, been renewed, and that it was still required for the stabling of shunting locomotives and track maintenance vehicles.