THE NEW RAILWAY STATION

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 145, 17 December 1934, Page 12

THE NEW RAILWAY STATION

FOUNDATION-STONE LAID

CEREMONY PERFORMED BY PRINCE HENRY

The foundation-stone of the new Wellington Railway Station at Lambtjm was laid this morning by his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester. The weather was magnificent, there was a great attendance, and the event was carried out in a happy atmosphere that reflected the general satisfaction of all who were present. The ceremony -was a double occasion for pride on the part of Wellington citizens, firstly in the fact that it was performed by a member of the Royal House under whose reign New Zealand has unfolded her rapid Imperial progress, and, secondly, because the end of an effort to fill an urgent need is at last in sight. The magnitude of the scheme now brought to practical fruition is a tribute to the skilful use of the resources of a small country during a period when the finances of the world have been strained to the utmost All told, the Tawa Flat Deviation, including the central station and the electrification of the Main Trunk to Paekakariki; will cost some' £3,000,000. The work entailed the piercing of the hills northwards twice, the. total length of the tunnel being two and a half miles, the reclamation of nearly 70 acres of the harbour at a point where the water deepened rapidly, the building of a sea wall with deep foundations to allow the reclamation to be made, the installation of an up-to-date station yard, and the laying of a double track to Tawa Flat. The completion of a large part of these, works when work of any sort was at a premium has reduced the unemployment problem not a little. While the grade of the new railway exit from Wellington has been reduced from 1 in 37 to 1 in. 100, a grade which leaves the railways in a much more comfortable position than the roads as regards northward traffic, and while the time and distance of the run to northern suburbs, and, of course, Auckland, will both be cut down, what most pleases Wellington citizens and the travelling public generally is that the two old wooden stations, a.survival of yard arrangements -when a private company operated1 the Manawatu line, will soon be a thing of the past. • A central station, with special passenger traffic arrangements all converging upon it, handy to the express steamer wharf, and fitted up in a way to minister to the comfort and convenience of passengers throughout, will take their place. Thorndon passengers will cut out the extra one-section tram trip to their trains, and, with Lambton passengers, will for the first time find suburban train travel the convenient thing it should be.

Rarely has a spirit of such content and pleasure pervaded an important public ceremony in Wellington as was apparent from the moment the crowd of over 5000 people began to gather. His Royal Highness has already made himself popular by his interest in all he takes part in, the sun beamed down, perhaps rather too strongly, though it ■was a pleasant dry heat, the people •were getting something they have been waiting a long time for, in the assurance that trains would definitely run over the new system ere long, and, ■what most tickled the good-humour that was palpably present, bis Highness proved himself a humorist in a spirit which appealed mightily. If that were not enough, the Prime Minister had presented to the Duke, or so he said, one of the most powerful locomotives of the service, before he recollected, and explained that it was Only a model.

It was a case of all bars being down, as the feneoHvhich has surrounded the mysterious happenings on the BunnyStreet site since work was commenced there had been removed, and though the approaches were kept open in the ■usual way, tho whole function could have been seen from tho street. Against the front of the partly-erected edifice was arranged the accommodation for the guests, of whom there were several hundred, including Government, civic, and other local body dignitaries as well as representatives of the professions. The crowd had a good view of', tho proceedings from the heaps of spoil taken from the excavations. Approaching from the Bunny Street entrance, the Duke was greeted by the most spontaneous cheering and the National Anthem, played by the band of the First Battalion of the Wellington Eegiment. Having inspected the guard of honour of the Koyal Naval Volunteer Eeserve, his Eoyal Highness was met at the steps of the dais by the Prime Minister (the Et. Hon. G. W, Forbes), and there were presented to him the Chairman of the Government Bailways Board and Mrs.' Sterling, the contractor (Mr. Andrew Fletcher), and the architect (Mr. W. Gray Young). The Prime Minister then addressed his Eoyal Highness. RED-LETTER DAY. "The ceremony today constitutes a •red-letter day' in the history'of the city of Wellington and of the railway system of the Dominion," said the Prime Minister (the Bt. Hon. G. W. Forbes). "We aro indeed fortunate and honoured that his Eoyal Highness the Duke of Gloucester has graciously consented to perform the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of what will be one of tho outstanding public buildings of this Dominion, outstanding not only as to its architectural features but also as to the important part which it is destined to play in tho further development of New Zealand. "It is appropriate that there should be put on record at this juncture a brief history of the railway stations in Wellington. The first railway station built in Wellington was at Pipitea (close to the present Davis Street). It was opened on April 14, 1874. On tho s&m© date the railway to Lower Hutt (8 miles 2 chains) was brought into use. The lino was extended 47 chains south of Pipitea to Ballance Street, and a new station, known as Wellington Station, was opened on November 1, 1880, on the site of the existing Eajlway Head Offices fronting Featherston Street (between Whitmore Street and Bunny Street). On the same day the railway was opened to Masterton (66 miles). This Wellington Station building was 150 ft long, with a platform 420 ft long. The contract price for the building was £2294. Pipitea Station was retained also in the meantime. The existing railway wharf had been completed in April of the same year. :

"In 1883 proposals were advanced to shift Wellington Station to the site of the present Lambton Station and to close Pipitea. The Pipitea Station was closed on September 30, 1884, and the construction of Lambton Station was put in hand, Bunny Street being extended to "Waterloo Quay. Lambton Station ivas opened for passengers in 1885. The .construction of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Co.'s line was commenced on May 10, 1882. The original intention of the company was to bring its trains to the Wellington Station, but no agreement was reached as to the interchange of traffic, and what was intPnded for a> temporary station was opened on reclaimed land at Thorndon (the present site) and came-into uso

as Thorndon Station on November 3, 1886, when the first section of the company's line was opened. The through Manawatu line to Longburn (84 miles) was opened on November 29, 1886. THE FIRST RECLAMATION. '' The work of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company included the first Thorndon reclamation, enabling the Wellington-Hutt line .to be shifted from Thorndon Quay to the eastern side of the company's' line. The Thorndon-Longburn (Manaxvatu) Railway continued as a private line until December 7, 1908, when it was taken over by the Government in anticipation of the completion of the present Main Trunk line to Auckland. The Wairarapa railway was extended from Lambton to Te Aro, this extension being opened for traffic on March 29, 1893. This section was never used for goods traffic. The arrival of electric trams rendered it. superfluous for passenger traffis, and it was closed on April 26, 1917. The Lambton-Te Aro line was finally lifted on March 27, 1923. "It will thus be seen that since 1886 —that is, over a period of 48 years— there, have been two stations at Wellington (Thorndon and Lambton)'. PLANS FOR NEW STATION. "In 1907, in anticipation of the completion, of the Wellington-Hutt duplication and of the Wellington-Auckland main line, proposals were formulated for a new station (fronting Bunny Street) at Wellington. Tho increased traffic to be handled at the more distant Thorndon Station, on the acquisition of the Manawatu railway, added to the inconvenience of having two separate stations. A plan was prepared,'therefore, for a passenger station covering the whole area of the existing Lambton yard, the goods. yard being left a matter for .future consideration. The following year the Wellington. Harbour Board outlined a scheme for new wharves, with railway access, involving extensive reclamation to provide for both railway and harbour requirements. After years of negotiation, a contract was let for the Thorndon sea wall, a work involving the laying of large concrete blocks in 3.oft of water. On its completion the work of reclamation was begun by pumping silt dredged from, the harbour into the area behind the' wall. Some time elapsed before the reclamation was sufficiently consolidated to allow of the laying of sidings or the construction of buildings. In 1930, the goods shed, 500 ft long, of steel and concrete construction, was erected, on the older part of the reclamation and brought into use eariy tho following year. Hardwood piles under every stanchion keep the heavy

loading of the still-slirinking reclamation. In 1920 plans were prepared by Messrs. Gray Young, Morton, and Young, architects, for a new station building with head office, and district office accommodation on tlio upper floors. Owing to financial stringency the scheme was held over for four years. Work has now been in hand for one year, the contractors' being the Fletcher Construction Company, Limited. ■ FINE BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES. "The building itself will not only reflect credit on the city of Wellington and. be a great addition to its architecture, but will represent the most modern ideas in the matter of facilities for travellers. While all unnecessary expense has been avoided, conveniences and comfort for the public and the staff who will use the building has been the keynote of its design. "Speaking of railways generally, there is no doubt of the essential part that they have played in the development of the country. It is not difficult for those who have lived in New Zealand to visualise what the country might have been without its % railway system. The railways have played and are destined to play a vital part in the further progress of the Dominion. This can only be done adequately and with due satisfaction to the people of. the country if facilities that will measure up to the modern standards are provided. It was the realisation of these facts that led to the erection of the building of .which the foundation stone is being 'laid today. Wellington and New Zealand are looking forward to the completion of this work, and today marks a definite stage in not only railway development but in^ the history of the Dominion. "I repeat that we are fortunate indeed that1 H.R.H. tho Duke of Glouces-ter-has consented to perform this ceremony." DUKE OF GLOUCESTER'S SPEECH. "I am very pleased to have been invited to lay the"foundation stone of anew railway station for the capital city of New Zealand," said the Duke of Gloucester. "It is in the nature of things that a growing population and the increasing demands made upon the railways by a busy port should have rendered necessary an up-to-date station with fully-equipped sidings and yards. ' "After many years of service, the old station is no longer adequate for pre-sent-day requirements, but the sentimental may well sigh over the passing of such- a' landmark in the history of Wellington. ' "The site of this station has been won" from the sea by reclamation, a form of enterprise which has, besides, added much to the area available for building and has been of great value to this city. ■ • •. "In these altered circumstances I imagine that the harbourmaster may now become the stationmaster and •the pilots engine-drivers, while it would not have been unfitting if I had been