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Helensville railway station
Defunct railway station in New Zealand / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helensville railway station formerly served the town of Helensville, 60.47 km (37.57 mi) northwest of Auckland Strand,[2] in the North Island of New Zealand. It was a stop on the North Auckland Line, and was the next major station north of Waitākere. Occasionally it was called the Helensville North Railway Station.[3][1]
Helensville | |||||||||||
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General information | |||||||||||
Coordinates | 36.671857°S 174.450484°E / -36.671857; 174.450484 | ||||||||||
Elevation | 3 m (9.8 ft) | ||||||||||
Owned by | Helensville Railway Station Trust | ||||||||||
Line(s) | North Auckland Line | ||||||||||
Platforms | 1 | ||||||||||
Tracks | 3 | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
Opened | 18 July 1881 (1881-07-18)[1] | ||||||||||
Closed | 12 June 1987 (1987-06-12)[1] | ||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
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Though closed in 1987 (reopened from mid-2008 to late 2009), the site still features the 1882 wooden building, which has been restored, and has a shunting yard and KiwiRail Network depot. The platform was modernised in 2007 as part of a trial to reintroduce a commuter train service to Auckland.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/NZR_D170_%2811663509683%29.jpg/640px-NZR_D170_%2811663509683%29.jpg)
There is an old steam locomotive (an NZR D class), on loan from MOTAT,[4] at the entrance to the platform from the station car park. It worked on NZR until 1923, at Whakatu freezing works until 1960 and was moved to Helensville in 2000.[5] There is also a model railway and museum at the station and a cafe and shop.[6]
As well as the station, three tracks and the engine-turning triangle remain.[7]