Waitematā railway station
Waitematā railway station, commonly known as Britomart railway station or Britomart Transport Centre, is the public transport hub in the central business district of Auckland and the northern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk railway line. It combines a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive modernist architectural elements, with a bus interchange. It is at the foot of Queen Street, the main commercial thoroughfare of the CBD, with the main ferry terminal just across Quay Street.
Waitematā | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Auckland Transport Urban rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||
An EMU arrives at the newly electrified Britomart station, 2014. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
General information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Auckland CBD | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Owned by | Auckland Transport | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Platforms | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Structure type | Underground | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Platform levels | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Station code | BMT / AKL | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Fare zone | City | ||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 7 July 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrified | 25 kV AC (2014) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Passengers | |||||||||||||||||||||||
CY 2018 | 10,224,759 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Designated | 11 July 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference no. | 101 |
The station was the result of many design iterations, some of them being substantially larger and including an underground bus terminal and a large underground car park. Political concerns and cost implications meant that those concepts did not proceed. At the time of its inception in the early 2000s the station was still Auckland's largest transport project ever, built to move rail access closer to the city's CBD and help boost Auckland's low usage of public transport. It is one of the few underground railway stations in the world designed for use by diesel trains, although their use is now prohibited. Diesel trains from Hamilton and Wellington terminate at The Strand station.
Initially seen as underused and too costly, it is now considered a great success, heading for capacity with the growing uptake of rail commuting. Limitations on further patronage are primarily due to the access tunnel from the east which provides only two rail tracks, and the lack of a through connection via a rail link to the North Shore or to the Western line via a tunnel, which would change it into a through station. A tunnel to the Western Line is now under construction, as part of the City Rail Link project. In March 2023, following a joint submission to the New Zealand Geographic Board by Auckland Transport and Auckland Council, the station was officially re-named Waitematā railway station.