Plimmerton subway work begins

Extension of the subway at Plimmerton Station will get under way on the weekend of March 15-16.

That weekend, part of the railway track will be taken up so new subway castings can be inserted and connected to the existing subway. Buses will replace trains between Paraparaumu and Porirua on those days.

The work, estimated at about $300,000, is being carried out by Ontrack and funded by Greater Wellington as part of its commitment to improve Metlink, Greater Wellington’s public transport network.

Peter Glensor, chair of Greater Wellington’s transport and access committee, said the new subway will link the eastern side of Plimmerton Station with a commuter car park on Plimmerton Domain.

“The Domain car park will be able to accommodate about 50 cars, compared to the existing one , next to the Mainline Steam depot - which can only take up to about 20. In the next few years we plan to increase the car park capacity to about 100 cars.”

He said the Domain carpark was directly accessible from State Highway One, which would make it much more convenient for rail commuters to ‘park and ride’.

“A large number of Plimmerton residents choose to commute to Wellington by train so the more we can do to encourage more people to make that choice, the better.”

Jenny Brash, Mayor of Porirua City, said the new carpark was a great addition to Plimmerton. “It will reduce the demand for commuter parking on Steyne Avenue which is excellent news for Plimmerton Village.

“Regular customer turnover is essential for a vibrant shopping area and this in turn requires an adequate supply of parking spots. If people can’t find a parking spot, they’ll think twice about going to Plimmerton to shop or have a coffee.”

She said many Plimmerton parents would also welcome the new commuter carpark. “It will be much easier for them to just pull in off SH1 and drop their children off there. And the kids will simply walk through the subway to the train, or Plimmerton School, rather than crossing Steyne Avenue or the level railway crossing.”


The new subway will create direct access from the village to Plimmerton Domain sportsfields and will benefit users of the Ara Harakeke pathway. It will also connect pathway users directly with the Plimmerton cafes, shops and beaches and link, via Steyne Avenue, to the proposed southern pathway section along the coast down to Paremata Bridge.


Cr Glensor said the work on the subway and access to the carpark was expected to take between four and six weeks to complete.