Pukekohe Electrification and Upgrades

During Labour weekend of 2022, the track layout at Pukekohe was adjusted again. The Down Main now passes straight through the station area next to the old northbound platform, with the southbound platform now being trackless. The old DMU stabling yard has also been removed, in preparation for a new platform in the area and a new stabling yard further south

24 October 2022

The Up Main is connected to the old loop, though a box of sand on the track suggests that Pukekohe station is currently single track

24 October 2022

On the other side of the road bridge, the scissor crossover is now complete and signalled. New signals between Papakura and Buckland were commissioned over an extended 5 day block-of-line

24 October 2022

At Pukekohe station, the southbound platform is left trackless while work in the station area progresses

2 November 2022

The stabling yard for the ADL DMUs has now been completely lifted, to make way for new platforms in the area

2 November 2022

Through Pukekohe, trains run on a single track, signalled as the Down Main with a medium speed aspect to the Up Main on the other side of the bridge

2 November 2022

Behind the bus station, the old stabling yard is left empty ahead of a new platform

2 November 2022

DL 9141 leads train 140 towards Mission Bush, passing the back of a new advance signal

2 November 2022

New signals at Paerata have been installed and commissioned, with intermediate signals in the distance

2 November 2022

The pedestrian crossing at Paerata has been upgraded, with gates preventing entry to the crossing when a train is approaching

2 November 2022

At Drury, the Down Main has been lifted completely, with the work starting immediately after new signals were commissioned allowing di-directional travel. The signals for the Down Main are still lit despite no track being present

2 November 2022

DL 9521 leads train 220 on the Up Main, the only track in operation through Drury at present. Southbound trains run opposing main from south of Sutton Road to Paerata during this work

2 November 2022

The remaining Up Main through Drury, with work under way on the Down Main

2 November 2022

Looking the other way at Drury towards State Highway 1. Work for the Drury Interchange is visible in the background, a prerequisite for electrification underneath the motorway

2 November 2022

At Drury, work on the Down Main has now been completed, with trains moving to the new line and work commencing on the Up Main

12 February 2023

The Up Main is now gone in places, with the Down Main running on a new alignment south of Waihoehoe Road, presumably in preparation for a new station in the area

12 February 2023

North of the bridge, the current end of the line of the Up Main is visible with some sleepers remaining in the ground, and a new retaining wall built next to the Down Main

12 February 2023

Overhead masts have started appearing from Paerata, seen here through the old station area. The masts currently extend north at least around the corner north of Crown Road

3 March 2023

Looking south, the masts currently run across Paerata Junction and extend almost all the way to Pukekohe station

3 March 2023

A vantage point from the rear of a Glenbrook Vintage Railway excursion gives a great view of the work going on through Pukekohe. Seen here is a new crossover installed at the south end of the station

25 March 2023

Both new crossovers at the south end of the junction, to be the new southern terminus of bi-directional running

25 March 2023

New departure signals installed at the southern end of the station. In this view, it's clear that the Up Main has been unused for some time

25 March 2023

A temporary S bend in the track where the Up Main has been disconnected. The loop also starts here, and has also been unused for a while

25 March 2023

New track from the previous Down platform in place waiting to be connected

25 March 2023

Track work through Pukekohe is progressing well, with construction work for the EMU stabling yard also under way to the right

25 March 2023

New directing signals for Down trains in various stages of installation at Pukekohe

25 March 2023

The one operational track sits in the middle of the work area, with platform work to the left and right in this view

25 March 2023

The Pukekohe station building is due to be moved to Matangi in the near future. In the meantime, it remains on the platform

25 March 2023

The train giving our view passes the existing platform as well as the new one

25 March 2023

A wider view of the platform work at Pukekohe, with various new signals

25 March 2023

A new directing signal from the new platform is partially installed

25 March 2023

The Down Main temporarily passes straight through here, with points to be installed at a later date

25 March 2023

At the northern end of the station, new signals guard entry to station limits. From the rust on the tracks, it's clear to see which tracks are in use or not at present

25 March 2023

Further north of Pukekohe, masts have started to be fitted out to hold the overhead wiring

25 March 2023

At Pukekohe, a new track was laid and connected over the Easter holidays, and is now in service as the Down Main

14 April 2023

Looking north, the new track is in service alongside the original southbound platform, with trains using this track through the work site

14 April 2023

The original northbound track has now been lifted in preparation for rebuilding and rearranging

14 April 2023

On the old stabing yard, work is well under way to construct a new island platform, with two tracks

14 April 2023

Plenty of machinary around as the new platform is built alongside track work

14 April 2023

A few days later, the shelters have been removed from the station building and loaded onto a truck

24 April 2023

The shelters that formerly sat over the platform at Pukekohe are now loaded onto a truck, ready for the journey to the building's new home in Matangi near the Hautapu Branch

24 April 2023

The station building still on the existing platform, but without the shelters

24 April 2023

The edges of the new platforms waiting for the rest of the platform and track

24 April 2023

Just north of Pukekohe, overhead masts are in place on the approach to station limits

26 April 2023

Looking over the start of station limits, new masts and signals are up waiting for fitout of wiring

26 April 2023

Over Cape Hill Road in Pukekohe, the first wire has been strung up along the line

26 April 2023

Looking the other way, the first wire passes through a gantry. The wire appears to stop just short of Pukekohe station limits at this stage

26 April 2023

At Paerata, masts with some fitted out follow the line around the corner towards Karaka

26 April 2023