113-624: The Hutt Valley Line is the electrified train service operated by Transdev Wellington on behalf of Metlink on the section of the Wairarapa Line railway between Wellington and Upper Hutt , New Zealand . The Hutt Valley line was the first railway out of Wellington, preceding the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company 's west coast route, which was later acquired by the New Zealand Government Railways and incorporated into
226-491: A branch) was introduced. Later (1930s?) a switch-lock trailing crossover named Halfway was installed between Ngahuranga and Petone at Rocky Point , to allow single-line working when the seaward side (south) track was unusable because of southerly storms. But it was seldom used and was removed c1958 during track relaying. A single-person shelter was provided for the (unlucky) operator, and was still there in 1998. In 1924, an extension of about 9 miles 34 chain (15.2 km) as
339-414: A cycleway to Upper Hutt. In 2018, KiwiRail announced that $ 49 million would be spent on upgrades and maintenance for the line, including double tracking the single line section from Trentham to Upper Hutt and replacing poles, overhead wires and signalling equipment. The work had started, and would be completed in 2021. The minister Phil Twyford announced on 9 October 2018 that the proposed $ 196 million for
452-561: A detailed analysis for a new station at Raumati (which was a "viability benchmark" for other new stations) showed that a new station there was not justified; that the modelled peak-hour patronage needed to be about 300 new passengers, and most Raumati users would have switched from Paraparaumu Station. Network extensions beyond the current Metlink rail operation limits would be by "shuttles or non-electrified services" running to Wellington. Service improvements proposed in May 2017 included double-tracking
565-792: A freight route, though it became more desirable as a secondary route to the NIMT once the Incline was replaced by the Rimutaka Tunnel in 1955. Today, KiwiRail freight trains operate through the Hutt Valley between Wellington and Waingawa , south of Masterton. Non-revenue services are also operated regularly to transfer equipment to and from the Hutt Workshops. Since the demise of the ED and EW class, all freight trains have been operated by diesel locomotives. In 2003,
678-573: A higher total efficiency. Electricity for electric rail systems can also come from renewable energy , nuclear power , or other low-carbon sources, which do not emit pollution or emissions. Electric locomotives may easily be constructed with greater power output than most diesel locomotives. For passenger operation it is possible to provide enough power with diesel engines (see e.g. ' ICE TD ') but, at higher speeds, this proves costly and impractical. Therefore, almost all high speed trains are electric. The high power of electric locomotives also gives them
791-467: A historical concern for double-stack rail transport regarding clearances with overhead lines but it is no longer universally true as of 2022 , with both Indian Railways and China Railway regularly operating electric double-stack cargo trains under overhead lines. Railway electrification has constantly increased in the past decades, and as of 2022, electrified tracks account for nearly one-third of total tracks globally. Railway electrification
904-608: A line to be built to either gauge of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge , or a narrow gauge of 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ); but sufficient funds could not be raised in England and the railway proposal was temporarily abandoned. In 1870, Premier Julius Vogel included a railway from Wellington to the Wairarapa in his " Great Public Works " policy, and while in London to raise funds for
1017-509: A loop containing the racecourse platform, which served the recently opened Trentham Racecourse . Double track reached Trentham in June 1955, with electrification following in September. Between 1955 and 2021, the double-tracking of the Wairarapa Line ended just north of Trentham station, with the line becoming single track as it continued north. However, in normal operation, southbound trains used
1130-524: A number of European countries, India, Saudi Arabia, eastern Japan, countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union, on high-speed lines in much of Western Europe (including countries that still run conventional railways under DC but not in countries using 16.7 Hz, see above). Most systems like this operate at 25 kV, although 12.5 kV sections exist in the United States, and 20 kV
1243-498: A number of projects in this policy, he was approached by contractors Brogden & Sons . They received a contract to survey and construct the first portion of the line, from Wellington to Lower Hutt , and construction began on 20 August 1872, with the first sod turned at Pipitea in Wellington. The railway took longer to construct due to the difficulties associated with stabilising the shoreline of Wellington Harbour . In July 1873,
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#17328449013311356-454: A power grid that is delivered to a locomotive, and within the locomotive, transformed and rectified to a lower DC voltage in preparation for use by traction motors. These motors may either be DC motors which directly use the DC or they may be three-phase AC motors which require further conversion of the DC to variable frequency three-phase AC (using power electronics). Thus both systems are faced with
1469-498: A relative lack of flexibility (since electric trains need third rails or overhead wires), and a vulnerability to power interruptions. Electro-diesel locomotives and electro-diesel multiple units mitigate these problems somewhat as they are capable of running on diesel power during an outage or on non-electrified routes. Different regions may use different supply voltages and frequencies, complicating through service and requiring greater complexity of locomotive power. There used to be
1582-481: A separate fourth rail for this purpose. In comparison to the principal alternative, the diesel engine , electric railways offer substantially better energy efficiency , lower emissions , and lower operating costs. Electric locomotives are also usually quieter, more powerful, and more responsive and reliable than diesel. They have no local emissions, an important advantage in tunnels and urban areas. Some electric traction systems provide regenerative braking that turns
1695-418: A third rail. The key advantage of the four-rail system is that neither running rail carries any current. This scheme was introduced because of the problems of return currents, intended to be carried by the earthed (grounded) running rail, flowing through the iron tunnel linings instead. This can cause electrolytic damage and even arcing if the tunnel segments are not electrically bonded together. The problem
1808-533: Is an urban railway station in Trentham , a suburb of the city of Upper Hutt in the Wellington region of New Zealand 's North Island . It is on the Hutt Valley Line section of the Wairarapa Line and has two side platforms . The station is served by Metlink 's electric multiple unit trains of the "Matangi" FP class . The station was opened on 8 January 1907. It was initially a single-track station with
1921-411: Is derived by using resistors which ensures that stray earth currents are kept to manageable levels. Power-only rails can be mounted on strongly insulating ceramic chairs to minimise current leak, but this is not possible for running rails, which have to be seated on stronger metal chairs to carry the weight of trains. However, elastomeric rubber pads placed between the rails and chairs can now solve part of
2034-451: Is effected by one contact shoe each that slide on top of each one of the running rails . This and all other rubber-tyred metros that have a 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge track between the roll ways operate in the same manner. Railways and electrical utilities use AC as opposed to DC for the same reason: to use transformers , which require AC, to produce higher voltages. The higher
2147-526: Is electrified, companies often find that they need to continue use of diesel trains even if sections are electrified. The increasing demand for container traffic, which is more efficient when utilizing the double-stack car , also has network effect issues with existing electrifications due to insufficient clearance of overhead electrical lines for these trains, but electrification can be built or modified to have sufficient clearance, at additional cost. A problem specifically related to electrified lines are gaps in
2260-486: Is limited and losses are significantly higher. However, the higher voltages used in many AC electrification systems reduce transmission losses over longer distances, allowing for fewer substations or more powerful locomotives to be used. Also, the energy used to blow air to cool transformers, power electronics (including rectifiers), and other conversion hardware must be accounted for. Standard AC electrification systems use much higher voltages than standard DC systems. One of
2373-755: Is no longer exactly one-third of the grid frequency. This solved overheating problems with the rotary converters used to generate some of this power from the grid supply. In the US , the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad , the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Philadelphia and Reading Railway adopted 11 kV 25 Hz single-phase AC. Parts of the original electrified network still operate at 25 Hz, with voltage boosted to 12 kV, while others were converted to 12.5 or 25 kV 60 Hz. In
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#17328449013312486-447: Is sufficient traffic, the reduced track and especially the lower engine maintenance and running costs exceed the costs of this maintenance significantly. Newly electrified lines often show a "sparks effect", whereby electrification in passenger rail systems leads to significant jumps in patronage / revenue. The reasons may include electric trains being seen as more modern and attractive to ride, faster, quieter and smoother service, and
2599-436: Is supplied to moving trains with a (nearly) continuous conductor running along the track that usually takes one of two forms: an overhead line , suspended from poles or towers along the track or from structure or tunnel ceilings, or a third rail mounted at track level and contacted by a sliding " pickup shoe ". Both overhead wire and third-rail systems usually use the running rails as the return conductor, but some systems use
2712-410: Is that the power-wasting resistors used in DC locomotives for speed control were not needed in an AC locomotive: multiple taps on the transformer can supply a range of voltages. Separate low-voltage transformer windings supply lighting and the motors driving auxiliary machinery. More recently, the development of very high power semiconductors has caused the classic DC motor to be largely replaced with
2825-850: Is the countrywide system. 3 kV DC is used in Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Chile, the northern portion of the Czech Republic, the former republics of the Soviet Union , and in the Netherlands on a few kilometers between Maastricht and Belgium. It was formerly used by the Milwaukee Road from Harlowton, Montana , to Seattle, across the Continental Divide and including extensive branch and loop lines in Montana, and by
2938-565: Is the development of powering trains and locomotives using electricity instead of diesel or steam power . The history of railway electrification dates back to the late 19th century when the first electric tramways were introduced in cities like Berlin , London , and New York City . In 1881, the first permanent railway electrification in the world was the Gross-Lichterfelde Tramway in Berlin , Germany. Overhead line electrification
3051-649: Is the use of electric power for the propulsion of rail transport . Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling passengers or freight in separate cars), electric multiple units ( passenger cars with their own motors) or both. Electricity is typically generated in large and relatively efficient generating stations , transmitted to the railway network and distributed to the trains. Some electric railways have their own dedicated generating stations and transmission lines , but most purchase power from an electric utility . The railway usually provides its own distribution lines, switches, and transformers . Power
3164-834: Is used on some narrow-gauge lines in Japan. On "French system" HSLs, the overhead line and a "sleeper" feeder line each carry 25 kV in relation to the rails, but in opposite phase so they are at 50 kV from each other; autotransformers equalize the tension at regular intervals. Various railway electrification systems in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries utilised three-phase , rather than single-phase electric power delivery due to ease of design of both power supply and locomotives. These systems could either use standard network frequency and three power cables, or reduced frequency, which allowed for return-phase line to be third rail, rather than an additional overhead wire. The majority of modern electrification systems take AC energy from
3277-638: The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (now New Jersey Transit , converted to 25 kV AC) in the United States, and the Kolkata suburban railway (Bardhaman Main Line) in India, before it was converted to 25 kV 50 Hz. DC voltages between 600 V and 750 V are used by most tramways and trolleybus networks, as well as some metro systems as the traction motors accept this voltage without
3390-544: The Greater Wellington Regional Council proposed extending double-track from Trentham to Upper Hutt and extending electrification north of Upper Hutt to Timberlea and Cruickshank Road. The 2011 – 2012 Regional Rail Plan (RRP) proposed to start duplication work between Trentham and Upper Hutt in 2012. Double-tracking of the Trentham – Upper Hutt section was confirmed by GWRC in June 2014 with
3503-683: The HSL-Zuid and Betuwelijn , and 3,000 V south of Maastricht . In Portugal, it is used in the Cascais Line and in Denmark on the suburban S-train system (1650 V DC). In the United Kingdom, 1,500 V DC was used in 1954 for the Woodhead trans-Pennine route (now closed); the system used regenerative braking , allowing for transfer of energy between climbing and descending trains on
Hutt Valley Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-692: The Hawkes Bay . This provided the premier service on the Hutt Valley Line until early 1909, when it was re-routed via the west coast route that the Railways Department had recently acquired from the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company . Its replacement was the Wairarapa Mail , an express train that ran the Napier Express's former Wellington-to-Woodville leg. Through the Hutt Valley, the express
3729-674: The Innovia ART system. While part of the SkyTrain network, the Canada Line does not use this system and instead uses more traditional motors attached to the wheels and third-rail electrification. A few lines of the Paris Métro in France operate on a four-rail power system. The trains move on rubber tyres which roll on a pair of narrow roll ways made of steel and, in some places, of concrete . Since
3842-546: The North Island Main Trunk . The first proposal for a railway line from Wellington to the Rimutaka Range was put to the Wellington provincial government by Robert Stokes in 1858, and five years later the government gave support to the idea. In 1866, the government's investigating committee approved the line and the Wellington, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa Railway Ordinance was passed on 2 July 1866. It authorised
3955-530: The Petone Ngaurange shared path and seawall project (estimated to cost $ 312 million) which will provide a wide cycleway and pedestrian path as well as more protection for the road and rail links. Concern has been raised about the death of five korora (little blue penguins) which came ashore to nest. The project includes a bridge over the southern end of the line. In 2024 the Hutt City Council found that
4068-524: The Rimutaka Ranges at the western end of the incline was closed and replaced by a line through Maymorn to the tunnel. In June 2013, the Hutt Valley line was cut on the evening of 20 June between Ngauranga and Petone by scouring beneath the line in several places during the storm of 20–21 June . Hutt Valley and Wairarapa lines services between Petone and Wellington were replaced by buses. KiwiRail had to rail in more than 1400 cubic metres of fill. Service
4181-564: The Southern Railway serving Coulsdon North and Sutton railway station . The lines were electrified at 6.7 kV 25 Hz. It was announced in 1926 that all lines were to be converted to DC third rail and the last overhead-powered electric service ran in September 1929. AC power is used at 60 Hz in North America (excluding the aforementioned 25 Hz network), western Japan, South Korea and Taiwan; and at 50 Hz in
4294-454: The United States , the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad was one of the first major railways to be electrified. Railway electrification continued to expand throughout the 20th century, with technological improvements and the development of high-speed trains and commuters . Today, many countries have extensive electrified railway networks with 375 000 km of standard lines in
4407-568: The 1928 Cuba Street road overbridge over the Hutt Line was earthquake prone as it was only 19% of the Ultimate Limit State (ULS). It was to be fixed at an estimated cost of $ 2.1 million. The line carries annuallly 570,000 commuters and 370.000 tonnes of freight. Seven traction substations along the line take electricity from Wellington Electricity 's 11,000-volt distribution network and transform and rectify it to 1500-volt direct current for
4520-535: The 2.7 km of line between Trentham and Upper Hutt; for which the GWRC was seeking government funding. Some traction poles on the Hutt Line required replacing "urgently". A power and signals failure in February 2018 was blamed on the power supply cable for signals dating from the 1950s (not actually from WWII). In December 2017, KiwiRail said that the proposed double-tracking from Trentham to Upper Hutt would delay proposals for
4633-489: The Ararino Street (western) platform and switched over to the down line south of the station. The Racecourse Road (eastern) platform was only used during race days and for other special occasions that occurred at the adjacent Trentham Racecourse . The 2010 – 2035 Regional Rail Plan (RRP) had proposed duplicating the track between Trentham and Upper Hutt in the 2011 – 2012 year, but duplicating
Hutt Valley Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-531: The Ararino Street (western) platform if travelling to Upper Hutt and the Racecourse Road (eastern) platform if travelling to Wellington. Services not stopping at Trentham (e.g. freight services and the Wairarapa Connection ) may use either track, as the new double-track between Trentham and Upper Hutt is signalled for bi-directional running. Trentham was originally controlled from its own signal box on
4859-684: The Netherlands, New Zealand ( Wellington ), Singapore (on the North East MRT line ), the United States ( Chicago area on the Metra Electric district and the South Shore Line interurban line and Link light rail in Seattle , Washington). In Slovakia, there are two narrow-gauge lines in the High Tatras (one a cog railway ). In the Netherlands it is used on the main system, alongside 25 kV on
4972-520: The Sutherland Avenue crossing was the only level crossing in New Zealand that was approach-controlled , meaning the up home signal would be held at danger until the barrier arms were down. For an off-peak service when there was usually no conflicting traffic on the single line from Trentham to Upper Hutt, it was normal for the up home signal to change to clear once the barrier arms were down. However,
5085-529: The Trentham to Upper Hutt section started in November 2019. Initially projected to take eighteen months and to cost $ 300 million, the upgrading was completed (after two years) with the first trains running on 14 November 2021. Work carried out included upgrades to the Trentham and Wallaceville stations (to which the GWRC contributed $ 3 million), and to the Upper Hutt station. The section from Upper Hutt south to Trentham
5198-578: The UK, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway pioneered overhead electrification of its suburban lines in London, London Bridge to Victoria being opened to traffic on 1 December 1909. Victoria to Crystal Palace via Balham and West Norwood opened in May 1911. Peckham Rye to West Norwood opened in June 1912. Further extensions were not made owing to the First World War. Two lines opened in 1925 under
5311-664: The Wellington-Napier Line (Lower Hutt Valley Duplication) was authorised by the Railways Authorisation Act, 1924. In 1925, the Hutt Valley Lands Settlement Act contained a provision for a branch line railway from Petone to Waterloo ., known as the Hutt Valley or Waterloo Branch. Initially, a single line was planned, but as a substantial 233-metre bridge with 17 piers over the Hutt River at Ava
5424-938: The Woburn Junction (2021; $ 2.08 million) will allow quicker access to the Gracefield Branch and Hutt Railway Workshops. Work on double tracking the 2.5 km from Trentham to Upper Hutt was expected to take eighteen months, starting in October 2019. Hutt line traction plant work is to started about September 2019 and metro station construction work in March 2020. Double-tracking from Trentham to Upper Hutt and other improvements at Trentham, Wallaceville and Upper Hutt stations were completed in November 2021. 41°12′49.77″S 174°55′15.95″E / 41.2138250°S 174.9210972°E / -41.2138250; 174.9210972 Railway electrification system Railway electrification
5537-494: The ability to pull freight at higher speed over gradients; in mixed traffic conditions this increases capacity when the time between trains can be decreased. The higher power of electric locomotives and an electrification can also be a cheaper alternative to a new and less steep railway if train weights are to be increased on a system. On the other hand, electrification may not be suitable for lines with low frequency of traffic, because lower running cost of trains may be outweighed by
5650-616: The acquisition of the WMR in December 1908, the Wairarapa Line was part of the Railways Department's primary route out of Wellington. Once the west coast route of the North Island Main Trunk railway was available, all freight that could be diverted was sent via that line due to the costs and inefficiency of sending it over the Rimutaka Incline. Accordingly, the Wairarapa Line declined markedly as
5763-625: The adoption of the regional public transport plan. In 2012, the Greater Wellington Regional Council decided to investigate extension of the electrification with Matangi trains north of Upper Hutt to a new station at Timberlea and north of Waikanae to Otaki (estimated cost $ 30 million for the Otaki project). The 2013 Review and Draft 2014 Review of the Wellington Regional Public Transport Plan confirmed that
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#17328449013315876-516: The advantages of raising the voltage is that, to transmit certain level of power, lower current is necessary ( P = V × I ). Lowering the current reduces the ohmic losses and allows for less bulky, lighter overhead line equipment and more spacing between traction substations, while maintaining power capacity of the system. On the other hand, the higher voltage requires larger isolation gaps, requiring some elements of infrastructure to be larger. The standard-frequency AC system may introduce imbalance to
5989-410: The distance they could transmit power. However, in the early 20th century, alternating current (AC) power systems were developed, which allowed for more efficient power transmission over longer distances. In the 1920s and 1930s, many countries worldwide began to electrify their railways. In Europe, Switzerland , Sweden , France , and Italy were among the early adopters of railway electrification. In
6102-665: The early 1950s this was carried out. On 28 February 1954, the section of the old main line between Melling and Haywards (now Manor Park ) closed, leaving the Lower Hutt to Melling section as the Melling Branch . The following day, the new Taitā to Haywards section opened and the Hutt Valley Branch was incorporated into the Wairarapa Line. Initially single track, the section was duplicated on 19 July 1954. Electrification had been approved in response to post-WWII coal shortages and
6215-448: The electrification. Electric vehicles, especially locomotives, lose power when traversing gaps in the supply, such as phase change gaps in overhead systems, and gaps over points in third rail systems. These become a nuisance if the locomotive stops with its collector on a dead gap, in which case there is no power to restart. This is less of a problem in trains consisting of two or more multiple units coupled together, since in that case if
6328-404: The end of funding. Most electrification systems use overhead wires, but third rail is an option up to 1,500 V. Third rail systems almost exclusively use DC distribution. The use of AC is usually not feasible due to the dimensions of a third rail being physically very large compared with the skin depth that AC penetrates to 0.3 millimetres or 0.012 inches in a steel rail. This effect makes
6441-440: The experiment was curtailed. In 1970 the Ural Electromechanical Institute of Railway Engineers carried out calculations for railway electrification at 12 kV DC , showing that the equivalent loss levels for a 25 kV AC system could be achieved with DC voltage between 11 and 16 kV. In the 1980s and 1990s 12 kV DC was being tested on the October Railway near Leningrad (now Petersburg ). The experiments ended in 1995 due to
6554-500: The fact that electrification often goes hand in hand with a general infrastructure and rolling stock overhaul / replacement, which leads to better service quality (in a way that theoretically could also be achieved by doing similar upgrades yet without electrification). Whatever the causes of the sparks effect, it is well established for numerous routes that have electrified over decades. This also applies when bus routes with diesel buses are replaced by trolleybuses. The overhead wires make
6667-1012: The general power grid. This is especially useful in mountainous areas where heavily loaded trains must descend long grades. Central station electricity can often be generated with higher efficiency than a mobile engine/generator. While the efficiency of power plant generation and diesel locomotive generation are roughly the same in the nominal regime, diesel motors decrease in efficiency in non-nominal regimes at low power while if an electric power plant needs to generate less power it will shut down its least efficient generators, thereby increasing efficiency. The electric train can save energy (as compared to diesel) by regenerative braking and by not needing to consume energy by idling as diesel locomotives do when stopped or coasting. However, electric rolling stock may run cooling blowers when stopped or coasting, thus consuming energy. Large fossil fuel power stations operate at high efficiency, and can be used for district heating or to produce district cooling , leading to
6780-411: The high cost of the electrification infrastructure. Therefore, most long-distance lines in developing or sparsely populated countries are not electrified due to relatively low frequency of trains. Network effects are a large factor with electrification. When converting lines to electric, the connections with other lines must be considered. Some electrifications have subsequently been removed because of
6893-470: The latter class ordered for the Wellington electrified network when the Hutt Valley electrification project was approved. The EDs were withdrawn by 1980 and EWs by 1983. In 1982-83, the EM/ET "Ganz Mavag" multiple units were introduced, taking over most services, so that the DM/D multiple units used on the line since 1953 were used only at peak times. The introduction of the FP/FT "Matangi" class EMUs from 2011 provided extra passenger capacity, and enabled
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#17328449013317006-399: The line every 20 minutes: the first starting at Upper Hutt and stopping at all stations to Taitā , then running express to Wellington stopping only at Waterloo ; the second starting from Taitā and stopping at all stations to Petone , then running express to Wellington (only Melling Line trains serve Ngauranga during peak times). Kaiwharawhara was closed suddenly in June 2013 as it
7119-455: The line from Waterloo to Silverstream or Upper Hutt had not yet been considered by Cabinet. Prime Minister Savage had referred in June to proposed railway improvements on other lines. After World War II , the Hutt Valley experienced significant population growth, especially with the establishment of state housing communities in Naenae and Taitā (then known as Taita), and extension of the Hutt Valley Branch to serve those two neighbourhoods
7232-495: The line to Kaitoke was opened to the public; Kaitoke becoming the railhead for the Wairarapa for nearly ten months (to 16 October). The section into the Wairarapa opened on 12 August 1878 to Featherston . This section descended the Rimutaka ranges via the Rimutaka Incline . The Pipitea Point railway station terminus in Wellington was destroyed by fire on 16 January 1878, but remained open. A permanent replacement further south on Featherston Street opened on 1 November 1880; it
7345-410: The line was opened to Silverstream in December 1875; this included a 272-metre bridge across the Hutt River just before Silverstream, and in other locations, thousands of bags of cement had to be used to stabilise the railway's route alongside the river. The line opened to Upper Hutt on 1 February 1876. On 28 December 1877 the line to Kaitoke was officially opened by the Governor,. On 1 January 1878
7458-442: The losses (saving 2 GWh per year per 100 route-km; equalling about €150,000 p.a.). The line chosen is one of the lines, totalling 6000 km, that are in need of renewal. In the 1960s the Soviets experimented with boosting the overhead voltage from 3 to 6 kV. DC rolling stock was equipped with ignitron -based converters to lower the supply voltage to 3 kV. The converters turned out to be unreliable and
7571-469: The main platform. Following double-tracking of the line to Trentham, the southern crossover points (number 18, now 1) and the associated signals protecting the crossover and the single line north could be controlled from the signal box at Upper Hutt, requiring the Trentham signal box only to be used on race days to operate the other crossovers and signals. On 6 February 2007, the Trentham and Upper Hutt signal boxes were decommissioned and control of both stations
7684-422: The maximum power that can be transmitted, also can be responsible for electrochemical corrosion due to stray DC currents. Electric trains need not carry the weight of prime movers , transmission and fuel. This is partly offset by the weight of electrical equipment. Regenerative braking returns power to the electrification system so that it may be used elsewhere, by other trains on the same system or returned to
7797-402: The need for overhead wires between those stations. Maintenance costs of the lines may be increased by electrification, but many systems claim lower costs due to reduced wear-and-tear on the track from lighter rolling stock. There are some additional maintenance costs associated with the electrical equipment around the track, such as power sub-stations and the catenary wire itself, but, if there
7910-473: The original route in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1905, D 137 was utilised in trials on the Hutt Valley Line of a " railcar " service between Lower and Upper Hutt based on a concept the Railways Department's General Manager had witnessed in the eastern United States. This involved D 137 hauling a carriage that seated 24 first class passengers and 48 second class passengers, and had a guard's compartment. It proved uneconomic and grossly over-powered, and accordingly, it
8023-452: The overhead traction lines. The substations are located at Wellington, Kaiwharawhara, Petone, Woburn, Pomare, Silverstream, and Upper Hutt. There is also some supply from the Lower Hutt traction sub-station on the Melling line. Also along the line are three "cross-tie" substations at Rocky Point, Epuni, and Heretaunga, which provide a switching function but don't have transformers or rectifiers. C , D , and L class steam locomotives operated
8136-497: The phase separation between the electrified sections powered from different phases, whereas high voltage would make the transmission more efficient. UIC conducted a case study for the conversion of the Bordeaux-Hendaye railway line (France), currently electrified at 1.5 kV DC, to 9 kV DC and found that the conversion would allow to use less bulky overhead wires (saving €20 million per 100 route-km) and lower
8249-500: The problem by insulating the running rails from the current return should there be a leakage through the running rails. The Expo and Millennium Line of the Vancouver SkyTrain use side-contact fourth-rail systems for their 650 V DC supply. Both are located to the side of the train, as the space between the running rails is occupied by an aluminum plate, as part of stator of the linear induction propulsion system used on
8362-457: The railway reached Kaiwharawhara , followed by Ngauranga in early 1874 and Lower Hutt on 14 April 1874. Steam locomotives had now arrived to work the line and service began, with four trains daily each way (three on Sundays). Construction of the next section to Upper Hutt along the western bank of the Hutt River proceeded swiftly. On 11 May 1874, a contract was let to Charles McKirdy, and
8475-516: The region included $ 96 million for the Wairarapa Line; $ 50 million in the Wairarapa and $ 46.2 million south of the Rimutaka Tunnel including double-tracking the Trentham to Upper Hutt section. Work is to start in April 2019. Double tracking of the Trentham to Upper Hutt section ($ 46.2 million) will be completed in 2021, and track renewal and formation and drainage upgrades will be included. Resignalling of
8588-540: The remaining DM/D class EMUs to be withdrawn in 2012. From 2016, trains have been operated by Transdev Wellington under the Metlink brand; previously Metlink commuter services were operated by Tranz Metro . Trains run frequently along the line with stops at 17 stations. Off-peak services run every 20 minutes during the day, Half Hourly on Saturday and Sundays and hourly during the early morning and late evening, stopping at all stations. At peak times, two services run along
8701-410: The resistance per unit length unacceptably high compared with the use of DC. Third rail is more compact than overhead wires and can be used in smaller-diameter tunnels, an important factor for subway systems. The London Underground in England is one of few networks that uses a four-rail system. The additional rail carries the electrical return that, on third-rail and overhead networks, is provided by
8814-570: The revenue obtained for freight and passenger traffic. Different systems are used for urban and intercity areas; some electric locomotives can switch to different supply voltages to allow flexibility in operation. Six of the most commonly used voltages have been selected for European and international standardisation. Some of these are independent of the contact system used, so that, for example, 750 V DC may be used with either third rail or overhead lines. There are many other voltage systems used for railway electrification systems around
8927-489: The route across the river to Haywards and then back over at Silverstream, but the soil through the gorge was found unsuitable, and two bridges were built instead. Some of the original line replaced by the new route to Silverstream has been preserved by the Silver Stream Railway . On 19 July 1954, the railway was duplicated to a point north of Haywards, and on 21 November a single track on the new Silverstream deviation
9040-490: The running rails. On the London Underground, a top-contact third rail is beside the track, energized at +420 V DC , and a top-contact fourth rail is located centrally between the running rails at −210 V DC , which combine to provide a traction voltage of 630 V DC . The same system was used for Milan 's earliest underground line, Milan Metro 's line 1 , whose more recent lines use an overhead catenary or
9153-464: The same task: converting and transporting high-voltage AC from the power grid to low-voltage DC in the locomotive. The difference between AC and DC electrification systems lies in where the AC is converted to DC: at the substation or on the train. Energy efficiency and infrastructure costs determine which of these is used on a network, although this is often fixed due to pre-existing electrification systems. Both
9266-550: The service "visible" even in no bus is running and the existence of the infrastructure gives some long-term expectations of the line being in operation. Due to the height restriction imposed by the overhead wires, double-stacked container trains have been traditionally difficult and rare to operate under electrified lines. However, this limitation is being overcome by railways in India, China and African countries by laying new tracks with increased catenary height. Trentham railway station, New Zealand Trentham Railway Station
9379-407: The signalman at Upper Hutt had been distracted sorting out a drunken altercation at that station and had forgotten to clear the signal once the last southbound train had cleared Trentham, and the train driver was in the mindset the signal should clear as he approached the level crossing, not realising his mistake until he passed the signal. The approach controlled function was subsequently removed after
9492-555: The steep approaches to the tunnel. The system was also used for suburban electrification in East London and Manchester , now converted to 25 kV AC. It is now only used for the Tyne and Wear Metro . In India, 1,500 V DC was the first electrification system launched in 1925 in Mumbai area. Between 2012 and 2016, the electrification was converted to 25 kV 50 Hz, which
9605-443: The supply grid, requiring careful planning and design (as at each substation power is drawn from two out of three phases). The low-frequency AC system may be powered by separate generation and distribution network or a network of converter substations, adding the expense, also low-frequency transformers, used both at the substations and on the rolling stock, are particularly bulky and heavy. The DC system, apart from being limited as to
9718-577: The temporary structure was nearly washed away by a flood. Three new stations at Ava , Woburn and Waterloo were built. The new line was opened by Coates , on 26 May 1927. The Hutt Valley Branch was soon followed by the Gracefield Branch to the Railway Department's new Hutt Workshops on 1 April 1929. In 1938, the Minister of Railways Dan Sullivan said that the extension and duplication of
9831-694: The three-phase induction motor fed by a variable frequency drive , a special inverter that varies both frequency and voltage to control motor speed. These drives can run equally well on DC or AC of any frequency, and many modern electric locomotives are designed to handle different supply voltages and frequencies to simplify cross-border operation. Five European countries – Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden – have standardized on 15 kV 16 + 2 ⁄ 3 Hz (the 50 Hz mains frequency divided by three) single-phase AC. On 16 October 1995, Germany, Austria and Switzerland changed from 16 + 2 ⁄ 3 Hz to 16.7 Hz which
9944-575: The through traffic to non-electrified lines. If through traffic is to have any benefit, time-consuming engine switches must occur to make such connections or expensive dual mode engines must be used. This is mostly an issue for long-distance trips, but many lines come to be dominated by through traffic from long-haul freight trains (usually running coal, ore, or containers to or from ports). In theory, these trains could enjoy dramatic savings through electrification, but it can be too costly to extend electrification to isolated areas, and unless an entire network
10057-581: The track only commenced as part of the 2020-2021 Wellington Metro Rail Upgrade. As part of the upgrade, the low platforms were raised and the east "racecourse side" platform was replaced with one further west to increase clearance between the two main lines. A new subway was built to connect the two platforms, and a new station building similar to the Redwood station building was added to the new eastern platform. The new platforms came into operation on 15 November 2021, with services stopping at Trentham generally using
10170-466: The train stops with one collector in a dead gap, another multiple unit can push or pull the disconnected unit until it can again draw power. The same applies to the kind of push-pull trains which have a locomotive at each end. Power gaps can be overcome in single-collector trains by on-board batteries or motor-flywheel-generator systems. In 2014, progress is being made in the use of large capacitors to power electric vehicles between stations, and so avoid
10283-713: The train's kinetic energy back into electricity and returns it to the supply system to be used by other trains or the general utility grid. While diesel locomotives burn petroleum products, electricity can be generated from diverse sources, including renewable energy . Historically, concerns of resource independence have played a role in the decision to electrify railway lines. The landlocked Swiss confederation which almost completely lacks oil or coal deposits but has plentiful hydropower electrified its network in part in reaction to supply issues during both World Wars. Disadvantages of electric traction include: high capital costs that may be uneconomic on lightly trafficked routes,
10396-413: The transmission and conversion of electric energy involve losses: ohmic losses in wires and power electronics, magnetic field losses in transformers and smoothing reactors (inductors). Power conversion for a DC system takes place mainly in a railway substation where large, heavy, and more efficient hardware can be used as compared to an AC system where conversion takes place aboard the locomotive where space
10509-470: The tyres do not conduct the return current, the two guide bars provided outside the running ' roll ways ' become, in a sense, a third and fourth rail which each provide 750 V DC , so at least electrically it is a four-rail system. Each wheel set of a powered bogie carries one traction motor . A side sliding (side running) contact shoe picks up the current from the vertical face of each guide bar. The return of each traction motor, as well as each wagon ,
10622-423: The up home (29) signal at danger , which caused the alarms on the Sutherland Avenue level crossing immediately after the signal to only activate at the last second. The train hit a car on the level crossing, severely damaging the car but only causing minor injuries. While it is normal for a level crossing immediately after a signal to not activate if the signal is at danger to prevent needlessly delaying road traffic,
10735-432: The voltage, the lower the current for the same power (because power is current multiplied by voltage), and power loss is proportional to the current squared. The lower current reduces line loss, thus allowing higher power to be delivered. As alternating current is used with high voltages. Inside the locomotive, a transformer steps the voltage down for use by the traction motors and auxiliary loads. An early advantage of AC
10848-405: The weight of an on-board transformer. Increasing availability of high-voltage semiconductors may allow the use of higher and more efficient DC voltages that heretofore have only been practical with AC. The use of medium-voltage DC electrification (MVDC) would solve some of the issues associated with standard-frequency AC electrification systems, especially possible supply grid load imbalance and
10961-532: The world, and the list of railway electrification systems covers both standard voltage and non-standard voltage systems. The permissible range of voltages allowed for the standardised voltages is as stated in standards BS EN 50163 and IEC 60850. These take into account the number of trains drawing current and their distance from the substation. 1,500 V DC is used in Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong (parts), Ireland, Australia (parts), France (also using 25 kV 50 Hz AC ) ,
11074-527: The world, including China , India , Japan , France , Germany , and the United Kingdom . Electrification is seen as a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to diesel or steam power and is an important part of many countries' transportation infrastructure. Electrification systems are classified by three main parameters: Selection of an electrification system is based on economics of energy supply, maintenance, and capital cost compared to
11187-546: Was also implemented in the 1950s, with the first electrified section opened on 14 September 1953 from the North Island Main Trunk junction at Kaiwharawhara to Taitā. The old bridge over the Hutt River to Silverstream was found unsuitable for electrification and a deviation was built to the north over a new bridge. A direct line from Taitā to Silverstream through the Taitā Gorge with a tunnel had been proposed, eliminating
11300-482: Was approved. Already built to Waterloo as double track, the next section to Naenae opened on 7 January 1946 initially as single track. On 14 April 1947 the line to Taitā opened, and the section from Waterloo to Naenae double tracked. The section from Naenae to Taitā was duplicated on 22 February 1953. A proposal to extend the Taitā line to link up with the original Hutt Valley main line had been approved in February 1946, and in
11413-533: Was brought into use. Duplication from Haywards was completed to Trentham on 26 June 1955. On 24 July the electrification was completed to Upper Hutt and diesel-hauled suburban passenger trains north of Taitā ceased. On 3 November 1955, the Rimutaka Incline was replaced by the Rimutaka Tunnel , speeding travel from the Hutt Valley to the Wairarapa. This involved re-routing the Wairarapa Line north of Upper Hutt. The Kaitoke route via Kaitoke and Summit in
11526-423: Was built along the western bank of the Hutt River and Wellington Harbour to provide a direct route from Wellington to the Wairarapa via Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt. Automatic single-line signalling (APB) was introduced in 1922; from Wellington to Lower Hutt on 27 March and from Lower Hutt to Upper Hutt on 25 September. On 25 May 1927 signalling and interlocking on the double track Hutt Valley Junction to Waterloo (then
11639-497: Was completed to Petone (1905), Rocky Point (1906), Paparangi Point (1907), Ngauranga (1908), Kaiwharawhara (1909), and Wellington in 1911. In the 1900s, a number of new stations and sidings were added: Trentham in 1907; Melling , Gosse and Co's siding, Pitcaithly's (station and siding), Belmont Quarry Co's siding (not to be confused with the Belmont railway station ), Silverstream Bridge and Heretaunga in 1908. The original route
11752-548: Was discovered how badly corroded the overbridge was. In November 2013, the GWRC voted to close it permanently as on health and safety grounds, it was too expensive and nearly impossible to upgrade the station to provide step free access via ramps for disabled passengers. Metlink commuter trains running to and from Masterton in the Wairarapa – the Wairarapa Connection – augment the Hutt Valley Line service. They operate several times daily, using DFT class diesel locomotives and SW and SE class carriages. From December 1897, until
11865-492: Was equipped for bi-directional signalling so that trains can run on either track in either direction, with provision to later extend the bi-directional signalling to Heretaunga. The upgrades are expected to improve the operation of both suburban passenger trains to Upper Hutt and of the Wairarapa Connection , with a longer loop at Upper Hutt to hold Wairarapa log trains. On 15 November 2021, the second track between Trentham and Upper Hutt came into service. In 2023 work started on
11978-437: Was exacerbated because the return current also had a tendency to flow through nearby iron pipes forming the water and gas mains. Some of these, particularly Victorian mains that predated London's underground railways, were not constructed to carry currents and had no adequate electrical bonding between pipe segments. The four-rail system solves the problem. Although the supply has an artificially created earth point, this connection
12091-543: Was first applied successfully by Frank Sprague in Richmond, Virginia in 1887-1888, and led to the electrification of hundreds of additional street railway systems by the early 1890s. The first electrification of a mainline railway was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Baltimore Belt Line in the United States in 1895–96. The early electrification of railways used direct current (DC) power systems, which were limited in terms of
12204-489: Was moved northwards to near the intersection of Thorndon and Lambton Quays in 1885 and later became known as Lambton railway station . It was replaced by the present Wellington railway station on Bunny Street in 1937. The route alongside the harbour from Wellington to Lower Hutt was straightened and duplicated. The work was approved in 1903 by the Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Act , and began in 1904. From Lower Hutt it
12317-656: Was moved to Train Control in central Wellington, and all crossovers and signals were renumbered. There was a set of sidings in the Trentham Army Camp from 1941 to 1954, used for freight and for troop trains, with a shunting locomotive owned by the Army. Most of the track were removed in the 1970s. The siding was 0.53 km from Trentham Railway Station and 0.63 km from Heretaunga Railway Station . On Saturday 22 March 1997, an evening northbound unit approaching Trentham passed
12430-692: Was needed, and as it was to be the future mainline as the Western Hutt route could not be duplicated north of Melling, the new line was double track. It was built by the Public Works Department , and work started in April 1925, before the first sod had been turned by the Prime Minister Gordon Coates on 16 April 1925. Construction was simple with minimal earthworks, although industrial troubles in Britain delayed delivery of steel girders, and
12543-453: Was restored on the morning of 27 June. Kaiwharawhara railway station was closed suddenly in June 2013 as it was discovered how badly corroded the overbridge was. In November 2013, the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) voted to close it permanently as on health and safety grounds, it was too expensive and nearly impossible to upgrade the station to provide step free access via ramps for disabled passengers. Work on double-tracking
12656-552: Was soon taken out of service and the Railways Department pursued research into genuine railcars, culminating in various classes covered by the general RM class designation. On 11 December 1897, the Wairarapa Line was completed to its junction with the Palmerston North–Gisborne Line at Woodville , allowing the commencement of the Napier Express from Wellington through the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa to Napier in
12769-729: Was typically hauled by W class tank locomotives . In 1936, the Wairarapa railcars started doing the Wairarapa runs, decreasing the frequency of the express and ultimately leading to its cancellation in 1948. No named provincial express has operated on the Wairarapa Line since this time. In the 20th century, prior to electrification, W and W class tank locomotives typically hauled suburban trains. Prior to full electrification, services beyond Taitā were hauled by DE class diesel locomotives. Full electrification saw duties shared between DM/D class "English Electric multiple units and carriage trains hauled by ED and EW class electric locomotives ,
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