Melling Station closure

Melling Station will close in late December as construction of the Melling Transport Improvements for Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi gets underway.

The station, and its park-and-ride facilities, are set to remain closed for around three years. During this time the Melling line will terminate at Western Hutt.

While the station is closed, the area will be redesigned to accommodate a safer, more resilient and accessible transport system in Lower Hutt. 

This will include:

• construction of a new grade-separated (elevated) interchange at Melling
• a new citylink pedestrian bridge over Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River that will connect the interchange to Lower Hutt CBD
• Upgrades to the existing stopbank which will give the river more room to move. This will protect the CBD and other valuable infrastructure assets to withstand the effects of a 1-in-440-year flood
• The relocation and upgrade of Melling train station and park-and-ride facilities to align with the new city link pedestrian bridge
• New and improved walking and cycling paths.

To read more about these improvements elsewhere on this website, visit Melling Transport Improvements

While the station is closed, the Hutt Valley line will continue to provide frequent and fast connections from Waterloo, Woburn, Ava and Petone into Wellington.  Fares from Waterloo are the same as those from Melling.

Meanwhile, Metlink is identifying a range of alternative travel options for station users.

These will include:

Park and ride

Extra parking facilities will be available if you want to travel via Petone Station for the duration of the construction work. 

Bus connections

Bus routes 145 and 149 which currently link suburbs in the western hills to Melling Station will be rerouted to connect passengers with the Hutt Valley Line at Waterloo Station, where fares to Wellington are the same as from Melling.  

Cycle options

Bike racks will be available at Waterloo and Petone stations for the roughly 1% of Melling Station passengers who may choose to continue cycling to access the rail network.

Next steps

Closer to the planned closure, Metlink will be engaging with communities impacted by the temporary closure, to ensure they are aware of the public transport alternatives.

When the station reopens in its new location, road access will be limited until the wider programme improvements are fully complete.   When constructed, the City Link bridge will connect pedestrian and cyclists from Lower Hutt CBD to the station.

We'll continue to share updates as they become available.

More information

• Stay up-to-date with the progress of Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi by subscribing to the newsletter
• Facebook - Te Awa Kairangi - Delivering Riverlink

To find out how to plan your journey, go to metlink.org.nz

Got a question? 

If you would like to know more, additional information is below and in the FAQs, or you can email us at info@teawakairangi.co.nz

Why is Melling Station closing? 

Melling Station is closing to allow for major construction as part of Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi programme. This includes building a safer SH2 interchange, a new bridge over the river, upgraded public transport, walking, and cycling links and reinforcing the existing stopbank to further protect the CBD and valuable infrastructure assets from the devastating effects of flood.

Closing the station enables all of this work to progress safely and efficiently. 

When is Melling Station closing? 

Melling Station is expected to close in late December.  We’ll publish exact dates as soon as we have them.

How long will the station be closed? 

Approximately 36 months (3 years). The reopening will align with the completion of the new City Link bridge connecting the station directly to the Lower Hutt city centre. 

Will the Melling Line still run? 

Yes – the Melling Line will still operate, but it will terminate at Western Hutt Station while Melling Station remains closed. 

What are the alternative options for getting into Wellington? 

Passengers can: 

• Use Western Hutt Station to catch the Melling Line 

• Catch the Hutt Valley Line (HVL) from Waterloo, Woburn, Ava, or Petone 

• Use extended Park and Ride facilities at Petone 

• Connect via bus routes 145 and 149 (changes to these routes are being made to support the closure) 

• Use cycling and walking routes such as the Pito-One to Melling cycleway (additional cycle racks will be available at

What is being done to support commuters during the closure? 

• Bus routes 145 and 149 will be rerouted to Waterloo Station 
• Metlink is reviewing the 150 Kelson bus to improve rail connections 

• NZTA is providing a temporary Park and Ride facilities at Petone Station 

• HVL trains currently have spare peak capacity for more passengers 

• Use cycling and walking routes such as the Pito-One to Melling cycleway (bike racks will be available at Waterloo and Petone for the roughly 1% of Melling Station passengers who may choose to continue cycling to access the rail network).

How will I know when the changes are happening? 

Updates will be provided regularly via: 

• Metlink and Te Awa Kairangi websites 

• NZTA Melling Transport Improvements page: www.nzta.govt.nz/melling 

• Social media, signage, and community newsletters 

• Posters at stations and onboard announcements closer to the time 

What’s the benefit of all this disruption? 

The short-term inconvenience enables long-term gains, including: 

• A safer and more efficient SH2 interchange 

• Stronger flood protection for Lower Hutt 

• A modern, integrated public transport hub 

• Improved walking and cycling access