The Melling Line is expected to close for up to eighteen months from July 2024 to enable the RiverLink flood protection project to proceed.

Surveyor John Rochfort was hired by the Public Works Department to investigate four potential routes for this line and reported back with his findings at the completion of his trip.

The Public Works Department concurred with his assessment and tasked him with completing a more detailed survey including cost estimates.

The Government entered into a contract for the construction of the formation for a railway line from Wellington to Lower Hutt with John Brogden and Sons on 10 August 1872.

The arrival of the first locomotive in November 1873 helped to speed up the pace of construction and the rails reached Lower Hutt in January 1874.

[6][7] A special train ran two days prior to the official opening of the line to Lower Hutt and return carrying various political and civic dignitaries.

Once again he was also awarded the contract for platelaying the section and following the completion of the Hutt River Bridge in August 1875 the rails reached Silver Stream [sic] in December of that year.

The contract was completed to Upper Hutt in January 1876 but severe flooding later that month necessitated repairs to the line, delaying the opening of the new section until 1 February.

It was decided to double-track and straighten the line and accordingly the Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Act was passed in 1903 to authorise the work.

[12] The remaining work proceeded south from Petone towards Wellington but various difficulties encountered by the contractor meant that the entire double-tracked line between Lower Hutt and Lambton was not opened until 4 April 1911.

Following the completion of platelaying to Silver Stream [sic] in December 1875 some trains started running north of Lower Hutt to that station.

Local business owners raised concerns of access for patrons of Wellington's matches for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The speed limits were lowered in mid-2014 following two incidents when trains overran Melling station and hit the stop block at the end of the line.

[19] A severe shortage of coal following World War II led to the decision in February 1946 to electrify the remainder of Wellington’s suburban passenger rail network.

It had been hoped that the branch could join the existing Wairarapa Line at Silverstream, thereby avoiding additional crossings of the Hutt River, but this was not possible due to the unstable nature of the terrain in the area around Taita Gorge.