Wainuiomata railway proposals
A line into Wainuiomata would require either a steep route over the hills, resulting in a slow journey, or a lengthy and costly tunnel.
[2] The circuitous nature of the route via Kaitoke meant an abbreviated form of this proposal was never subsequently considered for a line to Wainuiomata.
The Wainui Development Limited to hand over to the Government free of charge the land necessary to continue this railway line from the boundary of the Government property to the northern boundary of the Wainui settlement (via the proposed tunnel) and to provide sufficient land, also free of charge for the laying out of the necessary tram stations, car sheds, and motor bus garages.
[6] To this end, he suggested various works and railways facilities that would be required to handle this traffic, including: Residential development of the Wainuiomata Valley had been happening only for about a decade when, in 1963, the New Zealand Geological Survey prepared a report for the Wellington City Council on options for a Wainuiomata rail link for consideration for a regional plan for Greater Wellington.
The maximum permissible grade for a freight-carrying railway was about 1:40, which limited options for taking a line over the hills surrounding the valley.
Negative points for this option included the fact that it would have to pass through an appreciable amount of developed land, and a requirement for heavy earthworks.
Positive points for this option included the fact that it would have passed through less developed land, and would have had the secondary benefit of serving the industrial areas of Naenae and Taita.
On 4 August 1975, the Wainuiomata County Borough Council wrote to the Minister of Railways requesting that a feasibility study into a possible Waiuiomata – Hutt Valley rail link be conducted.
Railways Department Projects Engineer R. S. Ryan produced a preliminary study on the proposal on 11 August which included estimates and more detail on issues such as expected patronage, service requirements, facilities, route, cost, and revenue.
The report, using work done on the Auckland Rapid Transit project, assumed that six three-car electric multiple units, each with 300 passengers, would be required to meet peak-hour demand.
Citing information from the preliminary report, he pointed out that at current fare levels such a service would run at a considerable loss, and he did not expect that it could be budgeted for within the next 10 years.
