Eliot Street railway station

Eliot Street station was well-situated for travellers, particularly those living in the eastern parts of New Plymouth. However, its future was undermined by several factors: a steep and winding approach from the city centre, tight gradients that challenged train operations, and limited space for future expansion. Safety concerns also became increasingly urgent, especially following a series of fatalities at the busy Devon Street level crossing.^[2]

In 1904 work began on the Strandon deviation, promising improved safety and operating efficiency. However, not all residents welcomed the change. In July 1906, a letter to the Taranaki Herald expressed concern that the new Fitzroy station would be inconveniently located for existing passengers and that closing Eliot Street would “mean a considerable amount of trouble to a great number of people,” who would now have to walk a much greater distance.^[6]

The council resolved in 1906 to demand from the railways (amongst other things) "that a station for the East End of the Borough be provided as near Hobson Street as possible."^[7] This wouldn't eventuate until September 1913 when the Autere Street (later East End) platform was opened, a gap of 6 years for residents to find alternate travel arrangements.

On 16 December 1907, the new Strandon deviation opened, including a new suburban station at Fitzroy. The old line through the city was closed the same day, including Eliot Street Station. However, not everybody knew of the closure, with passengers still showing up at Eliot Street the day the new line opened. A porter was sent to direct people to the new station (a 15 to 20-minute walk away), but some would-be passengers missed their train, much to their annoyance.^[8] On the day it was reported that "perhaps the only regret occasioned by the closing of the old line is that it was one of the prettiest pieces of line in the North Island, whilst the new railway runs through nothing more beautiful than the barren faces of a cutting."^[9]

Work began immediately to remove the tracks for the old route, starting at Waiwaka Terrace. Between 1909 and 1910 the land from the former route had been handed over to the New Plymouth Borough Council and Fitzroy Town Board, much of which became new roads.^[1]

No trace of Eliot Street station remains today. The site, once located at the eastern end of Leach Street near Eliot Street, has been overtaken by urban redevelopment and road reconfiguration. However, portions of the original railway route can still be inferred in the town’s topography.

Notably, the Huatoki Walkway, maintained by the New Plymouth District Council, loosely follows the path of the former railway through the Huatoki valley at Sir Victor Davis Park, past the former flour mill as far as Carrington Street. The YMCA Carpark off Liardet Street still follows the alignment of the railway as it climbed towards Leach Street from the Liardet Street Overbridge.

To the east of the former station site, the former railway route now forms Northgate (part of State Highway 3). The railway line once crossed the Te Henui Stream via a timber bridge. That structure was eventually converted into a road crossing. It became part of Waiwaka Terrace, later replaced by the modern Northgate thoroughfare.^[2] While no physical structures remain, these alignments preserve the memory of the original 1875 railway.