Back in 2012 the NZTA cut back the back the platform at the Ellerslie train station by 2m to give themselves enough space to build a fourth northbound lane from Ellerslie Panmure Highway just north of the Main Highway bridge.  The NZTA are currently working on stage 2 which is the creation of that lane.

I haven’t been on the Ellerslie Platform for a few years but I was previously a daily user and remember just how noisy it can be with the motorway so close and exposed to the station – and the noise is only likely to get worse with an additional lane. As such I was curious as to whether the NZTA planned to do anything reduce the noise for passengers waiting for a train so I asked the NZTA. Their reply is below

The project will include anti-distraction screens with noise reduction properties. The product is Plexiglass Soundstop® and will be 1.0m high on top of the TL6 barrier. The TL6 barrier is 1.45m high from road surface. Giving a total height of 2.45m from road level. The length of the screens is 435m from CH250 to Main Highway Bridge (CH685). The Plexiglass Soundstop is 15mm thick (same as Nelson Street) but will be transparent Midnight Blue in color with vertical black bird deterrent markings.

Acoustic engineers have completed a model of before and after predictions, specifically looking at the noise changes at the platform. Their conclusion was “ The proposed 2.5m barrier between SH1 and Ellerslie Station is predicted to achieve a noticeable reduction in road traffic noise level for patrons waiting on the platform.”

Recently they also uploaded the video below giving a rough idea of what the blue noise wall will look like.

Once complete it will hopefully make waiting for a train at Ellerslie a bit more pleasant.

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31 comments

  1. In 20 years time we’ll be moving the lane back and putting in another rail line. In the meantime it’s great that they’re reducing the noise from the motorway.

  2. Is the Blue Screen at Ellerslie high enough to deflect the noise away from the station platform? Wouldn’t it need to be more the height of the screen wall along the motorway between the Fanshawe Street on ramp and the Harbour Bridge?

  3. Am I the only one confused at how it seems to be taking them many times as long to build a retaining wall as it did to cut back a platform and move a railway line. There seems to be a huge number of people on the site everyday, but progress is very slow.

    1. I was going to make the same point. I travel that route regularly and it seems to be taking for ever – two years so far, or three? When do they think it will be finished? NZTA link says “Nov 2014–Mar 2016” but I’m skeptical. Even if they finish on schedule I’d still like to understand what took them so long. The Chinese would have had it finished (largely by hand) within 3 months.

      1. Can’t do much of the work without closing either a motorway lane or a rail line or both. U got many times that closure is convenient?

        1. But they close it at night, and there’s a window of like 8 hours where there is low traffic around 9pm-5am. They only really need to close 1 lane if anything.

        2. Got to love the armchair construction experts.

          Please apply for a job at NZTA, with their consultants, or the contractors, and show them how to do it faster while addressing technical and safety challenges. Maybe do it like the Chinese and have just a few fatalities along the way.

  4. The main north/south line here in Perth (Joondalup/Kwinana) runs down the middle of the motorway. Most of the stations have no sound reduction, though admittedly most platforms are between the lines, not the outside so closer to the motorway – Canning Bridge being the exception, though I hazard a guess the fence is more for security/safety than sound. I’m not a regular train user here but though it can be noisy, it’s never been excessive ie. to loud to have a conversation. I’d say some noise reduction would be better than none thought.

    I’d be more concerned about the restricting of station size to facilitate road building…. here in Perth on these lines 6 car trains are packed to capacity at peak times even with regular service. Why would you want to hamstring future expansion?!

  5. All this noise wall will do is reflect the unbelievably high pitch brake squeal of the new electric trains back onto the platform.Its not high enough to block the motorway noise.

  6. I understand that much of the vehicle noise comes from the contact patch between the wheels and the road. Drawing a line from – say – road level in the middle lane of the motorway to the platform will pass through the noise wall and that noise will be largely reflected (pity about the people on the other side).

    People on the platform should notice a difference, however, it won’t become a cone of silence

  7. Will an extra motorway lane here help Mike Hosking for the tragedy and bereavement he felt over the Nelson St lane loss?

        1. Good to know that the moderators can read every language. I have seen comments removed that are not in English. Found your bike helmet yet.

        2. Je vous assure que l’outil ‘Google Translate’ suffit bien pour distinguer entre les vrais commentaires et les trolls ou le spam. Ou pour traduire le nom de M. Bobo il Pagliaccio.

  8. With that giant concrete wall opposite reflecting noise over the relatively low wall, I don’t imagine it will make much difference.

    I’ve noticed recently that the Netherlands has a fairly extensive system of noise-killing walls along their highways:

    From the highway: https://goo.gl/HBLAqi
    From below: https://goo.gl/GvYzu5

    I don’t know how effective they are (and consider that the land is flat, so everything is below these screens, not so in Auckland!), but it’s certainly something NZTA should be considering. Or Auckland Council anyway – if a place is going to be ruined, may as well minimise the noise.

  9. I’m all for noise walls by residential areas, but a noise wall for a station platform?!?! That’s just a waste of money.

    I’d rather see the money being spent on opening Parnell Station ASAP – something which seems to have stalled recently……

  10. What about the fumes from the traffic no talk of that, but far more of a problem, like sitting next to a chain smoker in the cinema.

  11. And according to Mr Google Guy said; “Holy Mother of God – can you please stop going on about bicycle helmets for”

    1. There are no plans for a 3rd line around Ellerslie. The 3rd line will be from Papakura to Otahuhu where the freight depot is and if there is one needed for the port it would be on the Eastern Line.

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