Waterloo Transit-Oriented Development PDA

Background 

Constructed in 1988, the current Waterloo Station is one of the busiest train stations in the Wellington region. Though the structure has stood the test of time, several elements are due for replacement in the coming years. Through investigation it was deemed that suggested that the Waterloo precinct would benefit from significant broader urban development outcomes through a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) project, which focuses on developing the area in and around the station to promote economic growth and connectivity.

The station is in a mainly residential area some distance from Hutt City CBD, and near to the ‘character village’ of Waterloo, which connects to the station precinct by subway. 

The station site and buildings are relatively complex, and the precinct covers a substantial parcel of real estate in the central Hutt Valley. Waterloo Station was originally designed to be a multi-purpose transport hub. Central to much of Lower Hutt, Waterloo has significant park and ride provision (779 car parks), bike and ride (79 storage spaces), pedestrian subways and overbridges, arterial roads and integrated bus connections. 

Land holdings in the station precinct are held by Greater Wellington, KiwiRail and Hutt City Council. 

The need to address infrastructure issues in the next 5-7 years, and make better use of prime land, is an ideal opportunity to prioritise Waterloo Redevelopment from a TOD perspective. 

Purpose 

• To support Hutt City’s urban development strategy through urban regeneration, and precinct development 
• To improve the accessibility of the site with a design that caters to those with additional mobility needs 
• To improve integration between transit, housing and community services 
• To enhance multi-modal access to the public transport network, and to create a transport-orientated catchment. 
• To achieve better outcomes by creating a healthy customer experience within the community and at the station, with an opportunity to stimulate the local economy. 

Direction 

To achieve these goals Greater Wellington has undergone a series of options analysis and has arrived at a design that best suits the needs of the station and the surrounding area.  

The key elements of the new design are:

• A new, more accessible, overpass to provide greater connectivity across the rail corridor. 
• Removal of aging infrastructure to prevent continued repair and maintenance costs 
• A new pedestrian crossing on Cambridge Terrace to replace the aging underpass
• Alignment of the platforms, making them uniform with each other and level with the trains.
• Improved amenities, shelter and safety measures
• Covered bike shelters for both platforms to facilitate active mode-shift.
• Dedicated space for a commercial development.
• Upgrades to the bus interchange to better integrate with the station. 

Milestones 

Greater Wellington has broken down the project so far into 4 key phases. These phases are as follows:

• Phase I – December 2021 to June 2022 – Concept Study
  • Exploring opportunities for a TOD at Waterloo. Included engagement with key Crown and local government agencies.
  • The Concept Study demonstrated the feasibility and viability of a TOD in the Waterloo precinct.
  • The PDA partnership process commenced in July 2022
• Phase II - November 2022 to November 2023 – Commercial Investigation
  • Series of investigation into project feasibility, development, commercial opportunities, funding models and private investment options. 
  • Included Public engagement from May 2023
• Phase III – October 2025 – Reference Design
  • Focused on delivering a costed Reference Design for the development
  • The preferred reference design to take to business casing was adopted by Greater Wellington’s Council in September 2025. 
• Phase IV – Ongoing– Business Cases
  • This phase is currently underway and will deliver an Initial Business Case plus an investment strategy to inform the funding and financing of delivery.  

In May 2022 Waterloo TOD was given Complex Development Opportunity (CDO) status under the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee (WRLC). The Waterloo TOD is one of seven CDOs in the Wellington region. CDOs were later renamed Priority Development Areas (PDAs) by the WRLC. 

PDA status formalises partnership for the project between central and local government, enables collective planning, decision making, problem solving and issue resolution and risk mitigation, and enhances the ability to access central government resources.