I have always wondered why the Melling line was not extended to connect with the Wairarapa line at Manor Park. Now it could be a possibility.
And we may have missed an opportunity to relocate the Melling Station onto the other side of the river on the Riverbank car park, closer to the Lower Hutt CBD. We could still retain the car parking as it is, and have the new station on raised platforms, with the cars below. But I’m not a geotechnical engineer.
Not only did there used to be a track there as the article mentions, this route was in fact the original Wairarapa line, before what was called the Silverstream diversion. For a time both routes were kept. Its a crime that the original line was removed, its a shame that no one had the foresight to at very least maintain the corridor for the future.