Dunedin Railway Station has been recognised in a list of the world’s top 20 most spectacular railway stations.
No-one knows how many railway stations there are in the world but to get into the top 20 is some achievement. The Dunedin station was ranked number 18 in the list compiled by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph.
Built in 1906, the Dunedin Railway Station was constructed of Central Otago bluestone, Oamaru stone facings and trim and roof clad with Marseilles tiles.
The Dunedin station was one of only three in the southern hemisphere included in the list. It is joined by Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, which was ranked 17, and Maputo Central Railway Station in Mozambique, which was ranked 19.
Enterprise Dunedin manager Sian Sutton said the station and its incredible exterior, matched by the ornate artistry of the interior, had long been one of the city’s main drawcards.
"The inclusion in this global list is a wonderful feather in our city’s cap and shows the station is a world-class attraction that will continue to draw people to our city."
The building, nicknamed the Gingerbread House by some, is one of Dunedin’s best-known and photographed. Naylor Love completed a three-year $6.4 million restoration job of the station in 2023.
The Telegraph’s travel writer, Adrian Bridge, said the South Island station bore all the hallmarks of its European heritage.
"The architectural style Flemish Renaissance-meets-Edwardian Baroque incorporates a clock tower, an impressive limestone and basalt facade and an ornate interior," he said.
London’s St Pancras International took first place on the list, a station which received an extensive revamp at the beginning of the century.
