Well, it is a train station, it is pretty clean and I feel safe enough there (although there is two…read moretrain tracks and I have been crossing over once when the arm barrier starting coming down, I ran fast but it wouldn't have been an easy feat for someone with a pram, wheelchair or elderly; plus, before anyone gets on their 'high horse', there were no trains in site when I started crossing). It also feels pretty safe from the human-not-so-kind, as it is well lit and open. They have the new HOP and ticket card machines - unfortunately the latter are often out of change which is the predominant reason I am only giving this station two stars, a problem I have passed on to the Maxx transport team. The trains are pretty regular here and there is a quiet one way street behind the school where you can park and catch the train, I think it is called Layard Street.

A few years ago they renovated this train station; by renovated I mean moved a few hundred metres…read moredown the tracks and started again completely. This was a good strategy because the old station was awful in every way a train station can be, with the possible exception of sarin nerve gas attacks. The new one is much better in nearly all respects - cleaner, better lit, safer feeling, better looking, and no rickety ramps that I worry are going to collapse under my weight. The only downside is that it's further away from Rosebank Road, which makes it slightly less convenient, and a bit more isolated so you have to walk slightly further before you get to the (relative) security of Great North Road. Not that I'm going as far as saying Avondale's not safe, just that I don't know how happy I'd be about my kids, partner or self walking home from the train after dark. That's not the train station's fault though.

Henderson Train Station, or Tra'n Station as a lot of the signs inform me, is a classic example of…read morewhy West Auckland can't have nice things. It sits at the rear of a Westfield Mall, as a hangout for the homeless or the drunk. You have your choice of being distracted by the stained glass windows, glass footbridge (which mayor may not have all it's windows), or the classical music that is played to dissuade riffraff. You can easily hear this beautiful music if the escalators are broken, which they frequently are, or if it's not being drowned out by tinny MP3 players. It sometimes gets a halfhearted cleanup from PD workers, but there is constantly rubbish or gum or graffiti or empty bottles. With Auckland's recent train station upgrades and ticketing gates, they would do well to install some of them here to stop children running near the tracks and people urinating against the fences. Thankfully (and surprisingly), the trains almost reliably run to schedule. A great spot if you are a move director or music producer looking for drunken crooners or unemployed Kiwis in the evening.

This is the train station in Newmarket. Besides catching trains here there isn't much else, but you…read morecan buy tickets and top up AT Hop cards here. For a train station it is pretty good, very clean too. Mostly I go here for the dairies, this is dairy central and with four available my Diet Coke and Jelly Belly's are never far away. The inner courtyard space is good for waiting around for people or trains and new benches have just been added too. There are a few other small businesses which surround the station including a Southern Maids which you almost miss because it is hidden in a corner. All their doughnuts are made here so if you're a doughnut fan this is where you can satisfy your inner Homer Simpson.

Newmarket is considered quite a fashionable suburb of Auckland and the renovations and upgrades of…read moreit's train station looked like it was going to keep to the theme. Unfortunately, the train station courtyard if full of uncoordinated council seating, almost as disjointed as it is impractical. The shops surrounding the courtyard have yet to be used to their full potential, although they have tried to use the vacant stores in an art exhibition. The train station itself has a help desk, which is rare for an Auckland train station, but oddly placed gates and only one ticket dispensing machine, in what is possibly busiest station after Britomart. At least they have a street washing machine in the courtyard on a Tuesday night.

Large clean well marked train station bar the ferries & port. Starbucks,a florist, mojo are…read moreinside. Lots of machines to refill our at hop transit card & staff that was a big help. This is the the public transport hub in the central business district. It opened in 2003 but was a post office from 1911. It combines a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive modernist architectural elements, and a bus interchange. It is at the foot of Queen Street, in the main commercial shopping, dining & transportation hub.

If you're getting around Auckland, you're probably going to go through Britomart Station. This is…read morethe central hub for all ground transportation in the area, and everything seems to stop through here. It's right across the street from the Ferry Landing, and there's lots of stores, restaurants, gift shops and things to see and do around here. When I went, the place was swarming with scooters! They were everywhere. Plus, the place was heavily under construction, with big scaffolding over the facade, and shipping containers set up to walk through so nothing falls on pedestrians. The exterior is nice looking, and everyone seems to know where this place is. They have kiosks set up to check your bus tickets without having to deal with a clerk.

Due to being new, Sylvia Park Train Station is clean and caters to a wide range of people. It has…read morestairs and an elevator to take you across to the platform, and they are usually prompt at signalling the lateness of a train. It's really handy being next to the Shopping Centre, but I find it annoying that there are no Park & Ride facilities. Most people I know would need to park and take the train, so naturally we park on nearby streets. Then they started painting yellow lines over the nearby streets, so it became impossible to use the train. Surely there's a solution somewhere? Aside from that, it's a good train station and you never feel uneasy due to the Security Guards of Sylvia Park keeping an eye on the place. They also have a useful board in the mall to tell you when the next train is coming.

It's located in an industrial area. It used to be the main train station, but hasn't been for…read moreawhile. Looks like you could walk from the CBD, but you might have to wind around a bit. There's parking, but not long-term, just for drop-off. There's a lack of signage for Great Journeys NZ, which is basically the only company that uses this facility anymore. You come to a container unit first. Is this check-in? No, you drop your luggage off here because it's right next to the baggage car. You walk down a ways to the red brick building to check in and get your boarding pass. The cafe and toilets are also there, along with some seating. Then you walk back to the train. There's a little seating outside, too.

Just another train station in the middle of the suburb. Nothing at all around. Two stops away from…read morethe CBD. If you can get a glimpse of Auckland Skytower from here. Very difficult to find parking during the day. The overhead bridge can get a bit wet and icy in the winter. Seen a few people slipping.

GI is not exactly known for its public appeal. It isn't helped by this Train Station, which always…read moresmells like urine, and there's usually a homeless guy or two hovering around. You can connect to this station from Mathew Felton Avenue by venturing down a long pathway, first surrounded by trees, then through a long subway-like tube (which also smells like urine). There's a fork in the middle, but it has no signs to tell you which way the bus is and which way the train is. So, naturally, you guess, take the wrong one, then miss your transport. Goody. So, really not a fan. If I was filming a creepy scene for a film, this place would be ideal. Otherwise, I avoid it like the plague.

Back when I was a slightly more affluent student than I am now and could afford to run a car, I…read morewould always drive down to this station to catch a train from to get to university. However, unfortunately the carpark here fills up before 8am during the week, so at any other time of day you basically need to stalk someone down walking to their car so you can nab it when they leave. Or if you're lucky, the alley way by the Z petrol station might have a few extra car spaces. Anyway, what I'm basically trying to say is that it is all very well having a train station here, but the carparking situation is scarce at the best of times, so this can make for a very stressful 5 minutes before catching your train as you don't want to miss it and have to catch the next one half an hour later. If you have a bicycle though this might be an easier way of getting to the station, as they have little cubicles where you can store your bike for the day (however I have never actually done this, so I'm not entirely sure if these fill up just as quickly as the carpark). Probably the safest option would be to get dropped off here if you can; also I would recommend arriving at least 5 minutes before your train is supposed to leave, as the trains are notoriously known for never actually coming on time.

The most picturesque of the train stations, Orakei sits right next to the waterfront just before…read morethe Eastern line takes you into the depths of Britomart. It's clean, well kept and inviting. What I dislike about Orakei is when you arrive after 9:00am in the morning, there's absolutely no parking left. If you try parking at Kings Plant Barn, you're greeted with all sorts of 'you shall not pass!' signs or rather nasty tow away ones. Understandable, but how about investing in a few more parking spaces? Aside from that, can't complain. The trains are normally on time in this part of the world, and it means a nice trip across the water. Always a treat!