Photo Report: Glen Eden Railway Station

The station house is a local historical landmark that was restored in 2001. A cafe is located in the old station building. When first opened, one of the station's functions was to service the nearby Waikumete Cemetery. Special trains ran from Auckland on Sundays carrying the deceased and their entourage, and a dedicated platform was constructed to serve these trains. Commuters at Glen Eden railway station are often surprised to see a visitor from another realm.

Glen Eden cafe workers say it is the ghost of railway worker, Alec MacFarlane, a railway porter killed during a tragic freak accident while working there in the 1930s, that is haunting the township's refurbished railway station. Mr MacFarlane was a tablet porter at the station. He died at 3pm on January 11, 1924, after being struck between the eyes by a metal mail bag hook protruding from an oncoming training, decapitating him.

Some cafe staff members report seeing the ghost - a man with a grey beard and a trench coat - and others say there is a definite presence. One incident told by café staff, was of a man in an old fashioned top hat entering the cafe, ask for a timetable and, when the waitress turned away, vanished into thin air. Another staff member has seen the ghost's face watching her through a window.

All agree he’s a friendly soul.