 The Hutt Park Railway was constructed to serve the Hutt Park Raceway horse racing track of the Wellington Racing Club (WRC).The WRC was in competition with the Wellington Jockey Club's track in Island Bay and sought the competitive advantage of a railway to provide easier access for patrons.The first proposals for a line were made as early as 1874, not long after the first portion of the Wairarapa Line was opened to Lower Hutt, but this proposal was rejected by the 1880 Royal Commission.