Ohinewai Railway Station | |||||||||||
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![]() 1940 aerial view of the Waikato River (left), Great South Rd at Ohinewai and Ohinewai railway station (right). The Waikato Expressway now runs through the centre | |||||||||||
General information | |||||||||||
Location | Ohinewai New Zealand | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 37°29′21″S175°09′40″E / 37.48917°S 175.16111°E | ||||||||||
Owned by | KiwiRail Network | ||||||||||
Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
Tracks | double track from 14 December 1958 to north from 27 August 1939 to south [1] | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
Opened | 13 August 1877 | ||||||||||
Closed | 10 April 1965 passengers 31 December 1978 goods | ||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
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Ohinewai Railway Station was a flag station [2] on the North Island Main Trunk line, serving Ohinewai in the Waikato District of New Zealand, 59 mi (95 km) south of Auckland. [3] It was 8.18 km (5.08 mi) north of Huntly, 7.26 km (4.51 mi) south of Rangiriri [4] and 33 ft (10 m) above sea level. [5] It was in the village, just north of Tahuna Rd. [6]
The station opened on 13 August 1877. [7] The early service averaged about 13 mph (21 km/h), taking about 4hr 45 mins to Auckland, 15mins to Rangiriri and 23mins to Ruawaro (Huntly). [8] A goods train took 1½hrs to Newcastle (Ngāruawāhia) and 1hr 17mins to Mercer, 3 days a week. [9]
Tablet signalling was introduced in 1905. [10]
In 1902 there were complaints of thefts due to lack of a caretaker. [11] It seems one had been appointed by 1915, as a storeman at the station [12] was killed at Gallipoli. [13]
There was protest in 1925, when the only train which had allowed an Auckland day trip was withdrawn. [14] The previous year the Great South Rd had metal added at Ohinewai, so that it could be used all year, [15] and a bus started linking Ohinewai with Auckland, Morrinsville and Te Aroha in 1929. [16] Ohinewai's rail service was so poor that a wartime plan, to connect the bus with trains at Ohinewai, had to be amended to meeting at Mercer instead. [17]
Track doubling to ease congestion had been authorised in 1914, [18] but work was delayed by the war. 300 men worked [19] on doubling the track between Huntly and Ohinewai, which opened on 27 August 1939. [20] To the north, doubling to Te Kauwhata didn't open until 14 December 1958. [4]
In 1965 the station closed to passengers and on 31 December 1978 it closed completely. [21]
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