Te Kauwhata railway station

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Te Kauwhata railway station
Bert McIndoe at Wairangi Railway Station, about 1900.jpg
Wairangi Railway Station about 1900
General information
LocationSaleyard Road,
Te Kauwhata, New Zealand
Coordinates 37°24′18″S175°08′31″E / 37.40504°S 175.141897°E / -37.40504; 175.141897
Elevation12 m (39 ft)
Line(s) North Island Main Trunk
Distance Wellington 591.52 km (367.55 mi)
History
Opened13 August 1877
Closed24 November 1985
Previous namesWairangi to Waerenga in 1897
Wairangi to 28 May 1911
Passengers
194416,112
Services
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Whangamarino
Line open, station closed		  North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail 		  Rangiriri
Line open, station closed
Location
New Zealand (location map).svg
Disc Plain red.svg
Te Kauwhata railway station
Location within New Zealand

Te Kauwhata was a flag station on the North Island Main Trunk line, in the Waikato District of New Zealand, 54 mi (87 km) south of Auckland. [1] It was 591.52 km (367.55 mi) north of Wellington, 3.32 km (2.06 mi) north of Rangiriri, 6.72 km (4.18 mi) south of Whangamarino and 12 m (39 ft) above sea level. [2]

Contents

The name was changed from Wairangi to Waerenga in 1897 [3] and to Te Kauwhata on 28 May 1911. [4] Initially the station served a state experimental farm, but, from 1912, Te Kauwhata township was created. [5]

1963 aerial photo of Te Kauwhata Crown 1397 3257 26.jpg
1963 aerial photo of Te Kauwhata

History

The station opened on 13 August 1877. [6] The early service averaged about 13 mph (21 km/h), taking about 4hr 15 mins to Auckland. [7]

The original station had a platform, shelter and a siding for 61 wagons. Station buildings were added in 1879, a cattle yard and loading platform in 1886, a goods shed from Otorohanga in 1894 and the old Pukekohe station in 1913, as a ladies’ waiting room. [3] A goods shed was built in 1924 [8] and a new station by 1925. [9] There was a station master in 1932. [10]

Track doubling to ease congestion had been authorised in 1914, [11] but work was delayed by the war. Doubling from Ohinewai to Te Kauwhata didn't open until 14 December 1958 [2] and the line to the north remains single, though doubling is being investigated in a business case from July 2021. [12]

Unlocked points caused an express to derail in 1911. [13] [14] Three goods trains crashed at the station in 1930. [15] A shunter was killed in 1931. [16]

Te Kauwhata railway station passenger use 1923-1950 Te Kauwhata railway station passenger use 1923-1950.jpg
Te Kauwhata railway station passenger use 1923-1950

Passenger numbers peaked in 1944, as shown in the graph and table below -

yearticketsseason ticketssourcetitle
19235,77347https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1923/I-II/1321RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1923
19245,91424https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1924/I/2458RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1924
19256,69466https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1925/I/1804RETURN No. 12. Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1925
19266,41238https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1926/I/1930STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1926
19276,26940https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1927/I/2230STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1927
19285,04634https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1928/I/2628STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1928
19295,06426https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1929/I/2090STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1929
19305,43630https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1930/I/2212STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1930
19317,05613https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1931/I-II/1778STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1931
19325,6459https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1932/I-II/1934STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1932
19335,86610https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1933/I/1388STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1933
19347,29811https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1934/I/2278STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1934
19357,13112https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1935/I/1326STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1935
19366,29923https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1936/I/1552STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1936
19376,91527https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1937/I/1896STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1937
19387,31625https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1938/I/1652STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1938
19396,19061https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1939/I/1970STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1939
19406,00145https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1940/I/1314STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1940
19417,86268https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1941/I/1203STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1941
194211,39653https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1942/I/651STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1942
194315,08761https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1943/I/679STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1943
194416,11258https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1944/I/895STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1944
194513,94434https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1945/I/969STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1945
194614,26420https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1946/I/1548STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1946
19479,75817https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1947/I/2495STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1947
19486,7622https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1948/I/2521STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1948
19496,3481https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1949/I/2104STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1949
19507,2263https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1950/I/2366STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1950

Reopening

A 2018 report to Waikato Regional Council suggested reopening in 2023, as the station has 3 tracks and "Te Kauwhata was considered to be the easiest of these stations to reactivate", the main work being raising the platform. [17] The initial Te Huia train, to commence in August 2020, will not stop at Te Kauwhata. [18] In 2020 reopening of the platform was put forward as part of a scheme to help the region recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, at an estimated cost of $10m. [19]

References

  1. ↑ "Page 6 Advertisements Column 3 (New Zealand Herald, 1882-03-31)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (Fourth ed.). Quail Map Co. 1993. ISBN   0-900609-92-3.
  3. 1 2 "WDC District Plan Review – Built Heritage Assessment Historic Overview – Te Kauwhata & District" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Scoble, Juliet. "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand 1863 to 2010" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "COUNTRY NEWS. Te Kauwhata surveying work NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 December 1912. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "TABLE NO. 9.— Appendix K. NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.—NORTH ISLAND. Statement of Lengths of Sections Open for Traffic, 31st March, 1880". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 August 1877. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "TE KAUWHATA PROGRESS. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 18 August 1924. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  9. ↑ "TE KAUWHATA DEVELOPMENTS. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 June 1925. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  10. ↑ "RAILWAY CHANGES. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 February 1932. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  11. ↑ "Railways Improvement Authorization Act, 1914" (PDF).
  12. ↑ "Inaugural rail programme creates certainty and jobs". KiwiRail. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  13. ↑ "EXPRESS DERAILED. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 30 June 1911. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  14. ↑ "A Serious Railway Smash On The North Island Main Trunk Line". Kura Heritage Collections Online (Auckland Council Libraries). 6 July 1911. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "Trains Collide. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 November 1930. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  16. ↑ "DEATH OF SHUNTER. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 September 1931. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  17. ↑ "Single Stage Business Case Hamilton To Auckland Start-Up Passenger Rail Service" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. November 2018.
  18. ↑ Piddock, Gerald; Wilson, Libby (19 December 2018). "Hamilton-Auckland train trial gets tick from NZ Transport Agency". Stuff . Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  19. ↑ "Hamilton to Auckland Passenger Rail Start-up Service Enhancements" (PDF). Hamilton City Council. April 2020.
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