Awapuni railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Awapuni railway station
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Bridge over Awapuni Lagoon about 1910
on the racecourse siding |
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| Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°22′23″S 175°34′24″E / 40.372979°S 175.573472°E | ||||||||||
| Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
| Distance | Wellington 84 mi 79 ch (136.8 km) | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 26 July 1873 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 20 July 1959 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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The Awapuni railway station was once a busy train stop in New Zealand. It was located in the area that is now the Palmerston North suburb of Awapuni.
This station was part of the Foxton Branch railway line. Later, from 1908, it became part of the important North Island Main Trunk line. The station was next to the Mangaone Stream. Today, you won't find the station building there. Only a wide grassy area remains, which now has a cycleway built in 2015.
History of Awapuni Station
The Awapuni station first opened on 26 July 1873. Back then, it was part of the Foxton tramway. This was a wooden track used by trains.
In 1876, local Māori asked for a platform at the station. There was a Māori village nearby, with 71 people living there in 1881.
The station officially reopened on 20 October 1876. This was after the old wooden tramway was changed into a proper railway line. By 1884, the station had a small shelter, a platform, and a way for carts to get close. However, the platform was too short for trains coming from Wellington. This meant some train cars would stop over a stream bridge, which caused complaints.
The Awapuni station, along with other stations on the Foxton Branch, closed on 20 July 1959. This happened shortly after a new railway section, called the Milson Deviation, opened. The railway line through Awapuni continued to be used for a short time after the station closed, until 21 October 1960.
The Racecourse Train Track
A special train stop called Awa Puni Racecourse station opened on 24 December 1904. It closed many years later on 31 October 1939. This station was built to serve the Manawatu Racing Club's racecourse, which opened in 1903.
The racing club wanted a private siding (a short side track) to the racecourse. This siding would allow trains to go directly to the racecourse. It was finished by the end of 1904. This meant both passenger and goods trains could serve the racecourse, even though it didn't have a platform. On race days, trains would stop at the main Awapuni station or use the siding to drop off race-goers.
By 1911, the siding could hold 52 train wagons. In 1909, special race trains came from places like Foxton, Sanson, Feilding, and Paekakariki. In 1929 and 1930, over 2,700 people traveled by train to the racecourse. In 1938, during race events, there were four trains a day from Palmerston and one from Wellington.
However, in 1939, the railway company decided the bridge on the siding was too weak for trains. So, the train track was changed into a road instead.
