Bunnythorpe railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bunnythorpe railway station
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Bunnythorpe about 1916
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| Location | New Zealand | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°17′01″S 175°37′54″E / 40.283532°S 175.631532°E | |||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 55 m (180 ft) | |||||||||||||||
| Owned by | KiwiRail | |||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | |||||||||||||||
| Distance | Wellington 144.75 km (89.94 mi) | |||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 19 October 1876 | |||||||||||||||
| Closed | Passengers 13 April 1985 Goods 6 December 1981 |
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| Electrified | 25 kV 50 Hz AC June 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||
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Bunnythorpe railway station was a train station in New Zealand. It served the small village of Bunnythorpe. This station was an important stop on the North Island Main Trunk railway line. It helped connect people and goods across the North Island.
The station first opened on 19 October 1876. It stopped handling goods traffic on 6 December 1981. Passenger services ended later, on 13 April 1985. After it closed for passengers, the train crossing area was moved to a nearby place called Taonui.
Contents
History of Bunnythorpe Station
How the Station Started
By July 1876, the train tracks were ready. They linked Palmerston North and Feilding. The ground under the tracks was finished in September. The railway officially opened on 19 October 1876.
There were ideas in 1879 to build a new line. This line would connect Ashhurst directly to Bunnythorpe. It would have been about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) long. However, this plan changed. In 1881, the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company decided to make Palmerston North their main stop. The idea for the Ashhurst link came up again in 1902.
Station Name and Services
At first, the name Bunnythorpe was used for the area north of the railway. South of the railway, the area was called Mugby Junction. This name became popular from a series of railway stories by Charles Dickens.
Bunnythorpe station usually had 2 or 3 trains stopping each day. In 1879, it became a flag station. This meant trains would only stop if someone waved a flag or if a passenger wanted to get off there. From 1887, people complained that not enough trains stopped. An extra train started stopping in 1894, but it stopped calling by 1906. By 1908, there were again 3 trains daily. Still, people complained about long waiting times. In 1909, a request to add a passenger carriage to the afternoon goods train was turned down.
The railway line became part of the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) in 1909. This was when the full NIMT line opened. By 1924, the express train to Auckland was stopping at Bunnythorpe.
Station Buildings and Upgrades
By 1884, Bunnythorpe had a simple shelter for passengers. It was built on a passenger platform. Between 1891 and 1896, a shed for goods was added. In 1902, a loading bank was built. This helped load and unload goods from trains.
Also by 1902, the station had a passing loop. This was an extra track where trains could wait for others to pass. It could hold 50 wagons. This loop was made longer in 1959. In 1905, the platform was extended, and a new station building opened. By 1911, there were also yards for sheep.
Small huts were added in 1919 and 1930 for "tablet porters." These workers managed a special system called Tyer's Electric Train Tablet to keep trains safe. Houses for railway workers were built in 1905, 1954, and 1956.
In 1960, a new signalling system called CTC signalling was installed. This system controlled trains between Bunnythorpe and Longburn. It was extended to Feilding on 23 August 1964. A new station building was constructed in 1956. The goods loading shelter was made bigger in 1960 and 1964. A concrete block building was added in 1991.
The station building was taken down in 1975. By 1969, the sheep yards had been removed. On 6 December 1981, Bunnythorpe closed to almost all traffic. Only trains going to private sidings (special tracks for businesses) could still use it.
Future Plans: Freight Hub
KiwiRail, the company that runs New Zealand's railways, started planning in October 2020 for a new freight hub. This hub will be built just south of Bunnythorpe.
A freight hub is like a big central point for moving goods. The plan includes:
- A container terminal: This is where large shipping containers are moved between trains and trucks.
- Warehousing: Buildings for storing goods.
- Areas for loading bulk goods and forestry products.
- Facilities for maintaining trains.
- It will be able to handle very long trains, up to 1.5 kilometers (almost a mile) long.
The public was asked for their thoughts on this plan in 2021.
Images for kids
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This timetable from 1877 shows when trains ran between Foxton and Feilding.
