Hamilton Central railway station (New Zealand) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamilton Central
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1899 station and goods shed
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| Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°47′13″S 175°16′43″E / 37.786892°S 175.278566°E | ||||||||||
| Owned by | KiwiRail | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | East Coast Main Trunk (goods only) | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 | ||||||||||
| Connections | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1 October 1884 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 1 November 1969 | ||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1964 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Hamilton West until 1 March 1899 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Hamilton Central was an old train station in the city of Hamilton. It was located right in the middle of Hamilton's city center. For its last few years, it was an underground station. Even though it's closed now, the underground platforms are still there!
This station was usually called Hamilton for most of its life. It first opened in 1879. It closed to regular passenger trains when the current Hamilton station opened in 1975. Because of this, there wasn't much need to officially change its name. People have often suggested reopening the station, usually calling it 'Hamilton Central'.
The railway line that passes through the old station, called the East Coast Main Trunk, is still very busy. It's used by many freight trains. In 2018, about 163 trains passed through each week.
Contents
The Story of Hamilton Central Station
Early Days and First Closures
The station likely first opened on March 22, 1879. Back then, it was just called Hamilton. It was a small building. Not many people used it, with only 282 passengers in its first year. Because of this, it closed on February 19, 1881.
Reopening and New Names
The station reopened on October 1, 1884, with a new name: Hamilton West. This happened when the railway line to Morrinsville opened. By 1884, it had a proper station building, a platform, and a shed for goods.
The station's name changed back to Hamilton on March 1, 1899. In 1902, it was described as a wooden and iron building. It had a waiting room for ladies, a public area, and a room for the stationmaster. There was also a long platform for passengers and a large shed for goods. Four trains passed through the station every day, going in both directions. Over the years, more rooms and extensions were added to the station.
Going Underground
Work to make the station underground started in 1961. This was a big project! The railway line was lowered in 1964. The platform was moved into a cutting, which is like a deep trench, starting from September 1, 1964.
The station stopped having railcar services to Te Puke in 1967 and to Rotorua in 1968. The old station building was moved and is now a café at Waikato University. In 1969, a new three-story building opened. It was connected to the underground train platform. By the mid-1970s, much of the station area was covered by carparks. These were later covered by the Centre Place shopping center.
When the current Hamilton station opened on August 6, 1975, the old underground platform was renamed Hamilton Travel Centre.
Famous Trains and Passenger Numbers
The station was once a stop for several well-known trains. These included the Rotorua, Geyserland, Thames, and Taneatua Express trains.
The number of passengers grew a lot, especially during World War 2. You can see this in the chart above.
New Zealand's First Underground Station
For many years, there were busy road crossings near the station. As more people and trains used the area, it became a problem. People started suggesting that the railway line should be lowered.
In September 1959, the Ministry of Works began the project to make the station underground. The platform was lowered about 20 feet (6 meters). It became part of a "cut and cover tunnel." This means they dug a trench, built the tunnel, and then covered it up. New road bridges were built over the railway line.
The new underground platform and railway route opened on September 19, 1964. A bus station was built right on top of the underground train station. This bus station was later replaced by the Transport Centre in 2001.
In 2020, there were ideas to reopen the station. This was suggested as part of plans to improve train services to Auckland and relay tracks to Cambridge.
