Kawatiri railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kawatiri
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| New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR) regional rail |
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Remnants of Kawatiri Station, 2007.
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| Location | State Highway 6 / State Highway 63, Kawatiri |
| Coordinates | 41°41′37.28″S 172°37′2.92″E / 41.6936889°S 172.6174778°E |
| Owned by | Railways Department |
| Line(s) | Nelson Section |
| Platforms | Single side |
| Tracks | Main line (1) Siding (1) |
| Construction | |
| Parking | No |
| Bicycle facilities | No |
| History | |
| Opened | 21 June 1926 |
| Closed | 12 July 1931 |
Kawatiri railway station was a small train station in the Tasman District of New Zealand’s South Island. It was located in a place called Kawatiri, where two main roads meet. This station was part of the Nelson Section railway line. It was quite unique because it was only open for a very short time – just over five years, from 1926 to 1931. It marked the furthest point trains from the Railways Department reached on this line.
Kawatiri station was built in a scenic area, near the Hope River gorge. The Kahurangi National Park was to the west, and the Hope River was to the east. One of the main roads, State Highway 63, crossed the station area using a bridge. Another road, State Highway 6, passed by the station.
The station had several important parts. There was a platform where passengers could get on and off trains. It also had a loading bank for moving goods, a shed for storing items, and a siding (an extra track) for trains to wait. There was also a small shelter for passengers and a shed for equipment.
Station History
The area around Kawatiri station was busy even before it opened. Between 1920 and 1926, a large workers' camp called Pikomanu was set up nearby. This camp was home to over 300 workers. They were building the railway line, which was known as the Kawatiri Section.
Kawatiri was never a very busy or important station for the Railways Department. When it first opened on June 21, 1926, only two trains came each week. These trains ran on Mondays and Wednesdays. It was considered a flag station, which meant trains would only stop if someone signaled them or if passengers wanted to get off.
Even though goods could be sent to Kawatiri, they had to be picked up on the same day. If people wanted to send goods from Kawatiri, they had to take them to a station further north called Glenhope. The initial train schedule did not last long. After a while, the Railways Department only sent heavy goods trains to Kawatiri. People who wanted to travel by train had to go to Glenhope to catch a passenger train. Sometimes, special construction trains or passenger trips would also pass through Kawatiri.
In 1930, during a time when the economy was struggling, a special group was formed to look at railway lines across the country. They suggested that building the Nelson Section line should be stopped. This happened in January 1931. Since the line only went as far as Kawatiri station, stopping construction meant that regular train services to the station also ended suddenly. A few months later, on July 12, 1931, the railway line between Glenhope and Kawatiri was officially closed. After the station closed, the road that crossed the station area was changed because the bridge was no longer needed.
Kawatiri Today
Even though the station is closed, you can still visit the area. A public walkway has been created that goes through the Kawatiri Tunnel. This path includes footbridges where you need to cross rivers.
At the old Kawatiri station site, the platform still exists. The Department of Conservation has put up information signs there. These signs help visitors learn about the history of the area.
There is also a special bronze plaque at the site. It remembers a plane crash that happened nearby in 1944. An aircraft from Air Travel Ltd crashed in the bush on Mount Hope, and two people sadly lost their lives.
