Koputaroa railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Koputaroa railway station
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Kereru in 1890s
before renaming as Koputarua and then Koputaroa |
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| Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°34′33″S 175°20′28″E / 40.575853°S 175.341115°E | ||||||||||
| Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
| Distance | Wellington 99.56 km (61.86 mi) | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 2 August 1886 | ||||||||||
| Closed | passengers by December 1975 goods 13 October 1986 |
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| Previous names | Kereru until 29 February 1906 Koputarua until 15 April 1909 |
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| Services | |||||||||||
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The Koputaroa railway station was once a busy stop for trains in a place called Koputaroa, located in the Horowhenua District of New Zealand. It was an important part of the North Island Main Trunk, which is the main railway line running through the North Island.
Contents
The Station's Changing Names
The name Koputaroa has a special meaning. It translates to "long snare for catching parakeets." This name was given by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
The station's name actually changed a few times!
- It was first called Kereru.
- On 29 February 1906, its name changed to Koputarua. This was done to avoid confusion with another place also called Kereru in Hawkes Bay.
- Then, on 15 April 1909, the spelling was corrected to Koputaroa, which is how we know it today.
A Look Back: Station History
The Koputaroa station, when it was still called Kereru, first opened on Monday, 2 August 1886. It started as a flag station, which meant trains would only stop if someone waved a flag to get on, or if a passenger on the train asked to get off there.
Early Days and First Trains
The station was opened by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. At first, trains only ran between Longburn and Ōtaki. A special train had even run earlier, in April 1886, from Longburn to Ohau. The very first train that went all the way from Wellington to Palmerston North passed through on 30 November 1886.
Station Improvements Over Time
The station got many upgrades over the years to help with its work.
- In 1906, new cattle yards were built. A new shed for goods and a platform for loading sheep were also added.
- When the New Zealand Railways Department took over in 1908, they introduced a special signalling system called tablet signalling to help trains run safely.
- More improvements came in 1909. By 1911, the station had:
* A shelter shed for passengers. * A platform. * A way for carts to approach. * Two goods sheds for storing items. * A loading bank. * Yards for cattle and sheep. * A passing loop, which is an extra track where trains could wait for another train to pass. This loop was long enough for 70 wagons and was later made even longer for 90 wagons in the 1940s.
Station Services and Later Years
From 1889 to 1915, there was even a Post Office right at the station! It was run by a railway worker. A Post Office was also mentioned again in 1926. In 1927, a house was built for railway staff as part of a special housing plan.
Over time, some of the older buildings at the station were removed in 1968. By 1981, the Koputaroa station wasn't sending out much freight. The only things coming in were often fertiliser for a large storage area. In 1905, a company called Manawatu Gorge Lime Co Ltd had even asked for their own private railway track connected to the station. By 1990, only a small shed remained on one side of the railway line.
The Koputaroa railway station stopped taking passengers in December 1975. It closed completely for goods on 13 October 1986.
