Otorohanga railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Otorohanga
Otorohanga railway station in 1921
Location	New Zealand
Coordinates	38°11′12″S 175°12′44″E / 38.1867°S 175.2123°E / -38.1867; 175.2123
Elevation	37 m (121 ft)
Line(s)	North Island Main Trunk
Distance	Wellington 494.41 km (307.21 mi)
History
Opened	9 March 1887
Closed	2012
Electrified	June 1988
Services
Preceding station   The Great Journeys of New Zealand   Following station Hamilton toward Auckland Strand Northern Explorer National Park toward Wellington

The Otorohanga railway station has been an important part of the town of Otorohanga in New Zealand since 1887. It is located on the North Island Main Trunk, which is a main railway line.

This station used to be between Kiokio and Hangatiki stations. Today, Otorohanga is one of only nine stations on this line where passenger trains still stop.

Many famous trains used to stop here. These included The Overlander, Blue Streak, Scenic Daylight, Daylight Limited, Northerner, and Night Limited. By 2012, fewer people were using the station. On average, only two passengers got on or off each train. Because of this, the station was briefly closed from June 24, 2012. It reopened for the summer season on December 10, 2012.

Train Services at Otorohanga

The Otorohanga station is managed by KiwiRail. This company runs the Northern Explorer train service. The Northern Explorer travels three times a week in each direction. It connects Wellington in the south with Britomart in Auckland in the north.

From Otorohanga, Hamilton is about 48.11 km (29.89 mi) to the north. The journey to Hamilton takes about 39 minutes. National Park is about 147.58 km (91.70 mi) to the south. This trip takes around 139 minutes when heading south.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Kiokio Line open, station closed		North Island Main Trunk New Zealand Railways Department		Hangatiki Line open, station closed

How Many People Used the Station?

tickets sales 1913–1950 – This chart shows how many tickets were sold each year.

The number of passengers using Otorohanga station changed a lot over the years. The busiest time for the station was during World War 2. This was when many people traveled by train. After the war, fewer people used the trains.

The Rangitoto Coal Mine Railway Line

In 1890, a company called Ellis & Burnand wanted to build a special railway line. This line was a tramway and was used to carry timber from their sawmill. It was also used to transport coal from the Rangitoto coal mine. A coal mine is a place where coal is dug out of the ground.

The tramway was about 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) long. It ran along the Waipa River. Old records show that horses were used to pull the wagons on this line. A photo from 1921 seems to show this horse-powered tramway.

The coal mine closed in 1937. The coal found there was not very good quality. Also, it cost too much money to dig it out and sell it. However, the mine started producing coal again in 1944. Instead of using the old tramway, a new road was built to carry the coal.

Images for kids

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  Otorohanga station around 1910

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  Otorohanga railway station around 1921

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  Otorohanga railway station in April 1947

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  Otorohanga railway station in May 1947

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  Ōtorohanga railway station