Te Awamutu railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Te Awamutu railway station
Te Awamutu railway station about 1909.
Location	New Zealand
Coordinates	38°00′18″S 175°18′36″E / 38.0050°S 175.3101°E / -38.0050; 175.3101
Elevation	50 m (160 ft)
Line(s)	North Island Main Trunk
Distance	Wellington 517.02 km (321.26 mi)
History
Opened	1 July 1880
Closed	10 April 2005
Electrified	June 1988
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station Ngaroto Line open, station closed 3.04 km (1.89 mi)   North Island Main Trunk KiwiRail   Te Mawhai Line open, station closed 4.16 km (2.58 mi)

The Te Awamutu railway station was an important stop on New Zealand's North Island Main Trunk railway line. It served the town of Te Awamutu from 1880. The railway line reached Te Awamutu from Ōhaupō on July 1, 1880. For seven years, until 1887, Te Awamutu was the end of the line before it continued south to Ōtorohanga.

The station was located about 800 meters from the town center. Some people thought this was because local residents didn't want it closer. Others said it was due to landowners who had their own interests.

What Was the Te Awamutu Station Like?

In 1902, a book called The Cyclopedia of New Zealand described the station building. It was made of wood and iron. Inside, it had a public waiting room and a special waiting room for ladies. There was also a main office.

The station featured a long platform for passengers to get on and off trains. It also had a useful shed for storing goods. The stationmaster was in charge, helped by a junior porter and a guard. Two gangers, who maintained the railway tracks, also lived in Te Awamutu.

Trains That Stopped at Te Awamutu

Many well-known passenger trains used to stop at Te Awamutu station. These included:

• The Overlander
• Blue Streak
• Scenic Daylight
• Daylight Limited
• Northerner
• Night Limited

When Did the Station Close?

The original station buildings were taken down in 2001. A simple shelter was put in their place. The station officially closed for passenger services on April 10, 2005.

Around the year 2000, the New Zealand Dairy Board (now Fonterra) improved its connection to the railway for freight. Since 2005, a lot of dairy products from the local dairy factory are still transported by train to the Crawford Street depot in Hamilton.

Will Passenger Trains Return?

There is still hope that passenger trains might stop at Te Awamutu again one day. For example, in 2015, the Waipa District Council said it was important to keep the old railway platform and other parts of the station. This would make it possible for passenger trains to connect Te Awamutu and Hamilton in the future.

How Many Passengers Used the Station?

The number of passengers using Te Awamutu station changed a lot over the years. The busiest times for passenger numbers were in 1921 and again in 1944. The graph below shows how many tickets were sold each year.

tickets sales 1881–1950 – This graph shows how many tickets were sold each year at the station.

Images for kids

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  A train from the Te Awamutu dairy factory in August 2014. You can see Mount Kakepuku in the background.