Te Mawhai railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Te Mawhai railway station
Te Mawhai in 1949
Location	New Zealand
Coordinates	38°02′41″S 175°18′19″E / 38.044847°S 175.305405°E / -38.044847; 175.305405
Elevation	36 m (118 ft)
Line(s)	North Island Main Trunk
Distance	Wellington 512.86 km (318.68 mi)
History
Opened	9 March 1887
Closed	12 May 1962
Electrified	June 1988
Previous names	Te Puhi to 10 December 1912
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station Te Awamutu Line open, station closed 4.16 km (2.58 mi)   North Island Main Trunk KiwiRail   Te Kawa Line open, station closed 5.98 km (3.72 mi)

This map from 1955 shows the railway line near Te Mawhai.

The Te Mawhai railway station was a small train stop in New Zealand. It was located on the important North Island Main Trunk railway line. This station was a "flag station," which means trains only stopped there if someone waved a flag to get on, or if a passenger on the train wanted to get off.

The station was very important for sending supplies to the nearby Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital. People even thought about building a small railway line directly to the hospital to make transport easier.

Building the Railway Line

Building the railway line from Te Awamutu to Ōtorohanga began in 1883. This project was led by Charles Wilson Hursthouse. The very first digging for the railway happened on April 15, 1885, near the Puniu River.

Trains started running to Ōtorohanga by January 1887. The railway officially became part of the national train system in March 1887. When it first opened, trains only ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Station Improvements Over Time

By 1896, Te Mawhai station had a small shelter for passengers and a platform. It also had a special track called a "passing loop." This loop allowed trains to pass each other without stopping. It was long enough for 27 wagons, and later it was made longer for 38 wagons by 1911.

In 1912, people in the area asked for many improvements. They wanted a place to load goods, yards for cattle, and a shed for goods. They also asked for a station manager to be present. At this time, the station's name was Te Puhi, and they wanted to change it to Te Mawhai, matching the local post office.

The name was changed to Te Mawhai. A goods shed was added in 1915 and made even better in 1916. A telephone was installed in 1921, and restrooms were added in 1922. In 1929, a lot of money was spent to improve how livestock was loaded onto trains. Finally, electric lights came to the station in 1933.