Te Kauwhata railway station

Te Kauwhata was a flag station on the North Island Main Trunk line, in the Waikato District of New Zealand, 54 mi (87 km) south of Auckland.[1] It was 591.52 km (367.55 mi) north of Wellington, 3.32 km (2.06 mi) north of Rangiriri, 6.72 km (4.18 mi) south of Whangamarino and 12 m (39 ft) above sea level.[2]

Te Kauwhata railway station
Wairangi Railway Station about 1900
LocationNew Zealand
Coordinates37.40504°S 175.141897°E / -37.40504; 175.141897
Elevation12 m (39 ft)
Line(s)North Island Main Trunk
DistanceWellington 591.52 km (367.55 mi)
History
Opened13 August 1877
Closed24 November 1985
Previous namesWairangi to Waerenga in 1897
Wairangi to 28 May 1911
Passengers
194416,112
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station
Whangamarino
Line open, station closed		   North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail		   Rangiriri
Line open, station closed

The name was changed from Wairangi to Waerenga in 1897[3] and to Te Kauwhata on 28 May 1911.[4] Initially the station served a state experimental farm, but, from 1912, Te Kauwhata township was created.[5]

1963 aerial photo of Te Kauwhata

History

The station opened on 13 August 1877.[6] The early service averaged about 13 mph (21 km/h), taking about 4hr 15 mins to Auckland.[7]

The original station had a platform, shelter and a siding for 61 wagons. Station buildings were added in 1879, a cattle yard and loading platform in 1886, a goods shed from Otorohanga in 1894 and the old Pukekohe station in 1913, as a ladies’ waiting room.[8] There was a station master in 1932.[9]

Track doubling to ease congestion had been authorised in 1914,[10] but work was delayed by the war. Doubling from Ohinewai to Te Kauwhata didn't open until 14 December 1958[2] and the line to the north remains single.

Unlocked points caused an express to derail in 1911.[11][12] Three goods trains crashed at the station in 1930.[13] A shunter was killed in 1931.[14]

Te Kauwhata railway station passenger use 1923-1950

Passenger numbers peaked in 1944, as shown in the graph and table below -

year tickets season tickets source title
1923 5,773 47 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1923/I-II/1321 RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1923
1924 5,914 24 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1924/I/2458 RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1924
1925 6,694 66 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1925/I/1804 RETURN No. 12. Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1925
1926 6,412 38 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1926/I/1930 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1926
1927 6,269 40 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1927/I/2230 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1927
1928 5,046 34 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1928/I/2628 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1928
1929 5,064 26 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1929/I/2090 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1929
1930 5,436 30 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1930/I/2212 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1930
1931 7,056 13 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1931/I-II/1778 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1931
1932 5,645 9 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1932/I-II/1934 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1932
1933 5,866 10 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1933/I/1388 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1933
1934 7,298 11 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1934/I/2278 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1934
1935 7,131 12 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1935/I/1326 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1935
1936 6,299 23 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1936/I/1552 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1936
1937 6,915 27 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1937/I/1896 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1937
1938 7,316 25 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1938/I/1652 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1938
1939 6,190 61 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1939/I/1970 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1939
1940 6,001 45 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1940/I/1314 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1940
1941 7,862 68 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1941/I/1203 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1941
1942 11,396 53 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1942/I/651 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1942
1943 15,087 61 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1943/I/679 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1943
1944 16,112 58 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1944/I/895 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1944
1945 13,944 34 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1945/I/969 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1945
1946 14,264 20 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1946/I/1548 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1946
1947 9,758 17 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1947/I/2495 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1947
1948 6,762 2 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1948/I/2521 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1948
1949 6,348 1 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1949/I/2104 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1949
1950 7,226 3 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1950/I/2366 STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1950

Reopening

A 2018 report to Waikato Regional Council suggested reopening in 2023, as the station has 3 tracks and "Te Kauwhata was considered to be the easiest of these stations to reactivate", the main work being raising the platform.[15] The initial Te Huia train, to commence in August 2020, will not stop at Te Kauwhata.[16] In 2020 reopening of the platform was put forward as a COVID-19 recovery scheme, at an estimated cost of $10m.[17]

References
  1. "Page 6 Advertisements Column 3 (New Zealand Herald, 1882-03-31)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  2. New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (Fourth ed.). Quail Map Co. 1993. ISBN 0 900609 92 3.
  3. "WDC District Plan Review – Built Heritage Assessment Historic Overview – Te Kauwhata & District" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 2018.
  4. Scoble, Juliet. "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand 1863 to 2010" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
  5. "COUNTRY NEWS. Te Kauwhata surveying work NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 December 1912. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. "TABLE NO. 9.— Appendix K. NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.—NORTH ISLAND. Statement of Lengths of Sections Open for Traffic, 31st March, 1880". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  7. "Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 August 1877. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  8. "WDC District Plan Review – Built Heritage Assessment Historic Overview – Te Kauwhata & District" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 2018.
  9. "RAILWAY CHANGES. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 February 1932. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  10. "Railways Improvement Authorization Act, 1914" (PDF).
  11. "EXPRESS DERAILED. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 30 June 1911. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  12. "A SERIOUS RAILWAY SMASH ON THE NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK LINE: REPAIRING THE PERMANENT WAY". www.aucklandcity.govt.nz. 6 July 1911. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  13. "Trains Collide. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 November 1930. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  14. "DEATH OF SHUNTER. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 September 1931. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  15. "Single Stage Business Case Hamilton To Auckland Start-Up Passenger Rail Service" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. November 2018.
  16. Piddock, Gerald; Wilson, Libby (19 December 2018). "Hamilton-Auckland train trial gets tick fro NZ Transport Agency". Stuff. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  17. "Hamilton to Auckland Passenger Rail Start-up Service Enhancements" (PDF). Hamilton City Council. April 2020.
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