Ohakune railway station
Ohakune | ||||||||||||||||
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![]() Overlander at Ohakune in 2012. The low platform resulted in use of steps to ease access to coaches. | ||||||||||||||||
Location | Thames Street, Ohakune[1] New Zealand | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 39°24′10″S 175°24′59″E / 39.402775°S 175.416384°ECoordinates: 39°24′10″S 175°24′59″E / 39.402775°S 175.416384°E | |||||||||||||||
Elevation | 618 m (2,028 ft) | |||||||||||||||
Owned by | KiwiRail | |||||||||||||||
Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | |||||||||||||||
Distance | Wellington 317.09 km (197.03 mi) | |||||||||||||||
Connections | Raetihi Branch (closed 1968) | |||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||
Parking | Yes | |||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||
Opened | 7 March 1908 (goods) 15 February 1909 (passenger)[2] | |||||||||||||||
Closed | 18 December 2021 (passengers) | |||||||||||||||
Electrified | 25 kV 50 Hz AC June 1988 | |||||||||||||||
Previous names | Ohakune Junction in working timetables 1917–1968 | |||||||||||||||
Services | ||||||||||||||||
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Designated | 20 February 2009 | |||||||||||||||
Reference no. | 7790 |
Ohakune railway station is a station on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT), it served the town of Ohakune in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. It was called Ohakune Junction from 10 August 1926 until Raetihi Branch closed in 1968, to avoid confusion with Ohakune Town station on that branch.[3] It was the second highest operating railway station in New Zealand, after National Park.[4]
When the Overlander was replaced by the Northern Explorer in 2012, the service to Ohakune was reduced to one train a day on six days a week. Scheduled services to Ohakune were terminated in December 2021.[5]
History[]
The Class B station was built about 1908 and was important in the growth of Ohakune.[6] Trains calling have included The Overlander, Blue Streak, Scenic Daylight, Daylight Limited, Northerner, Silver Star and Night Limited.
Surveying for the route between Hīhītahi and Piriaka began in 1894.[7] The first trains reached Ohakune when the railhead was extended from Rangataua[8] on Tuesday 5 November 1907, when Public Works Department (PWD) and New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) made arrangements for both passenger and goods traffic,[3][9][10][11] At that stage the station was described as 100 ft (30 m) long on a 300 ft (91 m) platform.[12] However, goods traffic between Mataroa and Ohakune didn't begin until Saturday 7 March 1908.[3] Initial plans were for NZR to take over from PWD in June 1908,[13] but NZR reported on 25 September 1908, "Obtaining possession of office and other buildings."[3] In July newspapers said the station and railway houses were still bring built.[14] Although the rails completing the NIMT were laid on 3 August 1908, they said the yard at Ohakune wasn't complete[15] and there was still no platform in November.[16]
On Monday 9 November 1908 a stationmaster was appointed[3] and the first public train from Wellington to Auckland ran,[17] with passengers staying overnight in Ohakune from 8pm to 6am.[18] In January 1909 the General Manager gave permission for passengers to sleep in the trains, owing to a lack of accommodation in the town.[3] On 20 November 1908 NZR sent a note to PWD asking for expedition in completing the platform, as it was, "exceedingly inconvenient and dangerous for passengers landing in the dark". However, an NZR report on 20 March 1908 described a 300 ft (91 m) by 20 ft (6.1 m) platform, loading bank, cattle loading and discharging yards, 40 ft (12 m) by 30 ft (9.1 m) goods shed with verandah, urinals, 2x 4,000 gallon water tanks, 120 ft (37 m) by 35 ft (11 m) engine shed double-stall, coal store, 55 ft (17 m) turntable and passing loop for 80 wagons.[3] NZR took over from PWD on 14 February 1909, from Erua, via Ohakune to Waiouru.[19]
The first through expresses began on 14 February 1909 and stopped at Ohakune.[20] By July 1909 a footwarmer house had been built by PWD for £54.4.4[3] and there was a bookstall,[21] a special station building, with District Engineer's office, luggage, stationmaster's, lobby, and ladies rooms, a lengthened and asphalted platform, cart approach, goods shed, loading bank, cattle and sheep yards, crane, water service, coal accommodation, engine turntable, engine shed, stationmaster's house and urinal. In 1910 the goods shed was extended to 80 ft (24 m) by 44 ft (13 m).[3]
Ohakune was one of the stations for which annual returns of traffic were published. For example, in 1923 Ohakune issued 58,001 tickets, plus 26 season tickets, and 280,437 board feet (661.76 m3), or superficial feet of timber were railed from Ohakune, well above other stations for timber exports at that time.[22]
On 12 April 1905 the engine shed burnt down. A new 120 ft (37 m) by 35 ft (11 m) shed could take five locomotives. In 1910 an ash pit was added. On 7 December 1923 that shed was destroyed by fire. In 1929 the 55 ft (17 m) turntable was sent to Huntly and replaced by a 70 ft (21 m) turntable for £1800. By 1960 the depot was only being used by Raetihi branch engines. It again caught fire on 17 February 1967.[3]
Railway houses were built in 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1912, 1914 and 1965 and a hostel for female refreshment room staff on Tyne Road in 1940.[3]
From December 1966 Centralised Traffic Control replaced tablet signalling.[3]
References[]
- ^ KiwiRail Scenic Journeys – our stations
- ^ Juliet Scoble: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Stations" (PDF). NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Yonge, John (1985). New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (Third ed.). Quail Map Company. p. 8D. ISBN 090060932X.
- ^ "Urgent calls for long-distance passenger services to stay as KiwiRail cuts operations". Newshub. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ Heritage NZ description and photo
- ^ "THE RAURIMU SPIRAL. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 November 1929. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "RANGATAUA NOTES. WANGANUI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "OHAKUNE NOTES. WANGANUI CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 12 November 1907. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "OHAKUNE NOTES. WANGANUI CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 October 1907. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 November 1907. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 8 November 1907. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "OHAKUNE NOTES, WANGANUI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 March 1908. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "OHAKUNE NOTES. WANGANUI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 July 1908. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK COMPLETED. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 4 August 1908. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "MAIN TRUNK LINE. FEILDING STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 December 1908. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "WELLINGTON TO AUCKLAND. TARANAKI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 11 November 1908. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "WELLINGTON TO AUCKLAND. EVENING POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 November 1908. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "RAILWAYS STATEMENT. BY THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, THE HON, J. A, MILLAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 13 October 1909. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "RIGHT THROUGH. WELLINGTON TO AUCKLAND. EVENING POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 15 February 1909. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "OHAKUNE NOTES. WANGANUI CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 March 1909. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "RAILWAYS STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, HON. J. G. COATES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1923. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links[]
- Ohakune railway station on 1:50,000 map
- Ohakune railway station on Google Street View
- DoC – Mangawhero Forest Walk and Rimu Walk start from a short walk up the road under the railway bridge
- National Library photo – Ohakune Railway Station and yards, between 1912 and 1916
- Ohakune Coach Road – history of travel around 1908 with photos
- Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries photos – 1908 – connecting coaches, train and coaches, loco shed, rails in bush and railway station, with train
- 1909 loco shed and station, express at station, bridge, houses and station
- 1910 station buildings
- 1923 loco shed fire
- 2011 flickr photo of station in snow
- Railway stations in New Zealand
- Ruapehu District
- Railway stations opened in 1908
- Rail transport in Manawatū-Whanganui
- 1908 establishments in New Zealand
- Buildings and structures in Manawatū-Whanganui
- NZHPT Category II listings in Manawatū-Whanganui