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 | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°24′18″S 175°08′31″E / 37.40504°S 175.141897°E | ||||||||||
| Elevation | 12 m (39 ft) | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
| Distance | Wellington 591.52 km (367.55 mi) | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 13 August 1877 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 24 November 1985 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Wairangi to Waerenga in 1897 Wairangi to 28 May 1911 | ||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||
| 1944 | 16,112 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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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]
History
editThe 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.[3] A goods shed was built in 1924[8] and a new station by 1925.[9] There was a station master in 1932.[10]
Track doubling to ease congestion had been authorised in 1914,[11] 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, though doubling is being investigated in a business case from July 2021.[12]
Unlocked points caused an express to derail in 1911.[13][14] Three goods trains crashed at the station in 1930.[15] A shunter was killed in 1931.[16]
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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 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 31 March 1950 |
Reopening
editA 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.[17] The initial Te Huia train, to commence in August 2020, will not stop at Te Kauwhata.[18] In 2020 reopening of the platform was put forward as a COVID-19 recovery scheme, at an estimated cost of $10m.[19]
References
edit- ^ "Page 6 Advertisements Column 3 (New Zealand Herald, 1882-03-31)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ a b New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (Fourth ed.). Quail Map Co. 1993. ISBN 0-900609-92-3.
- ^ a b "WDC District Plan Review – Built Heritage Assessment Historic Overview – Te Kauwhata & District" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ Scoble, Juliet. "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand 1863 to 2010" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "COUNTRY NEWS. Te Kauwhata surveying work NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 December 1912. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 August 1877. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ "TE KAUWHATA PROGRESS. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 18 August 1924. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "TE KAUWHATA DEVELOPMENTS. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 June 1925. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "RAILWAY CHANGES. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 February 1932. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Railways Improvement Authorization Act, 1914" (PDF).
- ^ "Inaugural rail programme creates certainty and jobs". KiwiRail. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "EXPRESS DERAILED. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 30 June 1911. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Trains Collide. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 November 1930. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "DEATH OF SHUNTER. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 September 1931. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Single Stage Business Case Hamilton To Auckland Start-Up Passenger Rail Service" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. November 2018.
- ^ Piddock, Gerald; Wilson, Libby (19 December 2018). "Hamilton-Auckland train trial gets tick from NZ Transport Agency". Stuff. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Hamilton to Auckland Passenger Rail Start-up Service Enhancements" (PDF). Hamilton City Council. April 2020.