| Taumarunui railway station | |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Coordinates: | -38.8828°N 175.2648°W |
| Elevation: | 171m (561feet) |
| Owned: | KiwiRail |
| Line: | North Island Main Trunk |
| Distance: | Wellington 397.75km (247.15miles) |
| Platform: | 1 |
| Levels: | 1 |
| Electrified: | 25 kV 50 Hz AC June 1988 |
Taumarunui railway station is the main railway station in Taumarunui, New Zealand, serving the Northern Explorer service between Auckland and Wellington.[1] Historically, it was an important intermediate stop with a refreshment room on the North Island Main Trunk line; the subject of the ballad "Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line" by Peter Cape.
The NIMT was opened to through Auckland to Wellington trains from 9 November 1908, with the first NIMT express trains from 14 February 1909. Trains also ran to Stratford from 1933.[2]
The building opened on 1 December 1903, including cattle-yard, engine-shed, and railway workers' cottages,[3]
In December 1900, the telephone line was extended to Taumarunui. Goods ran between Ongarue and Taumarunui from 2 February 1903, with the line opening on Friday 29 May 1903 and, on Tuesday 1 December 1903, the 28miles line between Poro-O-Tarao and Taumarunui was transferred from the Public Works Department to New Zealand Railways.[4]
Extension southward began with goods to Matapuna from 22 June 1903.[5] The prime minister, Sir Joseph Ward, addressed a crowd of several hundred at Taumarunui on Saturday 8 August 1908, when the first Wellington to Auckland train paused at the station.[6] When regular through trains started on Monday 9 November 1908, southbound passengers stayed overnight at Taumarunui.[7] By 11 January 1909 the General Manager gave permission for passengers to sleep on the trains, owing to lack of accommodation at Taumarunui and Ohakune (for northbound passengers). As well as complaints about the quality and quantity of rooms, there was also praise for Taumarunui boarding houses and hotels.[8] Through expresses started to call during the night at Taumarunui from 14 February 1909, with only 5 minutes at the station.[9]
Refreshment rooms opened on 1 November 1909 and closed on 21 February 1975. In 1920 accommodation was provided for refreshment staff and in 1940 a hostel for female refreshment room staff was added.
The platform was extended in 1905 and alterations made to the stationmaster's house in 1908. By 1909, the station had a 30feet by 20feet goods shed, a loading bank, sheep yards, a crane, water service, coal accommodation, fixed signals, urinals and a passing loop for 98 wagons. Within 2 years, the goods shed had been doubled in length.
In 1902, a 50feet turntable from Auckland was installed temporarily, replaced by one of 55feet in 1907 and 21.3m (69.9feet) in 1929, costing £3060. In 1903, an engine shed was moved from Poro-O-Tarao to Taumarunui.A new goods shed was built by Johnson Brothers Ltd for £30,000 in 1966. The original station was replaced by a two-storey building, officially opened by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon on 10 July 1977.[10] [11] In 2016[12] the sidings to the north of the station were used to stable 110 former Auckland trains, displaced by electrification.[13]
Night Limited,[14] Scenic Daylight,[15] Silver Star,[16] Silver Fern,[17] Blue Streak, Northerner[18] and Overlander[19] all stopped at the station. On Friday 21 January 1983 the last passenger train ran between New Plymouth and Taumarunui. The station closed on 25 June 2012, when the passenger stop was dropped from the Northern Explorers schedule, except for pre-booked groups of 10+.[20] [21] The stop was reinstated from 4 December 2022.[22] As shown in the table and graph, passengers increased rapidly, reaching a peak in 1923.
| year | tickets | season tickets | staff | source | title | |
| 1904 | 2,346 | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1904/I/1848 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1904 | ||
| 1905 | 9,218 | 2 | 6 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1905/I/3767 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1905 | |
| 1906 | 15,244 | 7 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1906/II/1600|RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1906|-|1907|27,761||7|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1907/I/2542 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1907 | ||
| 1908 | 30,977 | 8 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1908/I/2061 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1908 | ||
| 1909 | 35,130 | 6 | 13 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1909/II/1832|RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1909|-|1910|50,505|53|17|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1910/I/2050|RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1910|-|1911|63,358|33|17|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1911/I/2497|RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1911|-|1912|83,286|73|20|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1912/II/2420 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1912 | |
| 1913 | 91,612 | 99 | 22 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1913/I/3693 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1913 | |
| 1914 | 87,922 | 60 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1914/I/2031 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1914 | ||
| 1915 | 91,768 | 77 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1915/I/1638 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1915 | ||
| 1916 | 91,564 | 50 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1916/I/1053 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1916 | ||
| 1917 | 91,159 | 71 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1917/I/1123 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1917 | ||
| 1918 | 92,502 | 77 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1918/I-II/1159|RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1918|-|1919|95,024|385||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1919/I/1231|RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1919|-|1920|111,112|802||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1920/I/1349 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1920 | ||
| 1921 | 114,528 | 1,119 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1921/I-II/1452|RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1921|-|1922|116,770|871||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1922/I/1409 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1922 | ||
| 1923 | 120,748 | 610 | 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|110,813|863||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 | 101,489 | 548 | 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 | 96,509 | 1,002 | 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 | 76,769 | 543 | 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 | 64,646 | 527 | 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 | 56,849 | 618 | 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 | 49,965 | 503 | 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 | 55,433 | 527 | 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|44,602|599||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 | 59,132 | 605 | 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 | 68,178 | 781 | 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 | 70,631 | 479 | 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 | 71,523 | 464 | 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 | 76,671 | 547 | 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 | 69,608 | 344 | 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 | 67,651 | 348 | 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 | 65,131 | 419 | 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 | 67,871 | 385 | 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 | 75,886 | 308 | 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|82,526|415||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 | 85,289 | 425 | 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|81,617|346||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 | 88,039 | 384 | 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 | 83,898 | 318 | 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 | 70,357 | 269 | 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 | 70,563 | 244 | 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 | 68,741 | 245 | 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 |