| Tokomaru railway station | |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Coordinates: | -40.4698°N 175.5086°W |
| Elevation: | 18m (59feet) |
| Line: | North Island Main Trunk |
| Distance: | Wellington 118.56km (73.67miles) |
| Opened: | 7 July 1885 |
| Closed: | passengers 5 September 1971 goods 31 January 1982[1] |
Tokomaru railway station was a station on the North Island Main Trunk. It served Tokomaru in Horowhenua District the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand.[2] [3]
The station opened in 1885 and closed in 1982.[4] A small shed and a passing loop remain at the station site.[5]
By March 1885 the first 9miles of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company from Longburn had been built, which included Tokomaru.[6] It may therefore have opened for goods in July 1885,[7] but there was no regular passenger service for another year. A special train ran from Longburn to Ohau in April 1886.[8] From Monday 2 August 1886 WMR trains started to run between Longburn and Ōtaki.[9] Tokomaru was shown in the time and fare-tables, but only as a flag station.[10] The first through train from Wellington to Palmerston North ran on 30 November 1886.[11]
A goods shed and cattle yards were built in 1893 and enlarged in 1907. The station was also improved in 1909, so that by 1911 it had a shelter shed, platform, cart approach, 54feet by 12feet goods shed, loading bank, cattle and sheep yards and a passing loop for 52 wagons (extended in 1913 to 69 wagons, in 1940 to 90 wagons and in 1948 to 101 wagons). A ladies waiting room was added in 1911.[12] From 1908 a tablet was used.[13]
Railway houses were built in 1891, 1909 and 1927.
The Makerua Swamp was to the north west of the railway, where 11miles of tramway had been laid by 1903.[14] There were also many other flax mills in the area, six being within a mile of the station in 1906.[15] Swainson & Bevan had a tramway to the station, operating from about 1899[16] to 1909.[17]
The NIMT crosses the Tokomaru River almost 2km (01miles) south of the station.[18]
By 1966 only two passenger trains a week stopped at Tokomaru. In 1981 the main traffic was lime and fertiliser.