Tuakau railway station explained

Tuakau railway station
Country:New Zealand
Coordinates:-37.2584°N 174.9504°W
Elevation:37m (121feet)
Line:North Island Main Trunk
Distance:Wellington 621.31km (386.06miles)
Platform:2
Tracks:double to Mercer 11 November 1951 and to Paerata from 21 Nov 1954
Opened:20 May 1875
Closed:2 March 1986
Rebuilt:1910
Former:Tuakau Road

Tuakau railway station was a railway station (now closed) in the town of Tuakau in the Waikato District of New Zealand.

The station was on the North Island Main Trunk line, and opened on 20 May 1875. Originally it was called Tuakau Road.

Tuakau was 34ch51ch south of Auckland (via Newmarket) and 36ch67ch (via Orakei).[1] [2]

The station was rebuilt in 1910, opening on 10 September 1911,[3] and closed to passengers on 14 March 1983. The station closed on 2 March 1986.[4]

The station was on the route of the former Waikato Connection, although it did not stop at Tuakau. The Hamilton-Auckland passenger service is to resume as Te Huia in 2020; and as the new service may stop at Tuakau, in 2018 the District Council allocated money for reopening the station.[5] In 2020 reopening of the platform was put forward as a COVID-19 recovery scheme, at an estimated cost of $15m.[6]

History

The railway, some 1.5miles north of the original Tuakau village,[7] opened as part of the Auckland and Mercer Railway on 20 May 1875, built by Brogden & Co,[8] when it was extended from Penrose.[9] Trains had been able to reach Tuakau since at least February 1875.[10] Tuakau wasn't shown in the 1875 timetable,[11] but was in that of 1876.[12] There was a stationmaster by June 1876[13] and fencing of the stationmaster's house was mentioned in September 1878.[14]

By 1884 Tuakau had a 4th class station, platform, cart approach, 60feet by 30feet goods shed (extended to 90feet in 1905 and sold in 1985), loading bank, cattle yards, stationmaster's house, urinals and a passing loop for 15 wagons. From 1887 to 1911 a Post Office was run by railway staff. The station was rebuilt in 1910, opening on 10 September 1911,[3] From 1913 it was moved away from the station. A state house was added in 1956.

The stockyards were sold in 1974 and Tuakau closed to passengers and all goods traffic, except in wagon lots, on 14 March 1983. By then there was an island platform, station building, footbridge, low-level loading bank, fitter's shed and New Zealand Co-op Dairy Co's siding at the north end. The station closed on 2 March 1986.

Passenger numbers reached a peak during the Second World War, as shown in the graph and table below.

yearticketsseason ticketsstaffsourcetitle
18852,593181https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1885/I/1156RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1885
18862,128701https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1886/I/1138RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1886
18872,456761https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1887/I/920|RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1887|-|1888|2,007|47|1|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1889/I/1068?large_image=trueRETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1888
18892,569311https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1889/I/1068RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1889
18912,118291https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1891/II/1264|RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1891|-|1892|2,505|48|1|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1892/I/1164|RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1892|-|1893|2,353|22|1|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1893/I/1494|RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1893|-|1894|2,424|8|1|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1894/I/1388RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1894
18952,336161https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1895/I/1586RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1895
18962,444101https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1896/I/1624RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1896
18972,64331https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1897/II/1610|RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1897|-|1898|3,199|3|2|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1898/I/1670RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1898
18993,998102https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1899/I/1824RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1899
19004,277142https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1900/I/1612RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1900
19026,742332https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1902/I/1436RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1902
19037,871353https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1903/I/1873RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1903
19048,638523https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1904/I/1848RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1904
19058,466534https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1905/I/3767RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1905
19067,782404https://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|8,711|60|5|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|9,644|61|3|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|9,352|47|3|https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1909/II/1832RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1909
191010,001333https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1910/I/2050RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1910
191111,940743https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1911/I/2497RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1911
191212,709334https://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|14,603|163|5|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|15,032|249||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1914/I/2031RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1914
191514,140234https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1915/I/1638RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1915
191614,928284https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1916/I/1053RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1916
191714,220250https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1917/I/1123RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1917
191814,662238https://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|14,119|278||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|15,239|301||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|16,159|478||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1921/I-II/1452RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1921
192215,077497https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1922/I/1409RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1922
192315,875462https://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|16,320|428||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|16,773|519||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|17,186|656||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|15,693|522||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|14,701|330||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|11,127|375||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|9,489|252||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1930/I/2212STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1930
193112,935298https://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|12,341|343||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1932/I-II/1934STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1932
193319,032280https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1933/I/1388STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1933
193420,857339https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1934/I/2278STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1934
193521,597313https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1935/I/1326STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1935
193621,743313https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1936/I/1552STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1936
193724,107495https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1937/I/1896STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1937
193824,894356https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1938/I/1652STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1938
193923,363405https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1939/I/1970STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1939
194022,551332https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1940/I/1314STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1940
194124,813280https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1941/I/1203STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1941
194227,872322https://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|35,803|389||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1943/I/679STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1943
194436,655473https://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|27,037|264||https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1945/I/969STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1945
194633,910216https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1946/I/1548STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1946
194724,333154https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1947/I/2495STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1947
194822,730258https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1948/I/2521STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1948
194922,023291https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1949/I/2104STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1949
195022,244214https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1950/I/2366STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1950

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Page 6 Advertisements Column 3 (New Zealand Herald, 1882-03-31). 20 May 2017. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand. en.
  2. Book: New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas. Quail Map Co.. 1993. 0-900609-92-3. Fourth.
  3. Web site: 8 May 1940. From Auckland to Tuakau FRANKLIN TIMES. 2021-03-16. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  4. Book: Scoble, Juliet . Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand, 1863 to 2012 . 2012 . Wellington . 137 .
  5. News: New train station in the pipeline for North Waikato? . The Post Newspaper . Franklin & North Waikato, New Zealand . 2018-05-29 . 2018-06-01.
  6. Web site: Hamilton to Auckland Passenger Rail Start-up Service Enhancements. April 2020. Hamilton City Council.
  7. Web site: 30 Dec 1876. POST OFFICE AT TUAKAU. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. 2021-04-07. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  8. Web site: 20 May 1875. OPENING OF THE Auckland and Mercer Railway FOR TRAFFIC. AUCKLAND STAR. 2021-04-06. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  9. Web site: 20 May 1875. DISTRICTS OPENED BY THE RAILWAY—APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. AUCKLAND STAR. 2021-04-06. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  10. Web site: 25 Feb 1875. THE PROGRESS OF TUAKAU. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. 2021-04-07. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  11. Web site: 5 Jun 1875. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. 2021-04-07. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  12. Web site: 1 Jan 1876. NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS. SATURDAY ADVERTISER. 2021-04-07. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  13. Web site: 27 Jun 1876. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. 2021-04-07. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  14. Web site: Stations. 2020-08-10. NZR Rolling Stock Lists. en.