Opaheke railway station
Defunct railway station in New Zealand / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ōpaheke railway station was a flag station serving Ōpaheke on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand.[1][2] It was opened in 1875[3] and closed in 1955.[4] It was called Hūnua until 7 January 1912 and, though it didn't appear in the 1875 timetable,[5] Hunua was described as a small wayside station on the line's opening day.[6] The station was first listed in the December 1875 timetable, being served by 2 trains a day, taking 92 minutes for the 21 mi (34 km) from Auckland.[7] When the line was extended to Hamilton, Hunua gained an extra train and the schedule was cut to 79 minutes.[8]
Ōpaheke railway station | |||||||||||
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General information | |||||||||||
Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 37.0832°S 174.9571°E / -37.0832; 174.9571 | ||||||||||
Elevation | 16 m (52 ft) | ||||||||||
Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
Distance | Wellington 644.63 km (400.55 mi) | ||||||||||
Tracks | Doubled 3 December 1939 | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
Opened | 20 May 1875 or 6 April 1879 | ||||||||||
Closed | 13 November 1955 | ||||||||||
Previous names | Hunua until 7 January 1912 | ||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
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Hunua opened on 20 May 1875, as part of the Auckland and Mercer Railway on 20 May 1875, built by Brogden & Co,[9] when it was extended from Penrose.[10] A limited service may have started earlier, as Brogden & Sons ran excursion trains to Drury in October 1874.[11]
The station was opposite Ōpaheke Saleyards on Ōpaheke Road, on the Hay's Farm. It was a very small sixth class station,[12] with a shelter shed (20 ft (6.1 m) by 9 ft (2.7 m)).[13] By 1884 there was a passenger platform with cart approach and a loading bank, and in 1894 there was a petition for a goods shed to be built. In 1891 the Coultland Brothers obtained permission to lay a tramway from the station.[12] A suggestion was made in 1899 that a tramway could be laid between the station and Hunua coal seams.[14] However, it seems that the Hunua Colliery only used road transport to get its coal to the railway at Papakura.[15]
The station was damaged by fire on 3 May 1956 and the rest offered for sale in May 1963.[13]