Otorohanga railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Otorohanga
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Otorohanga railway station in 1921
Godber, Albert Percy, 1875–1949 -Collection of albums, prints and negatives. Ref- APG-0815-1-2-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington. [5] |
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Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 38°11′12″S 175°12′44″E / 38.1867°S 175.2123°E | ||||||||||
Elevation | 37 m (121 ft) | ||||||||||
Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
Distance | Wellington 494.41 km (307.21 mi) | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
Opened | 9 March 1887 | ||||||||||
Closed | 2012 | ||||||||||
Electrified | June 1988 | ||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
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Otorohanga railway station has served the town of Otorohanga, on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand since 1887. It was 4.45 km (2.77 mi) south of Kiokio and 9.21 km (5.72 mi) north of Hangatiki, but is now one of only 9 stations on the line served by the Northern Explorer.
Trains calling at Otorohanga included The Overlander, Blue Streak, Scenic Daylight, Daylight Limited, Northerner and Night Limited. By 2012, passenger numbers had dropped to an average of two per train, which brought about a brief closure from 24 June. Initially the reinstatement was for summer only from 10 December.
Services
The station is managed by KiwiRail who operate the Northern Explorer three times a week in each direction between Wellington and Britomart. Hamilton is 48.11 km (29.89 mi) to the north, timetabled in 2015, departure to departure, in 39 minutes, and National Park, 147.58 km (91.70 mi) to the south, in 139 minutes, both southbound.
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
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Kiokio Line open, station closed |
North Island Main Trunk New Zealand Railways Department |
Hangatiki Line open, station closed |
Patronage
As shown in the table and graph below, passenger numbers peaked during World War 2 -
year | tickets | season tickets | staff | source | title |
1913 | 12,306 | 14 | 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 31st March, 1913 |
1914 | 11,263 | 35 | 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 31st March, 1914 | |
1915 | 13,672 | 23 | 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 31st March, 1915 | |
1916 | 15,435 | 42 | 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 31st March, 1916 | |
1917 | 16,142 | 93 | 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 31st March, 1917 | |
1918 | 15,343 | 166 | 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 31st March, 1918 | |
1919 | 14,754 | 117 | 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 31st March, 1919 | |
1920 | 17,188 | 251 | 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 31st March, 1920 | |
1921 | 17,787 | 164 | 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 31st March, 1921 | |
1922 | 15,901 | 129 | 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 31st March, 1922 | |
1923 | 14,675 | 280 | 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 31st March, 1923 | |
1924 | 13,689 | 270 | 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 31st March, 1924 | |
1925 | 13,513 | 246 | 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 31st March, 1925 | |
1926 | 14,094 | 304 | 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 31st March, 1926 | |
1927 | 14,411 | 95 | 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 31st March, 1927 | |
1928 | 12,345 | 86 | 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 31st March, 1928 | |
1929 | 13,077 | 52 | 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 31st March, 1929 | |
1930 | 12,261 | 22 | 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 31st March, 1930 | |
1931 | 14,216 | 45 | 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 31st March, 1931 | |
1932 | 11,511 | 57 | 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 31st March, 1932 | |
1933 | 12,144 | 52 | 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 31st March, 1933 | |
1934 | 14,055 | 43 | 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 31st March, 1934 | |
1935 | 16,795 | 17 | 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 31st March, 1935 | |
1936 | 17,704 | 25 | 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 31st March, 1936 | |
1937 | 20,150 | 26 | 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 31st March, 1937 | |
1938 | 19,043 | 16 | 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 31st March, 1938 | |
1939 | 18,626 | 24 | 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 31st March, 1939 | |
1940 | 17,433 | 34 | 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 31st March, 1940 | |
1941 | 18,479 | 55 | 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 31st March, 1941 | |
1942 | 23,566 | 67 | 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 31st March, 1942 | |
1943 | 30,897 | 95 | 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 31st March, 1943 | |
1944 | 32,974 | 82 | 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 31st March, 1944 | |
1945 | 26,634 | 63 | 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 31st March, 1945 | |
1946 | 27,923 | 18 | 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 31st March, 1946 | |
1947 | 26,305 | 13 | 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 31st March, 1947 | |
1948 | 20,469 | 31 | 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 31st March, 1948 | |
1949 | 18,071 | 9 | 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 31st March, 1949 | |
1950 | 18,956 | 8 | 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 31st March, 1950 |
Rangitoto Colliery Co. branch
In 1890 Ellis & Burnand had sought tenders for a tramway to bring timber to their mill and it was mentioned as flooded in 1892. The 1919 Railways Authorisation Bill included a, "branch line from Otorohanga, along right bank of the Waipa River, to the south boundary of Block VI, Mangaoronga survey district. Length about 7½ miles." The Railway Atlas indicates the line was horse worked, served the Ellis and Burnand Mill (open 1889–1912), as well as the colliery, and existed by 1921. The 1921 photograph (left) appears to show a horse worked tramway, but only remnants of the line appear in the 1947 photos.
The mine closed in 1937, after 11 years of working, "as the coal was of inferior quality and the expenses of mining and marketing the output were unduly high." However, a 1944 Parliamentary report indicates that production recommenced, but a road was built, rather than using the tramway. The report said, "Rangitoto Opencast.—Stripping of this area, adjacent to the old Rangitoto Colliery, some eight miles from Otorohanga, commenced, in July. An access road was also constructed. Coal-production started in September, Output for 1944 was 1,797 tons."