Awapuni railway station

Awapuni railway station was a station in Kairanga County,[2] on the Foxton Branch and, from 1908, the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand,[3][4] now in the Palmerston North suburb of Awapuni. It was beside the Mangaone Stream, near its confluence with the Kawau Stream,[5] about 400 m (440 yd) west of Maxwells Line on the north side of Pioneer Highway.[6] Nothing remains of the former station, except a wide verge, partly occupied by a cycleway,[7] built in 2015.[8]

Awapuni railway station
Bridge over Awapuni Lagoon about 1910
on the racecourse siding
General information
LocationNew Zealand
Coordinates40.372979°S 175.573472°E / -40.372979; 175.573472
Elevation25 m (82 ft)
Line(s)North Island Main Trunk
DistanceWellington 84 mi 79 ch (136.8 km)
History
Opened26 July 1873
Closed20 July 1959[1]
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station
Palmerston North
Line closed
2 mi 73 ch (4.7 km)		   North Island Main Trunk
NZR		   Longburn
Line closed
1 mi 8 ch (1.8 km)

History

Awa Puni station opened on the Foxton tramway on 26 July 1873,[9] 21 mi 6 ch (33.9 km) from Foxton.[10]

A Māori petition for a platform at 3 Mile Bush on the Foxton Branch was presented on 7 August 1876.[9] The Māori settlement at Awapuni was near the railway,[11] with a population of 71 in 1881.[12]

The station reopened with conversion of the wooden tramway to a railway on 20 October 1876,[9] though Awapuni wasn't shown in the timetable when services through to Whanganui began in 1878.[13] A platform was mentioned in 1879.[14] By 1884 it had a shelter shed, platform and cart approach.[15] The platform was too short for Wellington trains, leading to complaints that some coaches stopped over the stream bridge.[16]

Along with other Foxton Branch stations, Awapuni closed on 20 July 1959, shortly after opening of the Milson Deviation on 27 July 1959. The line through Awapuni remained in use until 21 October 1960.[9]

Awapuni in 1949. The railway station is west of the stream at the top. The racecourse is in the bottom right of the photo
Racecourse branch on 1913 plan

Racecourse siding

Awa Puni Racecourse station opened on 24 December 1904 and closed on 31 October 1939.[9] Manawatu Racing Club's course opened in 1903, with a private road to the station.[17] In 1903 a private siding to the course was estimated to cost £2,800.[10] The Club agreed to it in 1904[18] and it was completed by the end of that year to allow passenger and goods trains to serve the course,[19] though without a platform.[20] On race days trains stopped at the main station, or ran along the siding to serve race-goers.[21]

By December 1911, 52 wagons could be held on the siding.[10] In 1909 race trains served Foxton, Sanson, Feilding and Paekakariki.[22] 2,734 travelled by train to the course in 1929/30.[23] During 1938 races there were 4 trains a day from Palmerston and one from Wellington.[24] In 1939, after NZR had decided the bridge was too weak for trains,[25] the track was converted to a road.[26]

The racecourse[27] and drainage board both reduced the size of the Lagoon in the 1930s.[28]

References
  1. "Juliet Scoble: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  2. "NZ Cadastral Map - Town Series: Palmerston North Map 4". manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz. 1 May 1961. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  3. New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (First ed.). Quail Map Co. 1965. pp. 3 & 4.
  4. Pierre, Bill (1981). North Island Main Trunk. Wellington: A.H&A.W Reed. pp. 289–290. ISBN 0589013165.
  5. "Mangaone Stream, Manawatu-Wanganui". NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  6. "Map of city of Palmerston North". National Library of New Zealand. 1950. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  7. "State Hwy 56". Google Maps. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  8. "Bridge over the Mangaone Stream is lifted into position". Stuff. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  9. Scoble, Juliet. "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand 1863 to 2010" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 February 2013.
  10. "Stations" (PDF). NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  11. "ON THE LINE FROM FOXTON TO HALCOMBE. WANGANUI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 15 June 1878. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  12. "CENSUS OF THE MAORI POPULATION, 1881". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  13. "WANGANUI CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 May 1878. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  14. "ENGINEER'S REPORT. MANAWATU HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 5 September 1879. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  15. "Stations" (PDF). NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  16. "STOPPING OF TRAINS. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 July 1926. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  17. "TURF TOPICS. NEW ZEALAND MAIL". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 December 1903. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  18. "RACING CLUB'S RAILWAY. MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 September 1904. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  19. "Railway Extension. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 December 1904. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  20. "SPORTING. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 January 1911. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  21. "DOMINION". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 23 December 1915. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  22. "MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 January 1909. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  23. "INCREASE SHOWN. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 January 1930. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  24. "Taupo Fishing. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 January 1938. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  25. "NEW ROAD PLANNED. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 11 July 1939. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  26. "MANAWATU RACING CLUB. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 August 1939. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  27. "Control of Flood Water MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 July 1936. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  28. "Draining of Manawatu MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 November 1939. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
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