# Te Awamutu railway station

Te Awamutu was a temporary terminus, serving the border town of Te Awamutu, on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) in New Zealand from 1880, when the line was extended from Ōhaupō, until 1887, when the line was extended south to Ōtorohanga.

## History
### Location

It was about 800 m (2,600 ft) from the town centre. A public meeting in 1878 supported a town centre site, but 6 months later, Goodfellow's paddock was chosen. Sir George Grey claimed that the station was so far from the town due to opposition from local residents, though another source described them as, "interested landed proprietors". In 1879 Rangiaohia Road Board asked for £750 to build the link road and footpaths, which were finished in 1880.

### Construction

The 10 km (6.2 mi) extension from Ōhaupō was built for £25,972 by Daniel Fallon, who also built the Mercer to Ngāruawāhia section of the NIMT. Work started in 1878. On Wednesday, 19 May 1880 a test train, of two engines and 29 wagons of stone, reached Te Awamutu. The line was opened on Thursday, 1 July 1880, initially with one train a day, after £352 had been spent moving Ōhaupō's engine shed and building cattle pens. In 1881 another £45 was spent to move the engine driver's cottage. Other houses were bought or built in 1885, 1954 and 1955.

### Extension

Surveying to extend the railway 14 mi 20 ch (22.9 km) from Te Awamutu to Ōtorohanga was started in 1883 by Charles Wilson Hursthouse. The first sod ceremony was performed at the Puniu River on 15 April 1885. Trains were working through to Ōtorohanga by January 1887, and the extension opened on 6, or 8 March 1887, though the line wasn't handed over from the Public Works Department to the Railways Department (NZR) until Wednesday 9 March.

### Original station

By 1884 Te Awamutu had a 4th class station, platform, cart approach, a 100 ft (30 m) x 30 ft (9.1 m) goods shed, loading bank, cattle yards, water service, coal accommodation, engine shed, stationmaster's house, urinals and a passing loop for 37 wagons (extended to 55 by 1911 and 71 by 1980). A turntable was added in 1901, additions were made to the station in 1908, by 1911 there were sheep yards and fixed signals and in 1921 electric lighting was added. The 1902 edition of The Cyclopedia of New Zealand described the station as, "of wood and iron, and contains a public vestibule and waiting room, ladies' waiting room, and general office. It has also a long passenger platform and a convenient goods shed. The stationmaster is assisted by a junior porter and a guard, and two gangers are resident in Te Awamutu."

### 1958 station

A new 133 ft (41 m) x 18 ft (5.5 m) station was opened on 26 November 1958 by Mayor Clifton Frank Jacobs. The platform was then 600 ft (180 m) long and 455 mm (17.9 in) high. In 1987 there was also a goods shed and shed for a shunting tractor. In 1943 there was a Royal New Zealand Air Force siding and in 1980 Dibble Brothers had a private siding for their fertiliser.

### Services

Trains calling at Te Awamutu included The Overlander, Blue Streak, Scenic Daylight, Daylight Limited, Northerner and Night Limited.
The station buildings were demolished in 2001 and replaced by a shelter until the station closed in 2005. New Zealand Dairy Board (now Fonterra) rebuilt its freight connection about 2000.
Since 2005 there has been a large flow from the dairy factory to Crawford St depot in Hamilton.
There are still hopes that passenger services may resume. For example, in 2015, Waipa District Council said, "it is important to preserve the rail platform facilities and infrastructure in Te Awamutu to enable future passenger rail connections between Te Awamutu and Hamilton". In 2021 it was agreed to remove the shelter due to vandalism.

### Patronage

As shown in the table and graph below, passenger numbers peaked in 1921 and again in 1944 -
| year | tickets | season tickets | staff | source | title |
| 1881 | 1,493 | | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1881/I/967 | RETURN No. 9. Statement of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ending 31 March 1881 |
| 1882 | 3,601 | | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1882/I/824 | RETURN No. 10. Statement of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ending 31 March 1882 |
| 1883 | 3,358 | | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1883/I/895 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1883 |
| 1884 | 3,818 | | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1884/I/844 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1884 |
| 1885 | 4,128 | | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1885/I/1156 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1885 |
| 1886 | 4,415 | | 2 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1886/I/1138 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1886 |
| 1887 | 3,942 | | 2 | https://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 | 4,812 | | 2 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1889/I/1068?large_image=true | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1888 |
| 1889 | 2,623 | | 2 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1889/I/1068 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1889 |
| 1891 | 2,241 | | 2 | https://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 | 2,060 | | 2 | 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 | 2,510 | | 2 | 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 | 5,061 | | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1894/I/1388 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1894 |
| 1895 | 7,727 | | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1895/I/1586 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1895 |
| 1896 | 8,382 | | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1896/I/1624 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1896 |
| 1897 | 8,513 | | 3 | https://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 | 10,777 | 1 | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1898/I/1670 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1898 |
| 1899 | 8,730 | | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1899/I/1824 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1899 |
| 1900 | 8,550 | | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1900/I/1612 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1900 |
| 1902 | 15,515 | | 5 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1902/I/1436 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1902 |
| 1903 | 10,851 | 5 | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1903/I/1873 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1903 |
| 1904 | 7,807 | 1 | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1904/I/1848 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1904 |
| 1905 | 8,650 | 60 | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1905/I/3767 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1905 |
| 1906 | 9,664 | 74 | 5 | https://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 | 10,312 | 39 | 4 | 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 | 12,158 | 68 | 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 | 10,629 | 61 | 5 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1909/II/1832 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1909 |
| 1910 | 11,073 | 79 | 5 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1910/I/2050 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1910 |
| 1911 | 11,390 | 110 | 6 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1911/I/2497 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1911 |
| 1912 | 13,859 | 207 | 5 | https://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 | 19,276 | 188 | 6 | 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 | 20,859 | 218 | | 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 31 March 1914 |
| 1915 | 21,231 | 208 | | 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 31 March 1915 |
| 1916 | 21,738 | 203 | | 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 31 March 1916 |
| 1917 | 21,419 | 242 | | 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 31 March 1917 |
| 1918 | 24,548 | 321 | | 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 31 March 1918 |
| 1919 | 25,961 | 182 | | 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 | 30,409 | 117 | | 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 | 32,830 | 160 | | 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 31 March 1921 |
| 1922 | 30,697 | 71 | | 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 31 March 1922 |
| 1923 | 28,725 | 205 | | 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 31 March 1923 |
| 1924 | 27,819 | 231 | | 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 | 25,517 | 229 | | 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 | 26,420 | 294 | | 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 | 26,108 | 357 | | 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 | 22,673 | 277 | | 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 | 20,719 | 240 | | 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 | 16,547 | 153 | | 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 31 March 1930 |
| 1931 | 20,539 | 170 | | 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 31 March 1931 |
| 1932 | 18,094 | 181 | | 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 31 March 1932 |
| 1933 | 20,144 | 232 | | 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 31 March 1933 |
| 1934 | 24,461 | 235 | | 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 31 March 1934 |
| 1935 | 28,425 | 259 | | 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 31 March 1935 |
| 1936 | 29,629 | 226 | | 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 31 March 1936 |
| 1937 | 30,868 | 252 | | 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 31 March 1937 |
| 1938 | 28,341 | 214 | | 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 31 March 1938 |
| 1939 | 26,489 | 190 | | 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 31 March 1939 |
| 1940 | 25,546 | 128 | | 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 31 March 1940 |
| 1941 | 25,044 | 168 | | 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 31 March 1941 |
| 1942 | 30,083 | 77 | | 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 31 March 1942 |
| 1943 | 40,442 | 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 31 March 1943 |
| 1944 | 42,160 | 105 | | 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 31 March 1944 |
| 1945 | 32,846 | 17 | | 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 31 March 1945 |
| 1946 | 32,440 | 20 | | 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 31 March 1946 |
| 1947 | 27,123 | 23 | | 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 31 March 1947 |
| 1948 | 21,879 | 11 | | 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 31 March 1948 |
| 1949 | 20,948 | 13 | | 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 31 March 1949 |
| 1950 | 21,794 | 13 | | 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 31 March 1950 |