page_title: Pahiatua
section_title: Transportation
hierarchical_section_title: Pahiatua / Transportation
caption_attribution_description: English: RM 31 (Tokomaru) going for a run through the Pahiatua station yard. Photographed by Matthew25187 on 2007-12-16.
context_page_description: Pahiatua is a rural service town in the south-eastern North Island of New Zealand with a population of 2,550. It is between Masterton and Woodville on State Highway 2 and the Wairarapa Line railway, 60 kilometres north of Masterton and 30 kilometres east of Palmerston North. It is usually regarded as being in the Northern Wairarapa. However, for local government purposes it is in the Tararua District part of the Manawatū-Whanganui region; which encompasses Eketahuna, Pahiatua, Woodvillle and Dannevirke.
  Unusually for a town of its size Pahiatua has retained several amenities that were lost to similar towns around New Zealand in the 1980s and 1990s, in particular banking, postal services, and a cinema. The town is served by two banks, a post office, a supermarket, three schools, a volunteer fire brigade, and a public library.
  There are conflicting accounts of how the town acquired its name. When translated from Māori, the name Pahiatua means "god's resting place". The explanation accompanying this translation is that a chief fleeing from his enemies was led by his war god to this hill to seek refuge.
context_section_description: The town's public transport now consists of a single trip from Tuesday to Friday and on Sunday Masterton – Palmerston North and return bus service (with an extra service on Fridays) run by Tranzit Coachlines.
  An electric tramway system was considered for Pahiatua but never constructed.
  Rail transport to Pahiatua was available from 3 May 1897 when the town's railway station opened, marking the completion of the Wairarapa Line as far north as the town. The line was completed through to Pahiatua's northern neighbour, Woodville, several months later on 11 December 1897. Improvements made to the region's road network in the latter half of the 20th century led to a decline in the popularity of rail for public transport. The service was finally withdrawn in 1988 when the last passenger train between Palmerston North and Masterton stopped at Pahiatua on Friday, 29 July.
  Pahiatua is the home of the Pahiatua Railcar Society, a non-profit railway heritage organisation based at the town's railway station, whose purpose is to preserve and restore to working order railcars formerly in revenue service on New Zealand's railway network. Some of the notable vehicles in their collection include a Standard class railcar (RM31), a Wairarapa class railcar (RM5), and a Twin Set railcar (RM121). The society leases the railway station from KiwiRail and opens their museum to the public once a month.
caption: RM 31 (Tokomaru) going for a run through the Pahiatua station yard.
exif: {}