Ohakune railway station

Ohakune
Overlander at Ohakune in 2012. The low platform resulted in use of steps to ease access to coaches.
General information
LocationThames Street, Ohakune[1]
New Zealand
Coordinates39°24′10″S 175°24′59″E / 39.402775°S 175.416384°E / -39.402775; 175.416384
Elevation618 m (2,028 ft)
Owned byKiwiRail
Line(s)North Island Main Trunk
DistanceWellington 317.09 km (197.03 mi)
ConnectionsRaetihi Branch (closed 1968)
Construction
ParkingYes
History
Opened7 March 1908 (goods)
15 February 1909 (passenger)[2]
Electrified25 kV 50 Hz AC June 1988
Previous namesOhakune Junction in working timetables 1917–1968
Services
Preceding station Great Journeys New Zealand Following station
National Park Northern Explorer Palmerston North
towards Wellington
Other services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station
Horopito
Line open
station closed
10.16 km (6.31 mi)
  North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail
  Rangataua
Line open
station closed
4.43 km (2.75 mi)
Terminus   Raetihi Branch
New Zealand Railways Department
  Rochfort
Line closed
station closed
3.24 km (2.01 mi)
Designated20 February 2009
Reference no.7790

Ohakune railway station is a station on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT), which serves the town of Ohakune in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. It is served by KiwiRail's Northern Explorer long distance train between Wellington and Auckland. It was called Ohakune Junction from 10 August 1926 until Raetihi Branch closed in 1968, to avoid confusion with Ohakune Town station on that branch.[3] It was the second highest operating railway station in New Zealand, after National Park.[4]

When the Overlander was replaced by the Northern Explorer in 2012, the service to Ohakune was reduced to one train a day on six days a week. Scheduled services to Ohakune were suspended from December 2021[5] to 25 September 2022.[6]

  1. ^ KiwiRail Scenic Journeys – our stations
  2. ^ Juliet Scoble: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Yonge, John (1985). New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (Third ed.). Quail Map Company. p. 8D. ISBN 090060932X.
  5. ^ "Urgent calls for long-distance passenger services to stay as KiwiRail cuts operations". Newshub. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Even Greater Journeys for 2022!". Great Journeys of New Zealand. Retrieved 15 April 2022.