Poro-O-Tarao railway station

Poro-O-Tarao railway station
Poro-O-Tarao railway station about 1910
General information
Location	New Zealand
Coordinates	38°32′59″S 175°18′51″E / 38.549743°S 175.314288°E / -38.549743; 175.314288
Elevation	339 m (1,112 ft)
Line(s)	North Island Main Trunk
Distance	Wellington 443.58 km (275.63 mi)
History
Opened	1 April 1901
Closed	10 May 1976
Electrified	June 1988
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station Mangapehi Line open, station closed   North Island Main Trunk KiwiRail   Waimiha Line open, station closed

Poro-O-Tarao (or Porootarao)^[1] was a flag station on the North Island Main Trunk line, in the Waitomo District of New Zealand. Between the watersheds of the upper Mōkau and Whanganui rivers, the NIMT enters Poro-O-Tarao tunnel under Tihikārearea hill, before descending the Ōngarue valley.^[2] It was 9.68 km (6.01 mi) north of Waimiha and 5.89 km (3.66 mi) south of Mangapehi.^[3]

For 2 years, from 1 April 1901 until the line to Taumarunui opened on 1 December 1903, Poro-O-Tarao was the terminus of the line from Auckland, though the rails reached Poro-O-Tarao on 1 December 1896^[4] and, from 18 January 1897, a weekly goods train ran through from Puketutu.^[5] Work on the Mōkau station to Poro-O-Tarao tunnel section had started in September 1892. It was officially open for traffic on 21 December 1896.^[2] Work on the Ohinemoa section (Poro-O-Tarao tunnel to Te Kawakawa, south of Ōngarue) started by December 1897.^[2]

Although the station closed for goods in 1976, it remained open for Ministry of Works traffic, during construction of the new tunnel, until 10 November 1980. There was also a station at Porootarao South from about November 1898 till about November 1902.^[4]