Mauriceville Railway Station

Story

|}Mauriceville railway station was a rural railway station that served the small village of Mauriceville in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand’s North Island. It was located on the Wairarapa Line between the stations of Kopuaranga (to the south) and Mangamahoe (to the north) with direct vehicular access from Opaki Kaiparoro Road.The station opened to all traffic in 1886 and was in service for years until closed to both goods and passenger traffic in the 1980s. For many years it was a station of some importance and supported a small complement of staff.HistoryOperationEarly years: 1886 – 1897When the station opened in mid-1886, Mauriceville was served by mixed trains that had already been providing services to stations further south on those sections of the line that were opened as the railway line made its way north. Mauriceville was briefly the railhead (for seven months) until Mangamahoe opened early the next year followed by Eketahuna two years later. Mixed trains continued to provide the only regular passenger services to Mauriceville until the completion of the line through to Woodville in 1897.Heyday: 1897 – 1908At the time the Wairarapa Line was completed, the Wellington – Longburn line was owned and operated by the privately held Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, meaning all government trains from Wellington to destinations north ran via the Wairarapa, ascribing a status of some importance to stations like Mauriceville. The popular Napier Mail trains were diverted from their original Napier – Palmerston North route to run via the Wairarapa to Wellington, and became the main passenger service stopping at Mauriceville, supplementing the mixed trains that continued to run on this section.