Lake Road railway station

{{short description|Railway station in New Zealand}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2015}}

{{Infobox station

| name = Lake Road railway station

| country = New Zealand

| type =

| image = Lake Road.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = Lake Road station on 1933 map

| address =

| coordinates = {{coord|-37.951304|175.302916|region:NZ|display=inline,title}}

| line = North Island Main Trunk

| other =

| structure =

| distance = Wellington {{convert|523.48|km|abbr=on}}

| platform =

| levels =

| tracks =

| parking =

| bicycle =

| baggage_check =

| passengers =

| pass_year =

| pass_percent =

| pass_system =

| opened = 1 March 1881

| closed = 7 July 1940{{Cite web |url=http://www.railheritage.org.nz/assets/dates_and_names.pdf |title=Juliet Scoble: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand |access-date=23 September 2015 |archive-date=24 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724032358/http://www.railheritage.org.nz/assets/dates_and_names.pdf |url-status=dead }}

| rebuilt =

| electrified = June 1988

| accessible =

| elevation = {{convert|54|m|abbr=on}}

| code =

| owned =

| zone =

| former =

| services = {{s-rail|title=Historical railways}}

{{rail line

|previous=Ōhaupō
Line open
station closed
{{convert|3.68|km|abbr=on}}

|next=Ngaroto
Line open
station closed
{{convert|3.42|km|abbr=on}}

|route=North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail

}}

| mpassengers =

}}

Lake Road railway station was a flag station in the Waikato Region and on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand.{{cite book|title=New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas|year=1965|publisher=Quail Map Co.|pages=3 & 4|edition=First}}{{cite book|last=Pierre|first=Bill|title=North Island Main Trunk|year=1981|publisher=A.H&A.W Reed|location=Wellington|isbn=0589013165|pages=289–290}}

By February 1880 the contractor, Mr Fallon, had laid the rails from Ōhaupō to a point south of Lake Road.{{Cite web|date=10 Feb 1880|title=SPECIAL TELEGRAMS. NEW ZEALAND HERALD|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18800210.2.27|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} The line opened to Te Awamutu on Thursday 1 July 1880.{{Cite web|date=3 Jul 1880|title=TE AWAMUTU RAILWAY EXTENSION THE OPENING. WAIKATO TIMES|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18800703.2.11|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} Lake Road wasn't shown in the original timetable,{{Cite web|date=5 Jul 1880|title=NEW ZEALAND HERALD|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18800705.2.8.5|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} but, in 1880, there was pressure from local farmers for a station between Ōhaupō and Ngaroto.{{Cite web|date=22 May 1880|title=WAIKATO TIMES|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18800522.2.8|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}

In October 1880 it was decided to open a 7th class station at Wrights Road, mid-way between Ōhaupō and Ngaroto.{{Cite web|date=7 Oct 1880|title=WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS. NEW ZEALAND HERALD|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18801007.2.21|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} David Henderson won the contract for the station buildings in November 1880.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Stations|url=http://railheritage.org.nz/assets/Heritage_listings.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208074304/http://railheritage.org.nz/assets/Heritage_listings.pdf|archive-date=8 February 2013|access-date=2020-08-10|website=NZR Rolling Stock Lists|language=en|url-status=dead}} The station first appeared in the 1 March 1881 timetable.{{Cite web|date=1 Mar 1881|title=NEW ZEALAND HERALD|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18810301.2.7.5|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} By 1884 Lake Road had a shelter shed, platform and cart approach. Toilets were added in 1908,{{Cite web|title=RAILWAYS STATEMENT (14th July, 1908). BY THE MINISTER FOR RAILWAYS. THE HON. WM. HALL-JONES|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1908/I/2041|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} but there was also a complaint that the platform was only long enough for two coaches.{{Cite web|date=23 Sep 1908|title=The Lake Road Station. WAIKATO ARGUS|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAIGUS19080923.2.10|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}

By 1911 it also had a loading bank. That year a man died when he'd not informed the guard that he wanted to get off at the flag station and fell from the moving train.{{Cite web|date=17 Nov 1911|title=RAILWAY FATALITY. WAIPA POST|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAIPO19111117.2.21|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} In 1914 the 1 in 43 gradient at Lake Road was eased to 1 in 100, allowing train tonnages to be increased from a maximum of 209 to 494 tons.{{Cite web|date=1914|title=REPORT ON NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS, BY MR. E. H. HILEY, GENERAL MANAGER|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1914/I/2121|access-date=2021-04-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}

On Sunday 7 July 1940 Lake Road closed to all traffic.