Rata railway station

{{Infobox station

| name = Rata railway station

| type =

| image = Rata railway station 30 March 1971 Survey SN3295 photo 8.jpg

| image_caption = Rata railway station in 1971

| address =

| country = New Zealand

| coordinates = {{Coord|-39.996432|175.514206|region:NZ-AUK_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}

| elevation = {{convert|194|m|abbr=on}}

| owned =

| line = North Island Main Trunk

| distance = Wellington {{convert|195.46|km|abbr=on}}

| platform =

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| opened = 2 June 1888

| closed = To passengers by December 1975
To goods 14 December 1983

| rebuilt =

| electrified = June 1988

| former =

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

{{rail line

|previous=Silverhope
Line open, station closed
{{convert|4.82 |km|abbr=on}}

|next=Porewa
Line open, station closed
{{convert|4.93|km|abbr=on}}

|route=North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail

}}

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}}Rata railway station was a station on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand, between Marton and Hunterville,{{cite book|title=New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas|year=1965|publisher=Quail Map Co.|pages=3 & 4|edition=1st}}{{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}} {{Convert|9|mi|46|ch||abbr=on}} from Marton. There is now just a single track through the station site,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=2681 State Hwy 1|url=https://www.google.com/maps/@-39.994914,175.5149506,3a,15y,195.55h,87.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seFjwKhZMidUfvTUEj7Axog!2e0!7i16384!8i8192|access-date=2021-01-20|website=Google Maps|language=en}} a new crossing loop having replaced those at Rata and Porewa from 14 December 1983,{{Cite web|title=Juliet Scoble: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand|url=http://www.railheritage.org.nz/assets/dates_and_names.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124135845/http://railheritage.org.nz/assets/Dates_and_names.pdf|archive-date=24 January 2018|access-date=2 April 2020}} {{Convert|3.04|km||abbr=on}} to the west of Rata. The realignment of State Highway 1 alongside the railway in 2006 took some former railway land.

History

The line was inspected in 1884{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=19 Dec 1884|title=MANAWATU TIMES|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MT18841219.2.22|access-date=2021-01-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} and the official opening of the {{Convert|15|mi|57|ch||abbr=on}} Marton to Hunterville branch (later incorporated into the NIMT) was on Saturday 2 June 1888, when the station was served by two trains a week.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2 Jun 1888|title=INTERPROVINCIAL. EVENING STAR|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18880602.2.16|access-date=2021-01-16|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} By 1894 the branch had two trains a day.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=25 Oct 1894|title=LOCAL AND GENERAL. WANGANUI CHRONICLE|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC18941025.2.6|access-date=2021-01-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}

Rata had a population of 210 in 1901,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Results of the Census of New Zealand, taken for the night of the 31st March, 1901|url=https://www3.stats.govt.nz/historic_publications/1901-census/1901-results-census/1901-results-census.html|access-date=|website=}} which had declined to 170 by 1911.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Report on the results of a census of the Dominion of New Zealand, taken for the night of the 2nd April, 1911|url=https://archive.org/details/reportonresultso00newz|access-date=|website=}} In 1888 and 1889 Bailey Brothers asked for a private siding at Rata station.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Stations|url=http://railheritage.org.nz/assets/Heritage_listings.pdf|access-date=2020-08-10|website=NZR Rolling Stock Lists|language=en}} They had one by 1891,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=27 Jun 1891|title=Railway Report. FEILDING STAR|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/FS18910627.2.3|access-date=2021-01-20|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} by which time there was another sawmill, both largely cutting totara.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=29 Jan 1891|title=WAYSIDE JOTTINGS. WANGANUI HERALD|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WH18910129.2.16|access-date=2021-01-20|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} The last sawmill moved north in 1905.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=1 Sep 1905|title=RATA NOTES. WANGANUI CHRONICLE|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19050901.2.5|access-date=2021-01-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} Rata had a butter factory in 1904.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=3 Sep 1904|title=RATA NOTES. WANGANUI CHRONICLE|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19040903.2.34|access-date=2021-01-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} Floods affected the area in 1913.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=5 Nov 1913|title=THE FLOOD WATERS OF THE RANGITIKEI AT RATA. (Photos by J. Logan.) OTAGO WITNESS|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19131105.2.156.2.8|access-date=2021-01-20|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}

By 1896 Rata had a shelter shed, passenger platform, cattle yards, water service, urinals and a passing loop for 19 wagons. Sheep and cattle yards were added in 1898. A cart approach was built and a railway cottage moved from Mangaonoho in 1904.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=7 May 1904|title=RATA NOTES. WANGANUI CHRONICLE|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19040507.2.3|access-date=2021-01-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} A loading platform was built in 1907 and a shed from Utiku was used for the tablet equipment.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=12 Nov 1907|title=RANGITIKEI ADVOCATE AND MANAWATU ARGUS|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/RAMA19071112.2.9|access-date=2021-01-20|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} The station was enlarged in 1908,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=8 Jan 1908|title=RATA NOTES. WANGANUI CHRONICLE|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19080108.2.52|access-date=2021-01-18|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} a post office provided in 1910 and fixed signals added in 1911. In 1913 a request was made for a goods shed, which was rejected in 1916.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=10 Jul 1916|title=RANGITIKEI ADVOCATE AND MANAWATU ARGUS|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/RAMA19160710.2.8|access-date=2021-01-20|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}

Rata was an unattended flag station from 13 August 1978. Removal of the station building was approved in 1979, but it remained in 1980, together with a goods shed and loading bank used by Rangitikei Farm Products. On Sunday, 31 January 1982 Rata closed to all but private siding traffic and to all traffic on 14 December 1983.

State Highway 1 was straightened between Silverhope and Rata{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=1987|title=1:50000 map Sheet: S22 Whangaehu|url=http://www.mapspast.org.nz/?zoom=13&x=1816424&y=5571920&layerid=NZMS260%201999|access-date=2021-01-20|website=www.mapspast.org.nz}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2009|title=1:50000 map Sheet: BL34 Hunterville|url=http://www.mapspast.org.nz/?zoom=13&x=1815095&y=5571658&layerid=NZTM%20Topo%202009|access-date=2021-01-20|website=www.mapspast.org.nz}} in 2006, taking some former railway land.{{Cite web|title=Road Realignment—State Highway No. 1, - 2006-ln1352 - New Zealand Gazette|url=https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2006-ln1352|access-date=2021-01-20|website=gazette.govt.nz}}

References

External links

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnv1-HbIcm4 Video of freight trains at Rata in 2020]

Category:Defunct railway stations in New Zealand

Category:Railway stations in New Zealand opened in 1888

Category:Railway stations in New Zealand closed in 1983