Runciman railway station

{{short description|Defunct railway station in New Zealand}}

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

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

| name = Runciman railway station

| type =

| image = Runciman railway station.jpg

| image_caption =

| address =

| country = Runciman, New Zealand

| coordinates = {{coord|-37.115800|174.942600|region:NZ|display=inline,title}}

| elevation = {{convert|13|m|abbr=on}}

| owned =

| line = North Island Main Trunk

| distance = Wellington {{convert|638.37|km|abbr=on}}

| platform =

| tracks =

| other =

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| levels =

| parking =

| bicycle =

| accessible =

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| opened = 1874, officially 28 July 1879

| closed = 8 December 1918

| rebuilt =

| electrified =

| former = briefly Oira in 1909

| mpassengers =

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

{{rail line

|previous = Drury
Line open, station closed

|next = Paerata
Line open, station closed

|route = North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail

}}

}}Runciman railway station was a station on the North Island Main Trunk line 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}} serving an area which had been sold by James Runciman in 1864, with plots near the proposed railway gaining higher prices.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18640331.2.21|title=SALE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF DRURY. (Daily Southern Cross, 1864-03-31)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}}

The Auckland and Drury Railway Act 1863 had been passed by Parliament "to enable the Superintendent of the Province of Auckland to construct a Railway between the Towns of Auckland and Drury with a Branch to Onehunga in the said Province."{{cite web|url=http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/aadra186327v1863n2417/|accessdate=11 March 2019|title=Auckland and Drury Railway Act 1863 (Local) (27 Victoriae 1863 No 2)|publisher=New Zealand Legal Information Institute – nzlii.org}} The Auckland and Drury Railway formed the first section from Auckland of what later became the North Island Main Trunk line to Wellington.

It was initially planned that the terminal of the Auckland and Drury Railway would be north-east of the settlement,{{Cite web|url=http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/aadra186327v1863n2417/|title=Auckland and Drury Railway Act 1863 (Local) (27 Victoriae 1863 No 2)|website=www.nzlii.org|access-date=2016-10-15}} but a longstanding offer of Runciman's land was still open in 1864 and it was built there instead.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZ18640823.2.19|title=DRURY. (New Zealander, 1864-08-23)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}}

There was debate about the location of the station as early as 1874.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18740803.2.13|title=RAILWAY STATION AT DRURY (Daily Southern Cross, 1874-08-03)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} Although the line was complete by late 1873,{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18740122.2.22|title=RAILWAY MISMANAGEMENT. (Waikato Times, 1874-01-22)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} the first passenger train didn't run until 7 October 1874{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18741007.2.12|title=OPENING OF THE RAILWAY TO DRURY. (Daily Southern Cross, 1874-10-07)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} and complaint continued about delays in opening the line.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18741015.2.14|title=THE AUCKLAND AND WAIKATO RAILWAY (Waikato Times, 1874-10-15)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} Possibly the delay was due to threats to blockade the line to force trains to stop at Runciman.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18741008.2.12|title=DRURY STATION. (Auckland Star, 1874-10-08)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} Drury became a crossing point for trains on the official opening to Mercer on 20 May 1875.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18750520.2.12|title=OPENING OF THE Auckland and Mercer Railway FOR TRAFFIC. (Auckland Star, 1875-05-20)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} It seems Drury station was known as Runciman,{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18790814.2.21|title=RAILWAY STATION AT RUNCIMAN'S PADDOCK. (New Zealand Herald, 1879-08-14)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} though the name didn't become official until July 1879.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18790726.2.8|title=Waikato Times (Waikato Times, 1879-07-26)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} The disputes over location seem to have continued throughout the station's existence.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18851023.2.32|title=SUGGESTED GOODS SHED AT THE RUNCIMAN STATION. (New Zealand Herald, 1885-10-23)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} By 1895 it had cattle loading facilities.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18950204.2.8|title=RAILWAY FATALITY. (Auckland Star, 1895-02-04)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} The name was briefly changed to Oira in 1909.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19090201.2.21|title=LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS. (New Zealand Herald, 1909-02-01)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}}

Until 1917 Runciman station was next to a level crossing on the Great South Rd. Work then began to replace the crossing with a bridge, ease the gradient and build a new Drury station between Runciman and Drury,{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PWT19170724.2.12|title=LOCAL AND GENERAL. (Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, 1917-07-24)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} despite a protest petition{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19130509.2.120|title=RUNCIMAN RAILWAY STATION. (Auckland Star, 1913-05-09)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}} about the move a few chains away.{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PWT19160616.2.2.1|title=RUNCIMAN. (Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, 1916-06-16)|last=|first=|date=|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=2016-10-15}}