railways

Down at the station

For many years the railway station was a prominent and familiar landmark in New Zealand cities, towns and rural districts. Before most people had cars or telephones, let alone television and the Internet, the railway provided many communities with their main connection to the outside world.

In the 1950s New Zealand had more than 1350 railway stations, ranging from grand urban monuments to tiny weatherboard sheds. As passenger numbers declined and rail services were cut over the following decades, many stations became redundant. Hundreds were closed and demolished; others suffered from problems with vandalism and graffiti.

This timeline lists New Zealand’s worst post-1840 natural disasters, transport accidents, fires, mining accidents and other tragedies that have caused major loss of life. Follow the links for more information on NZHistory.net.nz, Te Ara and other sites.