Tokomaru railway station

Tokomaru about 1908

By March 1885 the first 9 mi (14 km) of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company from Longburn had been built, which included Tokomaru.[5] It may therefore have opened for goods in July 1885,[6] but there was no regular passenger service for another year. A special train ran from Longburn to Ohau in April 1886.[7] From Monday 2 August 1886 WMR trains started to run between Longburn and Ōtaki.[8] Tokomaru was shown in the time and fare-tables, but only as a flag station.[9] The first through train from Wellington to Palmerston North ran on 30 November 1886.[10]

A goods shed and cattle yards were built in 1893 and enlarged in 1907. The station was also improved in 1909, so that by 1911 it had a shelter shed, platform, cart approach, 54 ft (16 m) by 12 ft (3.7 m) goods shed, loading bank, cattle and sheep yards and a passing loop for 52 wagons (extended in 1913 to 69 wagons, in 1940 to 90 wagons and in 1948 to 101 wagons). A ladies waiting room was added in 1911.[11] From 1908 a tablet was used.[12]

Railway houses were built in 1891, 1909 and 1927.[12]

The Makerua Swamp was to the north west of the railway, where 11 mi (18 km) of tramway had been laid by 1903.[13] There were also many other flax mills in the area,[14] six being within a mile of the station in 1906.[15] Swainson & Bevan had a tramway to the station,[12] operating from about 1899[16] to 1909.[17]

The NIMT crosses the Tokomaru River almost 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the station.[18]

By 1966 only two passenger trains a week stopped at Tokomaru. In 1981 the main traffic was lime and fertiliser.[12]