Mauriceville Railway Station
HistoryOperationEarly years: 1886 – 1897When the station opened in mid-1886, Mauriceville was served by mixed trains that had already been providing services to stations further south on those sections of the line that were opened as the railway line made its way north. Mauriceville was briefly the railhead (for seven months) until Mangamahoe opened early the next year followed by Eketahuna two years later. Mixed trains continued to provide the only regular passenger services to Mauriceville until the completion of the line through to Woodville in 1897.Heyday: 1897 – 1908At the time the Wairarapa Line was completed, the Wellington – Longburn line was owned and operated by the privately held Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, meaning all government trains from Wellington to destinations north ran via the Wairarapa, ascribing a status of some importance to stations like Mauriceville. The popular Napier Mail trains were diverted from their original Napier – Palmerston North route to run via the Wairarapa to Wellington, and became the main passenger service stopping at Mauriceville, supplementing the mixed trains that continued to run on this section.Halcyon years: 1908 – 1988The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company’s line from Wellington to Longburn was purchased by the government in 1908, which had an effect on services provided in the Wairarapa, particularly the section of the line north of Masterton. Because of the lengthy and costly delays associated with the operation of the Rimutaka Incline, much freight traffic from the northern Wairarapa region was diverted north through Woodville and Palmerston North so it could be taken down the Main Trunk Line to Wellington. Mixed trains, however, continued to operate through Mauriceville.
