Ohinewai railway station

The station opened on 13 August 1877.^[7] The early service averaged about 13 mph (21 km/h), taking about 4hr 45 mins to Auckland, 15mins to Rangiriri and 23mins to Ruawaro (Huntly).^[8] A goods train took 1½hrs to Newcastle (Ngāruawāhia) and 1hr 17mins to Mercer, 3 days a week.^[9]

Tablet signalling was introduced in 1905.^[10]

In 1902 there were complaints of thefts due to lack of a caretaker.^[11] It seems one had been appointed by 1915, as a storeman at the station^[12] was killed at Gallipoli.^[13]

There was protest in 1925, when the only train which had allowed an Auckland day trip was withdrawn.^[14] The previous year the Great South Rd had metal added at Ohinewai, so that it could be used all year,^[15] and a bus started linking Ohinewai with Auckland, Morrinsville and Te Aroha in 1929.^[16] Ohinewai's rail service was so poor that a wartime plan, to connect the bus with trains at Ohinewai, had to be amended to meeting at Mercer instead.^[17]

Track doubling to ease congestion had been authorised in 1914,^[18] but work was delayed by the war. 300 men worked ^[19] on doubling the track between Huntly and Ohinewai, which opened on 27 August 1939.^[20] To the north, doubling to Te Kauwhata didn't open until 14 December 1958.^[4]

In 1965 the station closed to passengers and on 31 December 1978 it closed completely.^[21]