Stratford railway station, New Zealand

The railway reached Stratford in late 1879 during the construction of the New Plymouth line. The section from Inglewood to Stratford opened on 17 December 1879,^[1][2] marking the beginning of rail service to the nascent township. Three return services were run from New Plymouth on opening day (with return tickets at one-way fares) to allow sightseers to view the newly opened countryside.^[3]

Stratford then settled down to daily services, with connections by the Cobb & Co. coach service to destinations further south.^[4] At that time, Stratford was a small frontier settlement – the station consisted of a modest Vogel-era Class 4 wooden station building with a passenger platform and basic facilities. The original station was located close to the current Glockenspiel Clock Tower, and its central location led to the town’s post office was relocated into the railway station, with the stationmaster doubling as postmaster.

The line was quickly extended southwards, and by August 1881 the first through train ran from Stratford to Hāwera.^[5] By 23 March 1885 the line was linked with the Foxton - Wanganui railway line, completing the railway south.^[6]

As traffic grew, the station facilities expanded. A goods shed (approximately 60 x 30 feet) was provided for freight, and by 1901, the platform was extended and the goods shed enlarged to handle increasing volumes.^[7] Water tanks were installed to service steam locomotives. There were calls for better passenger amenities; in the late 1890s, local businesses petitioned for the addition of a refreshment room at Stratford to serve train travellers. By 1898 the Railways Department acknowledged the need for refreshment facilities, and applications were made to operate a refreshment stall. These improvements reflected Stratford’s growing importance on the western trunk line.

On 1 July 1880 the Stratford post office was moved into the town's railway station building, operated by the Railways Department staff. Mr T. W. F. Marsden acted as both stationmaster and postmaster.^[8] For over 13 years the station doubled as the local post office, handling mail bags on arriving trains and serving telegram and postage needs at the station counter. This arrangement continued until 31 August 1893, when the post office was separated from the railway's control, later moving to a dedicated post and telegraph office.^[7]

Stratford’s role greatly expanded in the early 20th century with the development of the branch line eastward towards the Taranaki interior. The first section of this line (known as the Toko Branch or Stratford–Whangamomona line) opened to Toko in 1902,^[9] and by 1905 the line was extended to Oruru (later Douglas).^[10] Over subsequent decades, the branch line was pushed through rugged eastern Taranaki terrain, finally reaching Okahukura (connecting with the North Island Main Trunk) in 1932–33. The completed Stratford–Okahukura Line (SOL) opened a new through-route between Auckland and Taranaki in 1933. Stratford station became the junction of this east–west route with the north–south Marton–New Plymouth Line, cementing its status as a strategic railway crossroads.

During this era, Stratford station saw upgrades to handle increased traffic. An interlocking signalling system was installed by 1907 to improve safety at the busy junction. A signal box was added (or upgraded) – one historical note records a fire in 1911 that nearly engulfed the signal box, illustrating the hazards of early rail operations. The station building was likely expanded or modified to provide additional waiting and luggage rooms (a 1910 approval provided £260 for extra luggage accommodation). By 1913, extra land had been acquired to enlarge the rail yard, and a small locomotive engine shed or servicing facility existed to support branch line engines and shunting locomotives. A "repair shed" is noted in 1913, suggesting facilities for maintenance of rolling stock at Stratford.

In 1925, it was reported that automatic "wig-wag" crossing signals were to be installed at the busy Fenton Street and Regan Street level crossings due to several accidents and near misses. These were installed at a time when the railways were still experimenting with different crossing warning signals for motorists. These crossings had seen many near misses. These electromechanical signals operated for a quarter century before being deemed obsolete and life expired; on 22 September 1950 they were replaced by modern flashing-light signals (the old wig-wags were removed and not reused).^[7]

Stratford railway station has hosted two notable royal visits. The first was on 3 March 1927, when Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York (Prince Albert, later King George VI, and Princess Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother) visited Stratford during their New Zealand tour.^[11]

Stratford’s welcome was elaborate. A decorated dais was erected just outside the northern end of the station, where the Mayor, J.W. McMillan, read a loyal address to the Duke. The royal train paused while the Duke replied (his remarks were handed in written form to the Mayor). The royal couple then walked along a route lined with schoolchildren – boys holding up arches of greenery – from one end of the platform to the other. The brief stop in Stratford was meticulously organised and left a strong impression: according to reports, Stratford’s reception was "staged in a style quite different from that of New Plymouth" and went off very orderly.

Twenty-seven years later on 8 January 1954, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Stratford by the royal train during their post-Coronation Commonwealth tour nzherald.co.nz.^[12] They were formally received by the Mayor and local dignitaries on the station platform. Notably, Stationmaster Jack Scott was presented to the Queen – a moment captured in a famous photograph of Her Majesty meeting him on the platform.

The royal party then proceeded in an open car down Broadway (Stratford’s main street) lined with thousands of well-wishers, before re-boarding the train.^[13]

As early as 1910, New Zealand Railways management discussed moving the station to alleviate constraints of the town-centre site. In December 1910, Chief Engineer E. McVilly met with the Stratford Borough Council and Chamber of Commerce to propose shifting the station and realigning the track through Stratford. Two potential sites were mentioned – one near Warwick Road and another between Flint Road and Pembroke Road – both slightly outside the original central location. The southern site (toward Warwick Road) was favoured and plans included lowering the railway line through town and eliminating seven level crossings by building road overbridges and lowering the railway.^[8]

In 1924, the issue gained urgency: the Chamber of Commerce learned that Railways Department engineers were actively drawing up plans for a "new station at Stratford" on land toward the southern end of the borough, near Warwick Road. It was revealed that the department had been quietly acquiring (or reserving) land there, and local officials complained that uncertainty over the railway’s intentions was affecting property owners in the area.

Despite these early plans and even preliminary design work in the 1920s, it would be another three decades before work to relocate the station actively got underway, likely due to funding constraints and the onset of the Depression and World War II.