This is a list of the stations that were established on the Nelson Section, an isolated long railway in the Tasman district of New Zealand’s South Island. Most stations handled passenger traffic until passenger services were withdrawn in 1954, and most also handled freight. One, Gowanbridge, was never used in revenue service, and Kawatiri had a relatively short lifespan of only 5 years and 21 days. All stations, other than Gowanbridge and Kawatiri, were closed to passenger services on 13 June 1954, and to goods services, along with the line, on 3 September 1955.
List Station Distance (km) Coords Opened Closed Notes Port Nelson (Wakefield Quay) 00.00 Station building preserved by Nelson Railway Society. Currently located at Founders Heritage Park. Nelson 01.61 (Official Opening)(Scheduled service) Station building located near St. Vincent Street and Gloucester Street, where fire station is now located. Yards stretched to Haven Road. Hampden St. Crossing - Listed in some Working Timetables as a place where the train could stop if required for school students to disembark. Not a real station. Bishopdale, Nelson 04.67 Triangle bounded by Clarence Drive, Waimea Road and the cycle path/rail route. Preserved as ″Station Reserve″ by the Nelson City Council, but no remains. Stoke 08.67 Immediately south of Songer Street. The exact line of the rail here is lost to housing. Freezing Works 11.10 Sidings alongside (now) Kotua Place, stretching south from Elms Street. Richmond 13.52 Located in triangle bounded by Lower Queen Street, Stratford Street, Beach Road (now Richmond Deviation) Appleby 15.13 Immediately north of overbridge? Historical evidence needed. Hope 16.74 From aerial photos, station was located adjacent to where the cycle trail meets Ranzau Road; the road had an overbridge over the rail line. Brightwater 21.24 Railway cut diagonally through reserve next to 4 Square on Ellis street; continuing through the now-back yards of houses on Ben Nevis Cres. Spring Grove 23.50 Telenius Road; there's railway crossing and station signs here. The railway alignment clearly visible on Google Earth between here and Wakefield, mostly farm tracks and tree-lines. Station building preserved by Nelson Railway Society. Renamed to "Grove Station" and located at the end of Sovereign Street. Wakefield 27.84 Station area now a small reserve, parking area, section of SH6. Wai-iti 32.19 Evidence of exact location needed. 4.35km from Wakefield places it 500m or so before river crossing. Rail route visible in Google Earth. Foxhill 34.12 Precise location uncertain. 6.28km from Wakefield, 1.51km from Belgrove leaves a gap of about 800 metres, by Google Maps. Belgrove c35.63 c.1890 First location of this station was about 100 metres south-west of the highway due to the original route chosen for the railway which was later changed. Station building preserved at Belgrove. Belgrove 35.63 c.1890 The second location of Belgrove station was established with the change of route from 1890. Located at the Belgove Windmill. Motupiko 51.34 (Scheduled service) Located alongside SH6, a few hundred metres south of the Kohatu junction; Aerial photos available. Mararewa 56.49 Located alongside Motueka Valley Highway, adjacent to a small cemetery; Aerial photos available. Tapawera 59.22 Matai Crescent and Main Road Tapawera; Aerial photos available. Rakau 63.73 Relying on maps at nzrailmap.nz; historical evidence needed. Tadmor 68.08 Remnants of platforms clearly visible in Google satellite imagery (2026). Kiwi 76.28 Station building preserved at Tapawera, housing a museum. Remnants of platform clearly visible in Google satellite imagery (2026). Tui 81.43 Station building preserved by Nelson Railway Society. Located near Miyazu Japanese Gardens, Nelson. Original location, relying on NZ Rail Maps again. Kaka 85.94 Relying on NZ Rail Maps again. Glenhope 96.64 Station building preserved, at original location. Kawatiri 103.20 Junction SH6/SH63. Now a reserve with displays and short walks. Shelter is not from the original station. Gowanbridge 109.50 Never used for timetabled or revenue traffic.
Note, Mararewa is described as a ″stopping place for passengers″ by Juliet Scoble, and did not reopen after June 13, 1954.
See also Nelson Section Nelson Railway Society, which has the Tui railway station
References