Rail station fire ‘a kick in the guts’
But council vows to push on with returning building
Raahui Pookeka Huntly is going ahead and placing the undamaged half of its 1939 heritage railway building in its new position at the town’s station despite a suspicious fire last Wednesday night that damaged the first half.
In the wake of the fire the council had placed the undamaged half under guard at a secure location.
The fire-damaged half is still next to the site at the station.
The old building had been sitting at Lake Puketirini since 2008 and was being returned to the Raahui Pookeka Huntly railway station, now an important stop for the Te Huia commuter train service between Waikato and Auckland, as part of the station’s wider restoration project.
To transport the building, it was cut in half and brought by truck one piece at a time. The quick reaction time of Fire and Emergency Services means not all hope is lost yet.
Waikato District Council says assessment of the damaged half is under way while police are following positive lines of inquiry about the cause of the fire.
Waikato District mayor Jacqui Church says the incident was “horrible”.
“People were really excited about the transfer and some were watching the [arrival of the second piece] as [the fire] happened.
“Some of them were crying. It’s not just a building, it’s a piece of history.”
The council initially posted on Facebook it was “extremely saddened to lose” the building, but Church says the council was doing its best to see the building restored and is awaiting further assessments.
The relocation was part of a wider project that has seen the railway station equipped with a new platform, security cameras, lighting, a park-andride service, taxi bays, passenger information display boards, and walking and cycling links.
The historic building was meant to be home to a new museum about the history of one of Aotearoa’s main mining areas and set to open later this year.
Huntly Ward councillor David Whyte says the fire was “a kick in the guts”.
“People are very upset. It’s not good, but it could have been a lot worse ... I understand it is salvageable, and still meant to host the museum. The fire started in the back of the building and the front which would have faced the train station is still intact.”
The council-owned building was insured and WDC says: “There is a strong desire to complete this project, and the insurance assessment and outcome will give us an opportunity to gather ourselves and reset the timeline.”