Whanganui had three railway stations -
Wanganui was the terminus of the NZR Whanganui branch of the Marton-New Plymouth line from 1878. It closed to passengers in 1959 and freight traffic moved to a container terminal at Castlecliff in 2010. Castlecliff Railway Co had a passenger station near the gasworks from 1885 to 1932. St John's served the St Johns Hill northern suburb, on the Whanganui branch, from 1881 to 1960.
All trace of the stations has gone, though most of the railway remains in use for freight.
There has also been a miniature railway station at Tot Town in Kowhai Park since 1963.
Castlecliff Railway Company station
The Wanganui Heads, or later, Castlecliff Railway Company had a station in Whanganui on Taupo Quay from 1885. It closed to passengers in 1932 and was demolished in 1963.
In 1882 the Heads company had plans for a station near the junction with the Whanganui branch, with an engine shed, coal store, store room, goods shed, office, lobby, ladies waiting room and urinal. In 1883 the company agreed to alterations, but it was noted, "General Manager does not approve of connecting the Wanganui Heads Ry with the Foxton – Wanganui Ry", possibly because the PWD thought it should be government owned. On Monday, 4 August 1884 the first sod of the railway was turned and a temporary siding took sleepers and rails to stack on a reserve. The first passengers were carried in wagons on 3 April 1885 and by July 1885 the line was complete, with a certificate of inspection issued on 29 September 1885. NZR supplied a 4-wheel composite coach for the line and allowed trains to use their station at weekends. Weekday trains stopped opposite Murray's Foundry, where a ticket office and platform were built in December 1885. In 1897 the company asked to extend their platform on Taupo Quay. It was reported in 1900 that the main station would be shared, but it still was not. From 1901 of the line from Wanganui was realigned to take it off the road, work which was finished in 1903, when a new station, built by Russell and Bignall, opened on 4 May 1903, opposite the gasworks. On 1 February 1956 the line was taken over by NZR. In May 1961 the line was again moved to run in a subway below the government funded motorway to Cobham Bridge, which opened on 18 November 1961. By contrast, in the next month the railway on the north breakwater at Castlecliff was replaced by a road. In 1963 the 1903 station was demolished.
St John's station
St John's was a flag station, which served the St Johns Hill suburb until 1960. It was at the corner of Peat Street and London Street. There was possibly an earlier station named Havelock.
A record dated 27 April 1878 said an engine derailed at facing points at Havelock station on the Wanganui-Patea railway. A Fairlie locomotive was derailed that day. The station may have opened when trains started running on the Wanganui Town Branch to Turakina on 21 January 1878, but Havelock was not shown in the timetable. A record indicates Havelock closed in 1881; St John's was first shown in the timetable from 1 February 1881, with two trains a day to both Palmerston North and Waverley.
A 7th class station from Wanganui was proposed in 1877, when a contract for a station was reported as signed. However, in 1882 a shelter shed was proposed and by 1896 St Johns had a shelter shed, platform and cart approach. In 1900 latrines and a verandah were considered and in 1915 lighting. A trolley line ran across London Street, allowing the Fresh Food Co. to move churns of cream and its butter and cheese to and from the platform from 1912 to 1935. St John's closed to all traffic on Monday, 28 March 1960 and on 23 July tenders were invited for removal of the building.
NZR Whanganui station
Opening
The station opened with the Whanganui Town Branch on 21 January 1878. The Aramoho to Turakina railway had opened on 17 May 1877 and had two trains a day from 18 May. The line to Marton opened on 4 February 1878. From 5 May 1880, Whanganui had three trains a day to Palmerston North and two to Kai Iwi, though the line to Kai Iwi did not officially open until 16 September 1880.