The station opened on 13 August 1877, originally as Huntley Lodge or Ruawaro c1878, and Huntley from 1879 up to 1882, though all 3 names had been used locally since at least 1877. On 21 May 1972 the station was closed. The station was enlarged in 1893. It had a building, described, in 1902, as built of wood and iron, with, "a large waiting room, ladies' waiting room, a lamp and luggage room, and the post and telegraph office. There is also a goods shed, and an engine and coaling shed for the engine. About ten trains daily pass through the station, and the staff consists of five hands, besides the stationmaster." Traffic grew steadily so, in March 1920, the Town Board set out the need for a larger station. Requests were dismissed until, on 2 July 1936, the First Labour Government's new Minister of Railways said that provided the Government was re elected, a new station building would be provided.
year
tickets
season tickets
staff
1881
1,960
0
2
1882
1,501
0
2
1883
1,305
0
2
1884
1,681
0
2
1885
2,103
2
3
1886
2,144
2
3
1887
2,547
0
3
1888
1889
2,241
0
3
1890
2,430
0
3
1891
2,537
0
3
1892
2,351
0
4
1893
2,133
0
5
1894
2,352
0
4
1895
2,832
0
4
1896
2,699
23
4
1897
2,767
49
4
1898
3,643
64
5
1899
4,019
37
5
1900
3,949
30
5
1901
1902
6,121
46
7
1903
6,935
37
6
1904
7,626
36
6
1905
8,449
50
6
1906
8,587
94
7
1907
9,180
57
6
1908
11,168
45
7
1909
11,827
54
7
1910
14,759
54
8
1911
16,121
76
9
1912
17,396
83
9
1913
18,463
37
11
1914
20,343
40
1915
23,642
42
1916
24,392
49
1917
33,446
51
1918
36,993
1,168
1919
37,117
4,583
1920
40,971
6,295
1921
46,094
7,007
1922
51,400
8,111
1923
55,492
8,727
1924
57,979
9,724
1925
56,952
17,927
1926
47,221
20,492
1927
43,479
19,359
1928
41,795
22,041
1929
36,984
20,992
1930
34,543
16,921
1931
62,198
20,240
1932
56,787
18,883
1933
54,048
8,605
1934
58,268
7,996
1935
63,608
10,043
1936
64,606
11,825
1937
66,635
12,672
1938
63,874
12,701
1939
61,019
12,483
1940
61,890
12,532
1941
78,221
15,571
1942
93,519
15,004
1943
110,948
16,433
1944
122,353
16,882
1945
108,291
16,417
1946
111,646
16,489
1947
95,852
15,216
1948
79,727
14,663
1949
74,154
14,610
1950
73,041
15,182
By 1925 there were 13 staff and 3 locomotives at Huntly engine shed.
1939 station
The new station opened on 28 May 1939, with Stationmaster, waiting, porters and parcels rooms. A 55 lever electric frame operated the newly doubled lines and extended yard. The old station was demolished to allow a platform extension. Freight was also growing. In 1919 the Chief Traffic Manager reported that there was insufficient room and by 1924 the growth of coal mining had increased business a further 25%. A plan was made to enlarge the yard and move it south of the Awaroa Branch.
Closure and removal
In 1993 Huntly Lions Club repainted the station and the 1939 footbridge at the north end of the platform was moved to Helensville, though it couldn't be used, as too few parts survived for it to be safe. It had been raised to allow the SH1 bypass to be built in 1978 on the site of 2 shunting lines. Access was then only from Rayners Rd. The Overlander continued to call at Huntly until 2005. In 2008 the 1939 building was moved as part of plans to shift Waikato Coalfields Museum to Lake Puketirini, the most vandalised park in the district. The museum plan was further discussed in 2017.
Reopening
Originally on an island platform between the up and down lines, the replacement station was on a siding so trains travelled at "yard" speed, and northbound trains had to cross over the southbound track. So the shelter and platform needed upgrading plus "park and ride" facilities and a pedestrian overbridge to the town centre. $960,000 is being spent to renovate the station with a shelter for passengers for the Te Huia service proposed to start on 3 August 2020. It was increased by $3,279,495 in 2019 to provide points and extend to, the single platform. The indicative start-up service timetable is:
