The Oamaru public will soon have an opportunity to gain some understanding of the possibilities and challenges associated with the historic Oamaru Railway Station.
In conjunction with Dunedin Railways' sell-out steam train trip to Oamaru on January 24, the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust is opening the Oamaru station to the public.
At present, the Heritage NZ category 2-listed building is empty.
The station was vacated in September, after the tenants were given notice under the terms of a sale, which had gone unconditional on July 24, last year.
The sale fell through, and Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust board members will meet later in the month to discuss their next steps.
On January 24, Dunedin Railways' JA1240 steam train is bound for Oamaru with about 420 passengers on board.
Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust heritage co-ordinator Faye Ormandy said people would be able to wander through the historic building between 11am and 3pm on January 24.
''It's an opportunity to have the railway station open for the people of Oamaru to be able to have a look through it - when it's tenanted that's not possible,'' she said.
An open day would give trust members, visitors and the public an opportunity to get an understanding of the possibilities, as well as the challenges, of the building and the issues the trust faced, Mrs Ormandy said.
The railway station was a significant building for Oamaru, which held precious memories for many people, she said.
The Oamaru Railway Station was built in 1900 and designed by architect George Troup, also responsible the design of Dunedin Railway Station and many other station buildings around the county, some of which are still in use today.
The Oamaru station was particularly famous for its dining room, where the Christchurch-Dunedin express made regular 22-minute dinner stops.
