Four years after it was dumped from the railway map, Taihape is back on the main trunk line – with designs on becoming a train tourist trap.

KiwiRail announced it was adding the central North Island town as a scheduled stop on the Overlander route between Wellington and Auckland for a one-year trial period.

Taihape was dropped from the train timetable in 2005 when Overlander passenger numbers fell.

However, a 25 per cent increase in Overlander passenger numbers in the past 18 months prompted KiwiRail to give Taihape a second chance.

The efforts of Taihape residents to get the train stop back had been a deciding factor, KiwiRail spokesman Nigel Parry said.

"The community are working on ways to make their town more of an attraction. That makes it more encouraging for us to give it a go."

The northbound Overlander will make a two-minute stop in Taihape at 11.21am and the southbound service will stop at 3.03pm.

The first stop will be this Friday.

SOURCE: The Dominion Post