The Dannevirke Railway Station Canopy, the sole remnant of the Railway Station constructed in 1903, is a reminder of the shift towards an 'age of elegance' in the design of railway station structures. The expansion of the railways began in 1870 when, to promote settlement and stimulate economic growth, the Government adopted Colonial Treasurer Julius Vogel's (1835-1899) proposal to build a transport network throughout the country. To ensure that the maximum length of line was laid using the funds available, Vogel suggested that the least possible amount should be spent on lines and station buildings. Consequently, in the late nineteenth-century, station buildings in rural areas were purely utilitarian structures. The first station in Dannevirke was opened after the railway line between Woodville and Napier was completed in 1887. Following a petition by local residents, the Government agreed to transfer the small, plain station building from the former terminus in nearby Tahoraiti to Dannevirke. Twelve years later Dannevirke residents began agitating for a larger, more convenient building. In 1901 a second petition was presented to parliament. In 1902 plans for a new building were drawn up and New Zealand Railways (NZR) acquired a site opposite the original station on the town side of the tracks the following year. By 1900 the economy had improved and NZR was able to design and construct more elaborate station buildings in rural areas. In 1902 George Troup (1863-1941) was promoted to the position of NZR Designing Engineer and was responsible for a number of district stations of great architectural merit. The new Dannevirke Station building, one of the very first to be designed after Troup's promotion, reflected this new 'age of elegance' in station buildings. Constructed by a team NZR staff, the Dannevirke Railway Station building cost £2,800 and was completed in 1903. Built of timber with a Marseilles tile roof, the station contained two waiting rooms, one of which was reserved exclusively for women. The building had a luggage and parcels office, a booking office, a lobby, a stationmaster's office, mail, store, porters' and lamp rooms, and a large canopy. Cast-iron pillars supported the canopy. Brackets with an ornamental pattern of leaves and fronds that was used in later stations designed by Troup, added strength to the structure. The day of its official opening was declared a half-holiday in Dannevirke and, in his speech at the opening ceremony, the then Minister of Railways Sir Joseph Ward (1856-1930), stressed that the building 'marked the advance of time'. In 1958 limited financial resources prevented an upgrade the Station building and in 1962 the neglected structure was scheduled for demolition. Despite this the building was retained. In 1983 renewed plans to renovate the building were abandoned after the costs of the project became apparent. The building was demolished and replaced with a much smaller station building. Only the building's canopy was retained. Seven years later the station office was closed. Neither passenger nor goods trains now stop at the station. The canopy roof was removed and replaced with new corrugated iron in 2003. The only remains of the original station building today and the cast-iron posts and brackets.

The canopy is located on a 600 metre long concrete platform. It consists of cast-iron pillars that supported the canopy of corrugated iron that has recently been replaced. Brackets with an ornamental pattern of leaves and fronds that was used in later stations designed by Troup, added strength to the structure.