List of New Zealand railway lines

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The New Zealand railway network consists of four main lines, six secondary lines and numerous short branch lines in almost every region. It links all major urban centres, with the notable exceptions of Nelson and Taupo. The network is currently owned by New Zealand Railways Corporation, a government agency, trading as ONTRACK since 2004. New Zealand's railway network was constructed from 1863 onwards, mostly by government bodies, initially by the Provincial and later by central government (usually the Public Works Department). In 1993 New Zealand Rail Limited was privatised, with the NZ Railways Corporation retaining the land (due to particular Treaty of Waitangi claims on land taken for railway construction). In 2003 the government renationalised the network. Toll Rail operates all freight and most passenger services, Veolia Transport operates suburban passenger trains in Auckland and the Taieri Gorge Railway operates tourist passenger trains in Dunedin.

Contents

[edit] New Zealand national rail network

North Island Rail Network Map
Enlarge
North Island Rail Network Map
South Island Rail Network Map
Enlarge
South Island Rail Network Map

[edit] Main Trunk Lines

The latter two lines are sometimes referred to as the South Island Main Trunk Railway

[edit] Secondary Main Lines

[edit] Branch lines

[edit] Northland

[edit] Auckland

[edit] Waikato / Coromandel

  • Cambridge Branch (freight only, closed beyond Hautapu)
  • Glen Afton Branch (closed, partially remains as the Bush Tramway Club's Pukemiro Line)
  • Kimihia Branch (freight only)
  • Rotowaro Branch (freight only)
  • Thames Branch (closed beyond Waitoa, remainder now Waitoa Industrial Line)
  • Waitoa Industrial Line (freight only, ex Thames Branch)
  • Wilton Colleries Line (closed)

[edit] Bay of Plenty

  • Kinleith Branch (freight only)
  • Mount Maunganui Branch (freight only)
  • Murupara Branch (freight only)
  • Rotorua Branch (mothballed)
  • Taneatua Branch (mothballed)
  • Whakatane Industrial Line (closed)

[edit] Eastland / Hawke's Bay

  • Ahuriri Branch (freight only)
  • Moutuhora Branch (closed)
  • Ngatapa Branch (closed)

[edit] Central North Island

[edit] Taranaki

  • Castlecliff Branch (mothballed, see note)
  • Kapuni Branch (freight only, ex Opunake Branch)
  • Mount Egmont Branch (closed)
  • Opunake Branch (closed beyond Kapuni, remainder now Kapuni Branch)
  • Waitara Branch (operated by the Waitara Rail Preservation Society)
  • Wanganui Branch (freight only)

Note: On 5 September 2006, ONTRACK issued a bulletin that the Castlecliff Branch is closed to all traffic. However, it has not been formally closed as this requires written permission from the appropriate government minister. The track is still in place, with a sleeper placed across the track at the start of the branch to prohibit access.

[edit] Manawatu

[edit] Wairarapa

[edit] Wellington

  • Gracefield Branch (freight only)
  • Johnsonville Branch (ex NIMT; passenger only)
  • Melling Branch (ex Wairarapa Line; passenger only)
  • Te Aro Branch (closed)

[edit] Nelson

  • Nelson Section (isolated, closed)

[edit] Westland

  • Blackball Branch (closed)
  • Cape Foulwind Branch (closed)
  • Conns Creek Branch (closed)
  • Hokitika Branch (freight only, ex Ross Branch)
  • Ngakawau Branch (now part of Stillwater-Westport Line, ex Seddonville Branch)
  • Rapahoe Branch (freight only)
  • Rewanui Branch (closed)
  • Ross Branch (closed beyond Hokitika, remainder now Hokitika Branch)
  • Seddonville Branch (closed beyond Ngakawau; remainder now Stillwater-Wesport line, formerly Ngakawau Branch)

[edit] Canterbury

[edit] Otago / Southland

[edit] Private lines

Parts of the network were constructed by private companies, and most were unsuccessful. All were later acquired by the government. The most successful was the Wellington and Manawatu Railway, which operated between Wellington and Longburn (near Palmerston North) from 1885 to 1908. After the WMR, perhaps the best-known private railway was the New Zealand Midland Railway Company, which constructed parts of the Midland, Nelson and some West Coast lines. After the company was dissolved in 1900 the railway lines and their construction were taken over by the government. Some lines were also built by companies for access such as to coal mines, and by local government bodies.

[edit] Significant proposals

Many railway lines have been proposed, especially in the 19th century, but never constructed. Some proposals have been particularly significant due to their extent, publicity, or how close they came to being realised (in some cases, the track bed was built). Some significant proposals include:

[edit] Bush tramways

These refer to lines principally constructed to haul timber or minerals, often in isolated areas. A variety of gauges was used, including the NZ standard 1067 mm (3'6"). Typical bush trams were more lightly constructed than ordinary rail lines and had steeper gradients and sharper curves also. With the low speeds that were commonplace, rolling stock and locomotives were generally built to lighter standards than mainline vehicles. It was not uncommon for road vehicles to be adapted for use on the trams, either as haulage power or rolling stock. As road vehicles became more suited for these operations the trams gradually faded away and none are now operating.

Prominent examples of tramways include the Manawatu County Council's Sanson Tramway, which connected with the Foxton Branch, and the Taupo Totara Timber Company's line between Putaruru and Mokai.

[edit] Street tramways

Major street tramway networks were constructed in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, with smaller operations in Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Nelson and Invercargill. Employing horse, steam or electric power, they operated in most cases until the 1950s when improved buses saw most of the tracks scrapped. Currently, Christchurch is the only city with an urban tram operation, which was constructed from scratch in the late 1990s as a tourism venture.

[edit] Heritage railways

A large number of societies have been set up around New Zealand to operate working heritage railway lines and museums. Most of these are run by largely or wholly volunteer labour, except the Taieri Gorge Railway in Dunedin, which employs paid staff.


New Zealand Railway Lines
Main lines
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North Island:
East Coast Main Trunk - North Island Main Trunk
South Island:
Main North Line and Main South Line, known together as the South Island Main Trunk
Secondary lines
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North Island:
Marton - New Plymouth Line - North Auckland Line - Palmerston North - Gisborne Line - Stratford - Okahukura Line - Wairarapa Line
South Island:
Midland Line - Nelson Section - Otago Central Railway - Stillwater - Westport Line - Waimea Plains Railway

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Branch lines
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Upper North Island
Cambridge - Dargaville - Donnelly's Crossing - Glen Afton - Kinleith - Kumeu-Riverhead - Mount Maunganui - Murupara - Newmarket - Okaihau - Onehunga - Onerahi - Opua - Rotorua - Taneatua - Thames - Waiuku and Mission Bush
Lower North Island
Ahuriri - Castlecliff and Wanganui - Foxton - Greytown - Johnsonville - Melling - Mount Egmont - Moutohora - Ngatapa - Opunake - Raetihi - Taonui - Te Aro - Waitara
Upper South Island
Blackball and Roa - Cape Foulwind - Conns Creek - Eyreton - Fairlie - Little River - Lyttelton - Methven - Mount Somers - Oxford - Rapahoe - Rewanui - Hokitika/Ross - Seddonville - Southbridge - Waiau - Waimate - Whitecliffs
Lower South Island
Bluff - Catlins River - Dunback and Makareao - Fernhill - Hedgehope - Kingston - Kurow - Moeraki - Mossburn - Ngapara and Tokarahi - Outram - Port Chalmers - Roxburgh - Shag Point - Tapanui - Tokanui - Tuatapere - Waikaia - Waikaka - Wairio - Walton Park - Wyndham

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Private lines
Glen Massey Branch - Dunedin Peninsula and Ocean Beach Railway - Dun Mountain Railway - Hutt Park Railway - Kaitangata Line - Sanson Tramway - Wellington and Manawatu Railway

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