45-684: The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and the Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill , running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to collectively as the South Island Main Trunk ( SIMT ). Construction of a line running the length of the east coast began in the 1860s and was completed all the way from Picton to Invercargill in 1945;
90-472: A 24-hour journey, lasted only a couple of years and by 2012 rail's share of that traffic was 28%, road's 57% and ship's 15%. From 1946 to 1983, some rail freight was airlifted between Woodbourne and Papaparaumu , from 1951 by Straits Air Freight Express . It declined after the service, now run as the Interislander , started in 1962. A , J and J class steam locomotives were used on parts of
135-532: A 30-hour schedule. Main North Line, New Zealand The Main North Line , sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk railway, is a railway line that runs north from Christchurch in New Zealand up the east coast of the South Island through Kaikōura and Blenheim to Picton . It is a major link in New Zealand's national rail network and offers a connection with roll-on roll-off ferries from Picton to Wellington . It
180-654: A branch from Tophouse to Nelson . There was also a proposal to use the latter route as the trans-Alpine line (as the Midland Line 's route was yet to be chosen), linking Waipara with Reefton and then connecting to Nelson and possibly Blenheim via a line up the Buller Gorge . The people of Marlborough favoured a coastal route and began work south, while in Canterbury, work initially began on an inland route, with Waipara linked to Culverden in 1886. Although
225-422: A halt to construction and the 3 km of track laid beyond Parnassus was removed. The war also brought a halt to work at the northern end, with the coastal village of Wharanui established as the terminus of the line south from Blenheim. The 1920s saw much indecisiveness and disputes over what route to take between Waipara and Wharanui. The Culverden line now ran all the way as Waiau and some work took place on
270-451: A line between Invercargill and Gore was opened on 30 August 1875 and a line between Dunedin and Balclutha was opened two days later. Construction to link these sections faced more construction challenges than the earlier work had, and accordingly, the rate of progress slowed. Over the next three years, the line between Dunedin and Christchurch was constructed; Christchurch and Timaru were linked on 4 February 1876, followed by Oamaru on
315-635: A line to link Waiau with Kaikōura , but after a few kilometres of formation was made, work came to a halt. The coastal route was then chosen and work had only just restarted when the Great Depression began and brought about more severe delays. Fortunes improved in 1936 sufficiently to allow a resumption of progress, and a more coastal route out of Parnassus than the Leader Valley route was chosen. World War II brought even more delays, but this time, construction progressed through wartime and
360-620: A railway from Blenheim to Picton was one of the first railways built under Vogel's " Great Public Works Policy ". Authorised by the Railways Act, 1870, to cost £3500 (pounds sterling) per mile. Nelson also sought a connection to the national network, possibly via an extension of the east coast main line or a branch line from it. The first portion of the Nelson Section railway opened in January 1876, and gradually extended towards
405-700: A section of track near Rakaia called the "racetrack". The Main South Line saw the last regularly steam-hauled expresses in New Zealand, with J locomotives hauling the Friday and Sunday night expresses until 26 October 1971. All other steam-hauled expresses were replaced on 1 December 1970 by the Southerner , which was hauled by DJ class diesel-electric locomotives . This service was one of the most famous in New Zealand, but it ceased on 10 February 2002. For many years, Fiat or 88-seater railcars ran services on
450-463: A station south of the River Ure was to be named "Mills" after the local MP Charles Mills . But a petition from 40 locals asked that a Māori or flora name be used, so it was called "Wharanu" . And when a local committee could not agree on another name, they agreed to use the first words uttered by a late-arriving member. When the chairman told him of their decision on his arrival, his immediate reply
495-637: A year later, and the difficult section between Oamaru and Dunedin was finally completed on 7 September 1878. All that remained was the Balclutha-Gore link, which was opened on 22 January 1879, completing the Main South Line. Construction of the 348 kilometres (216 mi) Main North Line was one of the longest construction projects in New Zealand's history. Through the 1870s, work on a line from Christchurch to northern centres in Canterbury
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#1732780950031540-532: A year later. A number of routes south were considered, and the one chosen was a compromise between a proposal to build a coastal line through the fertile territory and a proposal to build an inland line to achieve easier crossings of rivers such as the Rakaia . Construction had to be postponed as the Canterbury Province government was low on funds, and it did not restart until Julius Vogel announced
585-694: A year-round service by the Coastal Pacific and to upgrade the Kaikōura, Blenheim and Picton stations. On 25 May 2021, construction finished on bypassing the No. 21 ( Tar Barrel ) Tunnel with a new cutting and an overpass under State Highway 1. Freight increased from 15 trains a week southbound in 1952, to 29 in 1988 and 36 in 2001. It totalled about a million tonnes a year before the 2016 earthquake. A 1994 attempt to regain Auckland -Christchurch freight, with
630-522: The Conway and Charwell Rivers) to Kaikōura. The outbreak of World War I led to a halt on construction and the track beyond Parnassus was removed. At the Marlborough end, the line was extended southward from Blenheim to reach Seddon in 1902 and Ward in 1911. The line reached Wharanui , 13 km (8.1 mi) south of Ward, before the onset of World War I saw construction halted. Not all work
675-540: The Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway was opened on 1 January 1873 as the first railway in the country to adhere to the new national gauge. Although the final portion of this line became the Port Chalmers Branch , most of it was incorporated into the mainline northwards and construction progressed through difficult terrain towards Oamaru . South of Dunedin, work was progressing on a link with Invercargill;
720-457: The RM class 88 seater railcars were introduced to New Zealand and they were placed on a 6 days a week service between Christchurch and Picton, cutting times to 7 hours, with 34 stops, and then, in 1959, 6 hours 40 mins, with 23 stops. The railcars were converted for locomotive haulage from 5 December 1977 and the journey reduced to 6 hours by 1982. The scenic value of the route, especially through
765-567: The 1970s and 1980s, patterns of freight haulage changed dramatically, with the last of the branch lines closing and an emphasis placed upon long-distance haulage. The South Island Main Trunk is now used to carry significant quantities of long-distance freight, and it connects with the North Island via roll-on roll-off ferries between Picton and Wellington. These ferries have allowed freight trains to be operated from Auckland to Christchurch on
810-569: The Interislander ferries to be transshipped to road and vice versa. The section of line from Spring Creek south to Lake Grassmere reopened on 16 January 2017. Works to restore the line were completed on 8 August 2017, and limited freight services were restored on 15 September 2017. In November 2018, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that KiwiRail is to get $ 40 million from the Provincial Growth Fund , to provide
855-712: The Kaikōura area, led to the creation of the tourist-focused Coastal Pacific, an express passenger train that ran between Christchurch and Picton in 5 hours and 20 minutes. It began on 25 September 1988 and, in May 2000, renamed as the TranzCoastal . In the summer of 1994/1995 this service was supplemented by the Lynx Express which ran to a faster timetable and was designed to connect with the Lynx fast ferry service in Picton. It
900-473: The Main North Line as various interest groups, governments, and expert reports contested to achieve their respective desired outcomes. At this stage, both the Leader Valley and Tophouse routes were still possibilities, but it was around this time that proposals of a route out of Parnassus in a more easterly direction than the Leader Valley began to be formulated. This became the present-day route. In
945-471: The Main North Line was finally completed when the northern and southern ends met at Kaikōura on 15 December 1945. The South Island Main Trunk has been famous for its passenger services. In the days of steam locomotives , the South Island Limited expresses were particularly famous; drivers of J and J class locomotives claimed to have broken the official New Zealand railway speed record on
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#1732780950031990-432: The Main North Line, but they were withdrawn during the 1970s. On 25 September 1988 the tourist-focused Coastal Pacific express began operating along the scenic route between Christchurch and Picton; it continues to operate to this day. In the summer of 1994–95, this service was augmented by the Lynx Express , which was unsuccessful and not repeated in later years. Commuter services used to operate around major centres along
1035-483: The Main South Line between Christchurch and Rolleston before running along the Midland Line to Greymouth . Freight services on both lines operated for many years as feeder services from rural districts to nearby major centres and harbours, rather than utilising long-distance services between the important cities. The first through freight from Christchurch to Invercargill did not operate until December 1970. During
1080-462: The Main South Line, few branch lines diverged from the Main North Line. The three that did were: In 1960, work commenced on a line to link Nelson and Blenheim (see Nelson railway proposals ), but a change of government led to a change in policy and this project was halted. Presently, no lines branch from the Main North Line, though the first 13 km of the Waiau Branch has been restored as
1125-568: The Middle Island Railway Extension Commission ('Middle Island' then being the name for the South Island) was established to study proposals for a line northwards, including the following routes: Interests in Marlborough favoured the coastal proposal and began work on extending their railway south from Blenheim. Canterbury appeared indecisive on a route north; once Culverden was reached in 1886, it
1170-759: The Picton Railway Act in October, approving a line from Picton to the Wairau River under the auspices of the Marlborough Provincial Council. The political authorisation did not translate into actual construction and no work on building the line was undertaken in the 1860s. The Canterbury Provincial Railways began to extend their 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) broad gauge network north from Christchurch through Kaiapoi (29 April 1872), Southbrook (July 1872,
1215-664: The South Island Main Trunk, and many rural services also operated when country branch lines were operational, but the branch lines progressively closed during the 20th century and commuter services in the South Island ceased in the 1980s. Nowadays, the only long-distance passenger services on the South Island Main Trunk are the Coastal Pacific and the TranzAlpine , which uses the short portion of
1260-728: The West Coast. In the 1880s, work ground to a halt as debate raged over what route to construct. An 1880 Royal Commission on the state of New Zealand's railways felt that an east coast main line would be premature, but possibly necessary in the future. Contrarily, regional actors in Canterbury , Marlborough, Nelson, and the West Coast argued passionately in favour of the proposals that best suited their interests. Canterbury slowly progressed its " Great Northern Railway " and pursued an inland route from Waipara, reaching Waikari in 1882, Medbury in 1884, and Culverden in 1886. Also in 1882,
1305-495: The central government's "Great Public Works Policy". The "Great Public Works Policy" placed a high priority on the completion of the Main South Line. At this time, the central government had decided on 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow gauge as New Zealand's national rail gauge , but Canterbury was permitted to extend its broad gauge as far as Rakaia - although it did so on 2 June 1873, it converted its entire network to narrow gauge by 6 March 1876. Further south,
1350-411: The extension to Rangiora being delayed by lack of chairs), Rangiora (5 November 1872) Balcairn (3 November 1875) and Amberley (9 February 1876), reaching Waipara on 29 September 1880 - by this stage, the Canterbury network had been re-gauged to the national gauge of 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) narrow gauge and acquired by the central government. In the north in Marlborough,
1395-601: The last sections being on the Main North Line south of Picton. The designation "South Island Main Trunk" originally referred to only that line between Christchurch and Invercargill. Construction of the 600 kilometres (370 mi) Main South Line (originally known as the "Great Southern Railway") began in 1865 when the Canterbury Provincial Railways began work on a 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) broad gauge line south from Christchurch . It reached Rolleston on 13 October 1866 and Selwyn
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1440-408: The late 1920s, construction finally recommenced on the coastal line south of Wharanui, but this soon stopped again when the Great Depression 's effects began to be severely felt. Public pressure for a resumption of work was strong, and as the economy was starting to improve in 1936 the government issued orders for completion in four years. In 1939, the line beyond Parnassus was opened to Hundalee , but
1485-525: The line to Culverden was treated as the mainline for decades, it eventually became part of the Waiau Branch . At the start of the 20th century, work began on a coastal route northwards from Waipara, with the line opened to Parnassus in 1912. Construction then proceeded up the Leader River valley as part of a somewhat inland route to Kaikōura via river valleys, but the start of World War I brought
1530-613: The line until it was completed in 1945, when A class locomotives took over most work. Diesels took over between 1962 and 1968, initially D class , then from 1968 D class , followed by the DF class from 1979 and then DX class locomotives from 1988, relocated to the South Island due to the electrification of the North Island Main Trunk . The Main North Line parts from the Main South Line in Christchurch. Unlike
1575-494: The mid-1920s, Parnassus became the primary terminus and the carriages detached in Waipara were conveyed to Culverden. During this period the train was used for trials of the 'Midland Red' paint scheme that came to be used nationwide for passenger carriages until the 1990s. In 1930, a Royal Commission on New Zealand's railways suggested all passenger services on the southern and northern sections be replaced by mixed trains, but this
1620-450: The outbreak of World War II created more delays and the goal of completion in four years was not achieved. Construction continued through the war, and not long after the resumption of peace the northern and southern railheads met in Kaikōura. The Main North Line from Christchurch to Picton was completed and officially opened on 15 December 1945. The Public Works Department named new stations, and sometimes aroused local opposition. In 1914
1665-666: Was "No! Not I". So "No Noti" later "Nonoti" was adopted as the official name; as shown on the small station in the thirties, and in the Gazetteer and maps. For a number of decades before the connection of the northern and southern ends, the Canterbury section was operated with its terminus in Culverden, even when the coastal route reached Parnassus. The most important passenger train was the Culverden Express , with carriages for Parnassus detached at Waipara. The express
1710-549: Was also the longest railway construction project in New Zealand's history, with the first stages built in the 1870s and not completed until 1945. The first proposal for a line resembling the present day Main North Line was made in 1861. A proposal for a line linking Christchurch and Blenheim was put before the Marlborough Provincial Council in April 1861. Later that year, the national government passed
1755-537: Was not positively received by the public. On 29 January 1939, the passenger services on the Waiau line were cancelled. When the line was completed, the Picton Express left Christchurch at 8.25am and reached at Picton at 4.35pm, over 2 hours faster than the previous links. During holidays it ran 6 days a week, but otherwise the coal-saving timetable was on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. From 13 February 1956,
1800-545: Was opened to Parnassus. Over the next two years, work progressed from Parnassus up the Leader River valley, with roughly three kilometres of track laid, a few more kilometres of formation made, preliminary activity undertaken for a diversion of the Hookhamsnyvy Creek , and work commenced on a bridge across the Leader River. The line was envisaged to then follow a series of inland valleys (such as those of
1845-469: Was postponed by the war. A campaign to extend the line from Culverden to Waiau was successful and construction continued through the war, with the line opened to Waiau on 15 December 1919. This boosted the hopes of those seeking an inland route, and more work was undertaken, with 3 km of formation built for a line from Waiau to Kaikōura, but ultimately nothing came of this proposal and the terminus remained in Waiau. The 1920s saw little progress made on
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1890-489: Was supplemented by slower mixed trains . When the Waiau Branch reached Waiau in 1919 one goods train per day between Christchurch and Culverden was added to the schedule and the passenger train operated twice daily; these services continued to Waiau thrice weekly. The section of the Main North Line between Christchurch and Rangiora also saw commuter services and trains from the Oxford Branch and Eyreton Branch . In
1935-458: Was treated as the terminus of the east coast main line, then after roughly 15 years of inactivity, work began on a coastal "branch" north from Waipara at the start of the 20th century. This reached Scargill in 1902, Ethelton in 1905, Domett in 1907, Cheviot in 1910 (the station was in nearby Mina), and in 1912 the line crossed the Waiau River with a 706-metre-long (2,316 ft) bridge and
1980-468: Was undertaken, with a line through Kaiapoi , Rangiora , and Amberley reaching Waipara in 1880, and at the other end, a line linking Blenheim and Picton opened in 1875. Further construction was delayed by disputes over proposed routes. Different regions sought to protect their interests by having the line constructed through their area. Some preferred the coastal route via Parnassus and Kaikōura , while others favoured an inland route to Blenheim with
2025-600: Was unsuccessful and did not operate in subsequent summers, partly due to delays from the risk of track buckling . The TranzCoastal was suspended as a result of the major Christchurch earthquake in February 2011 and did not resume until August that year, returning to the original Coastal Pacific name. The line was closed by major slips as a result of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake with a freight train being left stranded north of Kaikōura. The line between Picton and Spring Creek yard remained open to allow rail wagon freight from
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