List of railway lines in New Zealand

The railway network in New Zealand consists of four main lines, six secondary lines and numerous short branch lines in almost every region. It links all major urban centres except Nelson, Taupo, Queenstown, Whakatane and (since 2012) Gisborne. The network is owned and managed by KiwiRail. The network was constructed from 1863 onwards, mostly by government bodies, initially provincial governments and later central government (usually by the Public Works Department) under the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR or NZGR). In 1981 NZR was corporatised as the New Zealand Railways Corporation, and in 1991 New Zealand Rail Limited was split from the corporation. New Zealand Rail was privatised in 1993 (and later renamed Tranz Rail), with the New Zealand Railways Corporation retaining the land (due to Treaty of Waitangi claims on land taken for railway construction). In 2003 the government renationalised the network. KiwiRail operates all freight and a small number of passenger services primarily for tourists on certain routes in both islands; Transdev operates Auckland Transport "AT Metro" suburban passenger trains in Auckland and Metlink passenger trains in the Wellington region; Dunedin Railways (formerly Taieri Gorge Railway) operates tourist passenger trains in Dunedin.

New Zealand national rail network

North Island rail network map (as of 2006)

South Island rail network map (as of 2006)

Lines in bold type are currently operated by KiwiRail

Main trunk lines

Name	Route	Length	Usage
North Island Main Trunk	Wellington – Palmerston North – Taumarunui – Hamilton – Auckland	681 km (423 mi)	Freight & passenger
East Coast Main Trunk	Hamilton – Morrinsville – Kaimai Tunnel – Tauranga – Kawerau		Freight only
Midland Line	Rolleston – Springfield – Arthur's Pass – Stillwater – Greymouth	212 km (131 mi)	Freight & passenger
Main North Line	Christchurch – Kaikōura – Blenheim – Picton	348 km (216 mi)	Freight & passenger
Main South Line	Lyttelton – Christchurch – Timaru – Dunedin – Invercargill	601 km (373 mi)	Freight & passenger (Christchurch – Rolleston) Freight only (Lyttelton – Christchurch, Rolleston – Invercargill)

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

Secondary main lines

Name	Route	Length	Usage
Marton - New Plymouth Line	Marton – Whanganui – Hāwera – New Plymouth	212 km (132 mi)[1]	Freight only
North Auckland Line	Westfield Junction – Newmarket – Swanson – Waitakere – Helensville – Wellsford – Whangārei – Otiria	281 km (175 mi)[2]	Freight and Passengers south of Swanson Freight only Swanson to Otiria
Palmerston North–Gisborne Line	Palmerston North – Woodville – Waipukurau – Hastings – Napier – Muriwai – Gisborne	390 km (240 mi)[3]	Freight & Passenger(charter/cruise). Mothballed: Napier to Muriwai 2012. Open: Muriwai to Gisborne, leased by Gisborne Vintage Railway from June 2013[4][5]
Stillwater–Ngakawau Line	Stillwater – Reefton – Westport – Ngakawau	136 km (85 mi)[6]	Freight only
Stratford–Okahukura Line	Stratford – Whangamōmona – Okahukura	144 km (89 mi)[7]	Passenger: leased to a private operator June 2012.
Wairarapa Line	Wellington – Upper Hutt – Masterton – Woodville	176 km (109 mi)[8]	Freight & Passenger Wellington to Masterton Freight only Masterton to Woodville

Northland

Name	Route	Usage
Dargaville Branch	Waiotira – Dargaville	Freight only
Donnellys Crossing Section	Dargaville – Kaihu – Donnellys Crossing	Closed 1959
Kumeu-Riverhead Section	Kumeū – Riverhead	Closed 1885
Okaihau Branch	Otiria – Kaikohe – Ōkaihau	Closed 1987
Onerahi Branch	Whangārei – Onerahi	Closed 1933
Opua Branch	Otiria – Kawakawa – Opua	Closed 1985 Kawakawa – Taumarere operated by Bay of Islands Vintage Railway

Auckland

Name	Route	Usage
Newmarket Line	Quay Park junction – Newmarket	Freight & passenger
Southdown Branch	Westfield Junction – Southdown Freight Centre	Freight only
Mission Bush Branch	Paerata – Glenbrook – Mission Bush	Freight only
Onehunga Branch	Penrose – Onehunga	Passenger
Manukau Branch	Wiri – Manukau	Passenger
Waiuku Branch	Glenbrook – Waiuku	Closed 1967 Now Glenbrook Vintage Railway

Suburban passenger rail lines

Auckland suburban rail network (in 2005)

Name	Route
Eastern Line	Britomart Transport Centre – Glen Innes – Manukau North Island Main Trunk Line, Manukau Branch
Southern Line	Britomart Transport Centre – Newmarket – Papakura – Pukekohe North Island Main Trunk Line, Newmarket Line, North Auckland Line, North Island Main Trunk Line
Western Line	Britomart Transport Centre – Newmarket – Swanson North Island Main Trunk Line, Newmarket Line, North Auckland Line
Onehunga Line	Britomart Transport Centre – Newmarket – Penrose – Onehunga North Island Main Trunk Line, Newmarket Line, North Auckland Line, Onehunga Branch

Waikato / Coromandel

Name	Route	Usage
East Coast Main Trunk Original sections from Paeroa	Frankton – Morrinsville – Paeroa – Waihi – Tauranga – Tāneatua	Closed Paeroa to Apata, September 1978. Waikino to Waihi reopened 8 November 1980 by Goldfields Railway. Hawkens Junction to Tāneatua became Taneatua Branch.
Cambridge Branch	Ruakura – Hautapu – Cambridge	Freight only. Closed Hautapu – Cambridge 1999
Glen Afton Branch		Closed, partially remains as the Bush Tramway Club's Pukemiro Line. Remainder became Rotowaro Branch
Kimihia Branch		Coal only. Closed 2015.
Rotowaro Branch		Coal only
Thames Branch/Waitoa Branch	Morrinsville – Waitoa – Paeroa – Thames	Morrinsville to Paeroa part of East Coast Main Trunk, 1928 to 1978. Freight only. Closed Waitoa – Thames 1991. Mothballed Morrinsville to Waitoa, reopened 2004 as Waitoa Branch.
Wilton Collieries Line	Ngāruawāhia	Closed, 1958 (Line owned by NZ Mines Dept, operated by NZR after 1940)

Bay of Plenty

Name	Route	Usage
Kinleith Branch	Waharoa – Kinleith Mill	Freight only
Mount Maunganui Branch		Freight only
Murupara Branch		Freight only
Rotorua Branch	Putāruru – Rotorua/Koutu	Leased to a Private Operator, 2010
Taneatua Branch		Mothballed 2003
Whakatane Board Mills Line	Awakeri – Whakatane mill	Closed 2003

Gisborne – Hawke's Bay

Name	Route	Usage
Napier Port Branch/Ahuriri Branch		Freight only
Moutohora Branch	Gisborne – Makaraka – Moutohora	Freight only. Closed Makaraka – Moutohora 1959, Makaraka – Gisborne mothballed 2012.
Ngatapa Branch	Gisborne – Ngatapa	Closed 1931

Central North Island

Name	Route	Usage
Raetihi Branch	Ohakune – Raetihi	Closed 1968

Taranaki

Name	Route	Usage
Castlecliff Branch	Whanganui – Castlecliff	Freight only.
Opunake Branch/Kapuni Branch	Eltham – Kapuni – Opunake	Freight only. Closed Kapuni – Opunake
Mount Egmont Branch		Closed
Waitara Branch	Lepperton – Waitara	Closed 1999. Leased to private operator. Waitara Railway Preservation Society
Whanganui Branch	Aramoho – Whanganui	Freight only

Manawatu

Name	Route	Usage
Foxton Branch	Longburn – Foxton	Closed 1959
Taonui Branch	Taonui – near Colyton	Closed 1895

Wairarapa

Name	Route	Usage
Greytown Branch	Woodside – Greytown	Closed 1953

Wellington

Name	Route	Usage
Gracefield Branch	Woburn – Hutt Workshops – Gracefield	Freight only. Hutt Workshops – Gracefield mothballed 2002
Johnsonville Line	Wellington – Johnsonville	Passenger only. Former North Island Main Trunk Line
Melling Branch	Petone – Melling	Passenger only. Former Wairarapa Line
Te Aro Branch	Lambton – Te Aro	Closed 1917

Suburban rail lines

Wellington suburban rail network (in 2006)

Name	Route
Johnsonville Line	Wellington – Johnsonville Johnsonville Line
Kapiti Line	Wellington – Waikanae North Island Main Trunk Line
Hutt Valley Line	Wellington – Upper Hutt Wairarapa Line
Melling Line	Wellington – Melling Wairarapa Line, Melling Branch
Wairarapa Line	Wellington – Masterton Wairarapa Line

Nelson

Name	Route	Usage
Nelson Section	Nelson – Kawatiri	Isolated from South Island network. Closed 1955

Westland

Name	Route	Usage
Blackball Branch		Closed 1966
Cape Foulwind Railway	Westport, New Zealand – Cape Foulwind	Closed 1930
Conns Creek Branch	Waimangaroa – Denniston, New Zealand	Closed 1967
Hokitika Branch/Ross Branch	Greymouth – Hokitika – Ross	Freight only. Closed Hokitika – Ross 1980
Ngakawau Branch/Seddonville Branch	Westport – Ngakawau – Seddonville – Mokihinui Mine	Freight only. Closed Seddonville – Mokihinui Mine 1974, Ngakawau – Seddonville 1981
Rapahoe Branch	Greymouth – Rapahoe	Freight only
Rewanui Branch	Greymouth – Rewanui	Closed 1985

Canterbury

Name	Route	Usage
Eyreton Branch	Kaiapoi – Wetheral – Horrelville – Bennetts Junction	Closed Horrelville – Bennetts Junction 1931, Wetheral – Horrelville 1954, Kaiapoi – Wetheral 1965
Fairlie Branch	Washdyke – Eversley	Closed 1968 Pleasant Point section operatred by Pleasant Point Museum and Railway Proposed Fairlie Rail Trail
Ferrymead Branch	Christchurch – Ferrymead	Closed 1868 Now Ferrymead Railway
Hornby Industrial Line/Southbridge Branch	Hornby – Prebbleton – Lincoln – Southbridge	Freight only. Closed Lincoln – Southbridge 1962, Prebbleton – Lincoln 1967, mothballed 2012.
Little River Branch	Lincoln – Little River	Closed 1962 Now Little River Rail Trail
Methven Branch	Rakaia – Methven	Closed 1976
Mount Somers Branch/Springburn Branch	Tinwald – Mount Somers – Springburn	Closed Mount Somers – Springburn 1957, Tinwald – Mount Somers 1968 Tinwald – Frasers Road section operated by Plains Vintage Railway
Oxford Branch	Rangiora – Oxford – Sheffield	Closed Oxford – Sheffield 1930, Rangiora – Oxford 1959
Waiau Branch	Waipara – Waiau	Closed 1978 Waipara – Waikari section operated by Weka Pass Railway
Waimate Branch/Waimate Gorge Branch	Studholme – Waimate – Waihao Downs	Closed Waimate – Waihao Downs 1953, Studholme – Waimate 1966
Whitecliffs Branch	Darfield – Whitecliffs	Closed 1962

Otago

Name	Route	Usage
Catlins River Branch	Balclutha – Finegand – Tahakopa	Freight only, Closed 1971 beyond Finegand
Dunback and Makareao Branches	Palmerston – Inch Valley – Dunback/Makareao	Closed Inch Valley – Dunback 1968, Palmerston – Makareao 1989
Fernhill Branch	Abbotsford – Fernhill	Closed 2003
Kingston Branch	Kingston – Fairlight	Passenger only – Kingston Flyer Ltd.
Kurow Branch/Hakataramea Branch	Pukeuri – Kurow – Hakataramea	Closed Kurow – Hakataramea 1930, Pukeuri – Kurow 1983
Moeraki Branch	Hillgrove – Moeraki	Closed 1879
Ngapara and Tokarahi Branches	Waiareka Junction – Windsor Junction – Ngapara/Tokarahi	Closed Windsor Junction – Tokarahi 1930, Taylor's Siding – Ngapara 1959, Waiareka Junction – Taylor's Siding 1997
Ocean Beach Railway	Dunedin – Forbury Park	Closed beyond Gas works and Andersons Bay Rd warehousing 1942. Closed as far as Strathallan Road level crossing 1990. One rail shared with DCC Tramways and electrified 1908 along Royal Crescent.
Otago Central Railway	Wingatui – Middlemarch – Clyde – Cromwell	Passenger only beyond Taieri. Closed Clyde – Cromwell 1980, Middlemarch – Clyde 1990 Taieri – Middlemarch operated by Dunedin Railways, Middlemarch – Clyde now Otago Central Rail Trail
Outram Branch	Mosgiel – Outram	Closed 1953 beyond Woollen Mills private siding, remainder closed 1990
Port Chalmers Branch	Sawyers Bay – Port Chalmers	Freight only
Roxburgh Branch	Milton – Lawrence – Roxburgh	Closed 1968
Shag Point Branch	Shag Point – Shag Point Coal Mine	Closed 1934
Tapanui Branch	Waipahi – Tapanui – Heriot – Edievale	Closed Heriot – Edievale 1968, Waipahi – Heriot 1978
Walton Park Branch	Burnside – Walton Park	Closed 1957

Southland

Name	Route	Usage
Balfour Branch/Waimea Plains Railway	Gore – Balfour – Lumsden	Closed Gore – Balfour 1971, Lumsden – Balfour 1978
Bluff Branch	Invercargill – Bluff	Standard gauge 1435mm, 1866 to 1875. Freight only
Browns Branch/Hedgehope Branch	Winton – Browns – Hedgehope	Closed Browns – Hedgehope 1953, Winton – Browns 1968
Kingston Branch	Invercargill – Makarewa – Fairlight – Kingston	Closed completely 1982 except: Kingston – Fairlight (Otago) operated by Kingston Flyer Ltd, Invercargill – Makarewa part of Wairio Branch
Mokomoko Harbour Branch	Awarua – Mokomoko Harbour	Closed 1875, Standard gauge 1435mm from 1866, connected to Bluff Branch
Mossburn Branch	Lumsden – Mossburn	Closed 1982
Riverton Branch/Tuatapere Branch/Orawia Branch	Makarewa – Thornbury – Riverton – Tuatapere – Orawia	Closed Tuatapere – Orawia 1970, Riverton – Tuatapere 1976, Thornbury – Riverton 1978 Makarewa – Thornbury part of Wairio Branch
Tokanui (or Seaward Bush) Branch	Invercargill – Tokanui	Closed 1966
Waikaia Branch	Riversdale – Waikaia	Closed 1959
Waikaka Branch	McNab – Waikaka	Closed 1962
Wairio Branch/Ohai Industrial Line	Invercargill – Makarewa – Thornbury – Wairio – Nightcaps – Ohai	Freight only, mothballed beyond Nightcaps
Wyndham Branch	Edendale – Wyndham – Glenham	Closed Wyndham – Glenham 1930, Edendale – Wyndham 1962

Private lines

Parts of the network were constructed by private companies, and most were unsuccessful. All except the Whakatane Board Mills line and the Sanson Tramway 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 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 built by companies for access such as to coal mines, and by local government bodies.

Cape Foulwind Branch
Castlecliff Railway
Fernhill Branch
Hutt Park Railway
Kaitangata Line
Kakanui McDonald Limeworks Branch
Kurow Branch (Duntroon – Hakataramea portion)
Mokai Tramway (TTT Co line, Putāruru to Mokai near Lake Taupo)
New Zealand Midland Railway Company Limited
Ohai Railway Board
Port Chalmers Railway Company Limited
Riccarton Racecourse Siding
Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway Limited
Sanson Tramway
Taratu Railway (Lovells Flat)
Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company
Waronui (Coal) Railway (Milton)
Waimate Gorge Branch
Waimea Plains Railway
Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company Limited
Whakatane Board Mills Line
Wilton Colleries Line

Significant proposals

Many railway lines have been proposed, especially in the 19th century, but never constructed. An 1873 map indicated that it was intended to link up all the current and authorised routes into a national network.[9] 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:

Auckland Airport Line – an extension of the Onehunga Branch to Auckland Airport, and/or a link from the airport to the NIMT at Puhinui. Other options also mooted.
Auckland City Rail Link – underground rail link under central Auckland. Now an active project
Avondale - Southdown Line (land corridor owned by KiwiRail)
Canterbury Interior Main Line
Connection of the Catlins River Branch and the Tokanui Branch
Cromwell – Queenstown, proposed connection with the Kingston Branch extension before Otago Central Railway route chosen.
Culverden – Reefton line
Culverden to Tophouse, with branches from there to Nelson and Blenheim
Dunedin Peninsula and Ocean Beach railway extension to Portobello and Taiaroa Heads.
Extension of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway to link Gisborne and Rotorua by going inland from Opotiki up the Waiweka Gorge to the Moutohora Branch. So would link the Bay of Plenty to Gisborne and Palmerston North via the Palmerston North – Gisborne Line.
Fairlie Branch – extension 27 km beyond Eversley, proposals to terminate the line in Burkes Pass
East Cape tourist line via Hicks Bay [10]
Haywards–Plimmerton Line between the Hutt Valley Line and the Kapiti Line.
Kakahi – Pūkawa (Lake Taupo) line
Kennington – Waikiwi deviation to Invercargill
Kingston Branch – extension to Queenstown
Kirikopuni – Kaikohe line
Kurow Branch – extension beyond Hakataramea
Lewis Pass Railway (Reefton to Culverden)[11]
Little River Branch – extension to Akaroa
Marsden Point Branch and its Waipu precursor
Martinborough Branch
Mossburn Branch – extension to Te Anau
Motueka to Tadmor[12]
Nelson – Blenheim line
Extension of the Nelson Section through the Buller Gorge to the West Coast.
Nelson to Cobden and Westport[13]
North Shore Line – from central Auckland (Britomart) to the North Shore, and extended northward on the route currently occupied by the Northern Busway
Okaihau Branch – extension to Rangiahua and Kaitaia
Opunake Branch – sub-branch from Kapuni to Manaia; extension to New Plymouth
Otago Central Railway – extension to Wanaka
Paengaroa – Rotorua line
Paeroa–Pokeno Line
Ross – Haast, including rebuilding to heavy rail of the Stewart and Chapman tramway to Lake Ianthe State Forest.
Roxburgh Branch – connection from Roxburgh to the Otago Central Railway in Alexandra
Sockburn-Styx deviation and industrial line.
Taupo Railway Proposals – connections from Rotorua, Kinleith or Murupara branches
Te Aro Extension – extension to Island Bay
Waiau Branch – extension to Kaikoura
Waimate Branch – extension of the Waihao Downs line
Wainuiomata Branch – from the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line to the suburb.
Wairau Valley Railway from Tophouse to Blenheim[14]
Westport to Charleston[15]

See also Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, 23 August 1910, Page 5 for a list of railways authorised, proposed and under construction, with estimated cost of completing them as at 1 April 1910, many of which were not built.

Nelson – Blenheim notional railway

The Nelson - Blenheim notional railway was created in November 1957 to help manage the political backlash from the 1955 closure of the isolated Nelson Section. State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim was deemed by law to be an NZR railway for the purposes of calculating passenger and freight rates between railway stations in the South Island and Nelson or other places on the notional railway. Passengers and freight travelled by road, with the difference between the road carrier's rates and railway rates subsidised by the government. Rail rates were significantly cheaper than road rates, so the scheme provided significant benefits to its users, while imposing significant costs on the government. The scheme lasted for 22 years, being withdrawn in October 1977.

Bush tramways

These were lines principally constructed to haul timber or minerals, often in isolated areas. A variety of gauges was used, including the New Zealand standard 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). Typical bush trams were more lightly constructed than ordinary rail lines and had steeper gradients and sharper curves. With the low speeds that were commonplace, rolling stock and locomotives were generally built to lighter standards than main-line vehicles. It was not uncommon for road vehicles to be adapted, 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.

A prominent example of a bush tramway was the Taupo Totara Timber Company's line between Putaruru and Mokai, and an example of a mineral tramway was the Dun Mountain Railway.

Other bush and mineral tramways included -

North Island

Name	Route	Usage
Piha Tramway
Smyth Brothers' Tramway	Kennedy's Bay, Coromandel Peninsula	1897–1908 3 ft
Piako County Tramway	Kaimai Range	1884–1924 2 ft 9in
Ellis and Burnand Tramway	Ongarue	1922–1958
Knight's tram	Raurimu
Makatote Tramway
Taringamotu Tramway
Price's Bush Tramway	Hutt Valley to Waikanae
Driving Creek Railway	Coromandel	Tourist attraction

South Island

Name	Route	Usage
Bell Hill mill tramway
Koranui Incline
Mount Somers Tramway		1886–1963
tramways linking to Ross Branch
Kokiri Tramway
Fortification sawmill tramway
Port Craig tramway	Port Craig, Percy Burn Viaduct, Wairaurahiri River	1919–1928 Marlborough Timber Co

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. Urban tram operations, built from scratch as tourist attractions, have more recently been restarted in Christchurch (1995) Auckland (2011), and Wanganui (2013). See Trams in New Zealand.

Heritage and Private railways

A large number of societies operate working heritage railway lines and museums. Most of these are run largely or wholly by volunteer labour, except commercially operated private trust owned Dunedin Railways in Dunedin, which employs paid staff.

References

Yonge 1985, p. 10.
Yonge 1985, p. 1.
Yonge 1985, p. 12.
New Zealand Railway Observer, June/July 2013 Edition
"KiwiRail to mothball Napier-Gisborne line". Kiwirail.co.nz. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
Yonge 1985, p. 21.
Yonge 1985, p. 11.
Yonge 1985, p. 14.
"Sketch map of the Colony of New Zealand shewing authorised and proposed railway lines". National Library. Department of Lands and Survey. 1873.
Hendery, Simon (9 March 2017). "Cape tourist rail project". The Southland Times.
"Papers Past — Evening Post — 13 Hereturikōkā 1907 — RAILWAY ROUTE". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 13 August 1907. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
"Papers Past — Nelson Evening Mail — 11 November 1886 — THE MOTUEKA-TADMOII RAILWAY ROUTE". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
"New Zealand : Anno Tricesimo Victoriae Reginae : No. 33" (PDF). Nzlii.org. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
"Papers Past — Marlborough Express — 2 July 1913 — THE WAIRAU VALLEY RAILWAY". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 July 1913. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
"Papers Past — Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle — 4 Hōngongoi 1867 — WESTPORT AND CHARLESTON RAILWAY". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 December 2015.

Bibliography

Yonge, John (1985). New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (Third ed.). Quail Map Company. ISBN 090060932X.