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, Taupō, Queenstown, Whakatāne and (since 2012) Gisborne. The network is owned and managed by KiwiRail. The network was constructed starting in 1863, mostly by government bodies, initially provincial governments and later the 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 lines and a small number of passenger services primarily for tourists on certain routes in both islands; Auckland One Rail operates Auckland Transport "AT Metro" suburban passenger trains in Auckland and Transdev operates Metlink passenger trains in the Wellington region; Dunedin Railways (formerly Taieri Gorge Railway) operates tourist passenger trains in Dunedin.
Lines in bold type are currently operated by KiwiRail
| Name | Route | Length | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Island Main Trunk | 6810NaN0 | Freight & passenger | ||
| East Coast Main Trunk | Freight only | |||
| Midland Line | 212 km (131 mi) | Freight & passenger | ||
| Main North Line | 3480NaN0 | Freight & passenger | ||
| Main South Line | 6010NaN0 | Freight & passenger (Christchurch – Rolleston) Freight only (Lyttelton – Christchurch, Rolleston – Invercargill) |
| Name | Route | Length | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marton - New Plymouth Line | 212km (132miles) | Freight only | ||
| North Auckland Line | 2810NaN0 | Freight and Passengers south of Swanson Freight only Swanson to Otiria | ||
| Palmerston North–Gisborne Line | 390km (240miles) | Freight & Passenger(charter/cruise). Mothballed: Napier to Muriwai 2012. Open: Muriwai to Gisborne, leased by Gisborne Vintage Railway from June 2013[1] [2] | ||
| Stillwater–Ngakawau Line | 136km (85miles) | Freight only | ||
| Stratford – Whangamōmona – Okahukura | 1440NaN0 | Passenger: leased to a private operator June 2012. | ||
| Wairarapa Line | 1760NaN0 | Freight & Passenger Wellington to Masterton Freight only Masterton to Woodville |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dargaville Branch | Waiotira – Dargaville | Closed leased to private operator | |
| Dargaville – Kaihu – Donnellys Crossing | Closed 1959 | ||
| Kumeū – Riverhead | Closed 1885 | ||
| Otiria – Kaikohe – Ōkaihau | Closed 1987 | ||
| Whangārei – Onerahi | Closed 1933 | ||
| Otiria – Kawakawa – Opua | Closed 1985 Kawakawa – Taumarere operated by Bay of Islands Vintage Railway |
| 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 | |
| Glenbrook – Waiuku | Closed 1967 Now Glenbrook Vintage Railway |
| 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 | Newmarket – Penrose – Onehunga North Island Main Trunk Line, Newmarket Line, North Auckland Line, Onehunga Branch |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast Main Trunk Original sections from Paeroa | 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 | Freight only. Closed Hautapu – Cambridge 1999 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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) |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinleith Branch | Freight only | ||
| Mount Maunganui Branch | Freight only | ||
| Murupara Branch | Freight only | ||
| Putāruru – Rotorua/Koutu | Leased to a Private Operator, 2010 | ||
| Mothballed 2003 | |||
| Awakeri – Whakatane mill | Closed 2003 Leased to private operator |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napier Port Branch/Ahuriri Branch | Freight only | ||
| Freight only. Closed Makaraka – Moutohora 1959, Makaraka – Gisborne mothballed 2012. | |||
| Closed 1931 |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlecliff Branch | Freight only. | ||
| Opunake Branch/Kapuni Branch | Freight only. Closed Kapuni – Opunake | ||
| Closed | |||
| Closed 1999. Leased to private operator. Waitara Railway Preservation Society | |||
| Whanganui Branch | Freight only |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed 1959 | |||
| Closed 1895 |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gracefield Branch | Freight only. Hutt Workshops – Gracefield mothballed 2002 | ||
| Johnsonville Line | Passenger only. Former North Island Main Trunk Line | ||
| Melling Branch | Passenger only. Former Wairarapa Line | ||
| Closed 1917 |
| 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 |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed 1966 | |||
| Closed 1930 | |||
| Closed 1967 | |||
| Freight only. Closed Hokitika – Ross 1980 | |||
| Westport – Ngakawau – Seddonville – Mokihinui Mine | Freight only. Closed Seddonville – Mokihinui Mine 1974, Ngakawau – Seddonville 1981 | ||
| Rapahoe Branch | Freight only | ||
| Closed 1985 |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed Horrelville – Bennetts Junction 1931, Wetheral – Horrelville 1954, Kaiapoi – Wetheral 1965 | |||
| Closed 1968 Pleasant Point section operatred by Pleasant Point Museum and Railway Proposed Fairlie Rail Trail | |||
| Closed 1868 Now Ferrymead Railway | |||
| Freight only. Closed Lincoln – Southbridge 1962, Prebbleton – Lincoln 1967, mothballed 2012. | |||
| Closed 1962 Now Little River Rail Trail | |||
| Closed 1976 | |||
| Closed Mount Somers – Springburn 1957, Tinwald – Mount Somers 1968 Tinwald – Frasers Road section operated by Plains Vintage Railway | |||
| Closed Oxford – Sheffield 1930, Rangiora – Oxford 1959 | |||
| Closed 1978 Waipara – Waikari section operated by Weka Pass Railway | |||
| Closed Waimate – Waihao Downs 1953, Studholme – Waimate 1966 | |||
| Closed 1962 |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catlins River Branch | Freight only, Closed 1971 beyond Finegand | ||
| Closed Inch Valley – Dunback 1968, Palmerston – Makareao 1989 | |||
| Abbotsford – Fernhill | Closed 2003 | ||
| Passenger only – Kingston Flyer Ltd. | |||
| Closed Kurow – Hakataramea 1930, Pukeuri – Kurow 1983 | |||
| Closed 1879 | |||
| Closed Windsor Junction – Tokarahi 1930, Taylor's Siding – Ngapara 1959, Waiareka Junction – Taylor's Siding 1997 | |||
| 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 | Passenger only beyond Taieri. Closed Clyde – Cromwell 1980, Middlemarch – Clyde 1990 Taieri – Middlemarch operated by Dunedin Railways, Middlemarch – Clyde now Otago Central Rail Trail | ||
| Closed 1953 beyond Woollen Mills private siding, remainder closed 1990 | |||
| Port Chalmers Branch | Freight only | ||
| Closed 1968 | |||
| Shag Point – Shag Point Coal Mine | Closed 1934 | ||
| Closed Heriot – Edievale 1968, Waipahi – Heriot 1978 | |||
| Closed 1957 |
| Name | Route | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed Gore – Balfour 1971, Lumsden – Balfour 1978 | |||
| Bluff Branch | Standard gauge 1435mm, 1866 to 1875. Freight only | ||
| Closed Browns – Hedgehope 1953, Winton – Browns 1968 | |||
| Closed completely 1982 except: Kingston – Fairlight (Otago) operated by Kingston Flyer Ltd, Invercargill – Makarewa part of Wairio Branch | |||
| Closed 1875, Standard gauge 1435mm from 1866, connected to Bluff Branch | |||
| Closed 1982 | |||
| Closed Tuatapere – Orawia 1970, Riverton – Tuatapere 1976, Thornbury – Riverton 1978 Makarewa – Thornbury part of Wairio Branch | |||
| Closed 1966 | |||
| Closed 1959 | |||
| Closed 1962 | |||
| Wairio Branch/Ohai Industrial Line | Freight only, mothballed beyond Nightcaps | ||
| Closed Wyndham – Glenham 1930, Edendale – Wyndham 1962 |
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.
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.[3] 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:
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.
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. 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 were industrial tramway lines principally constructed to haul timber or minerals, often in isolated areas. A variety of gauges was used, including the New Zealand standard . 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 bush 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 -
| 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 |
| 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 |
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.
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.