The Minister appointed a General Manager for the railways, keeping the operation under tight political control. After the abolition of provincial governments in 1876, the Central Government took over the building of railways in New Zealand… A guide on New Zealand national travel networks and routes lines system. However, due to New Zealand's rugged terrain overseas technology could not simply be directly introduced. Aramoana with passengers during an early sailing. His successor, H.C. Lusty, terminated the contract and entered into an agreement with General Motors for the supply of 40 EMD G12 model locomotives, designated by NZR as the DA class. Buy The railways of New Zealand : a journey through history by Geoffrey B. Churchman, Tony Hurst online at Alibris. Nine of the ED electric locomotives were constructed (assembled) at the Hutt (7) and Addington (2) workshops. This class followed the building of the Red Terror (an inspection car on a Leyland Cub chassis) for the General Manager in 1933. 2004 - Government assumes ownership of national rail network and forms ONTRACK to run it. The pass is also a convenient way to combine several of New Zealand’s great train trips into the rail journey of a lifetime. On foot, I follow the railway tracks 660 metres down New Zealand's longest wharf to the end, where they split into four sidings. The programme included: An independent commission, led by Sir Sam Fay and Sir Vincent Raven produced a report known as the "Fay Raven Report"[19] which gave qualified approval to Coates' programme. Because steam locomotives could not be operated through the new tunnel, the Wairarapa Line was the first to be fully "dieselised". If you are looking for a detailed work on the history, expansion, and operation of New Zealand's railways, then this is the book for you. The service was discontinued in the early 1980s.[30]. History Edit 1981-1990: National rail landowner, network provider and train operator Edit. Amid many protests, the isolated Nelson Section was closed, although future Nelson Railway Proposals resurfaced from 1957. Date: Apr/May 2013 From: New Zealand railway observer, By: Prebble, Bill, 1955-, INNZNA Description: Features some of Newton Candish's black and white railway images from the mid 1940s to the early 1950s (B306 at the Linwood locomotive sheds, G97 at Ashburton, A472 heading to Greymouth, EC7 derailed at Heathcote, EO2 at the Addington Workshops, and JA1265, AB696, AB718, AB723, and A419 … The new service featured buffet cars and modernised rolling stock. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Statistics New Zealand - Long term data series - Transport. The New Zealand Railways Road Services branch was formed to operate bus services. Ja.1260 4-8-2 : Ashburton, New Zealand: Location: Plains Railway Society: Status: Display: Album: Video: Notes: Like the New Zealand Railways Department that preceded it, NZRC had a responsible Minister, the Minister of Railways.This ministerial office was dissolved in 1993.. NZRC was created as a statutory corporation by the New Zealand Railways Corporation Act 1981 from the New Zealand Railways Department. While the Westfield and Tawa Flat deviations proceeded, the Milson deviation and Rimutaka Tunnel projects remained stalled. The introduction of a roll-on roll-off train ferry changed that. Here is our sixth project development report for 2020. - See 69 traveller reviews, 46 candid photos, and great deals for Featherston, New Zealand, at Tripadvisor. 150 years ago in 1864 the first official European settlers landed from the s. s Rangiriri on the west bank of the Waikato River at Kirikiriroa. The following year NZR introduced the dual-cab DF class in 1954, the first main-line diesel-electric locomotives in service. 10 years later in 1936 the Leyland diesel railbus was introduced, but the first truly successful railcar class to enter service began operating that year, the Wairarapa railcar specially designed to operate over the Rimutaka Incline. 1959-1971 - Numerous country branch lines closures across country as steam era comes to end and re-equipping lines with modern locomotives and updated infrastructure not considered viable. Buy The Railways of New Zealand : A Journey Through History 2nd (revised) by Churchman, Geoffrey B.; Hurst, Tony (ISBN: 9780908876204) from Amazon's Book Store. A new locomotive class, the X class, was introduced in 1909 for traffic on the line. Ironically, the first few years of NZR were marked by the Long Depression, which led to great financial constraint on the department. The first through train from Wellington to Auckland. In 1931 it was claimed half a million tons of freight had been lost to road transport. The X class was the most powerful locomotive at the time. During the summer of 1923, he spent the entire parliamentary recess inspecting the department's operations. [2] Originally, railway construction and operation took place under the auspices of the former provincial governments and some private railways, before all of the provincial operations came under the central Public Works Department. 2012 – Napier to Gisborne rail line mothballed after severe storm causes extensive damage north of Wairoa. At first, they were deployed to the North Island Main Trunk but gradually began working the express freight trains for which they were ordered throughout the North Island. (Auckland Star, 1925-08-27)", "Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, Report of the Government Railways Board", New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society, "Transforming our economy—Container shipping", "Road transport regulation a controversial measure to protect railways", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Zealand_Railways_Department&oldid=1002622072, Defunct transport organisations based in New Zealand, Former government agencies of New Zealand, Rolling stock manufacturers of New Zealand, New Zealand companies established in 1880, Use New Zealand English from September 2017, All Wikipedia articles written in New Zealand English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Three new locomotive classes appeared in 1939: the KA class, KB class and the J class. When the New Zealand Public Works Department took over and finally completed the line to Rotorua in 1893, Mamaku Railway Station became the highest point on the Rotorua Main Line as it was known at the time. Freight volumes greatly increased during the 1970s, despite the oil shocks of 1973 and 1979, with the greatest setback for freight volumes being Britain's entry into the European Economic Community in 1973. 25. [32] The line's success led to several Taupo Railway Proposals being put forward, with extensions of the branch being mooted at various times. In the 1917 Annual Report, a record 5.3% return on investment was made. Film credit New Zealand archives For those who love building model railways . 1955 – Rimutaka tunnel opens, eclipsing Otira as the longest at 8.8km and Nelson railway closes. For more than 155 years, rail has played a critical role in New Zealand’s transport system. A guide on New Zealand national travel networks and routes lines system. The branch is the last major branch line to open in New Zealand to date. This led to many benefits for NZR customers. On Christmas Eve 1953, the worst disaster in NZR's history, and one of the worst in New Zealand's history occurred. As a result, the "scramble for pie and tea at Taihape" became a part of New Zealand folklore. To send goods between the islands, freight had to be unloaded from wagons onto a ship on one island, unloaded at the other and then loaded back into wagons to resume its journey by rail. More classes followed over the years, primarily to operate regional services. The worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River, just west of Tangiwai in the central North Island. However, they proved to be unsuccessful in service and original order of 31 was cancelled, and DG class locomotives, also built by English Electric, were ordered instead. Reefton Railway Station, July 1991.. New Zealand’s challenging landscapes demanded some remarkable feats of early railway engineers. A tunnel boring machine in action during the construction of the Kaimai Tunnel in 1978. [14][15], In 1920 the 3,000-mile (4,800 km) milestone of open railway lines was reached and 15 million passengers were carried by the department. The Railways Board was abolished by the First Labour Government in 1936.[3]. Once again, growing traffic requirements led to the introduction of a new type of locomotive, the ill-fated G class Garratt locomotives in 1928. New Zealand’s first steam-powered public railway was a 7-kilometre line from Christchurch to Ferrymead, which opened in 1863. 2016 – Kaikoura earthquake - Main North Line devastated, 2017 – Main North line reopened to restricted freight services just 10 months after the earthquake. The locomotive is now preserved in Dunedin near the railway station. HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand). Originally, New Zealand's railways were constructed by provincial governments and private firms. [36][37] The Southerner between Christchurch and Invercargill was introduced, replacing the South Island Limited. Passenger numbers soar in response to the improved services. Fell Locomotive Museum: Really interesting local history museum - railway fans will love it. Download and print the New Zealand Touring Map to see information on each of the regions in New Zealand and 16 themed highways. CHOOSE YEAR. Churchman and Hurst's research is meticulous, detailed, and presented extremely well - if you have any interest in railways, you will enjoy reading this vivid insight. The New Zealand Railway system which was already under state control before the First World War reached its ultimate size in the 1950s. [20] Coates went on to become Prime Minister in 1925, an office he held until 1928 when he was defeated at the general election of that year. In October 1969, the first unit coal trains were introduced, between coal mines at Huntly and New Zealand Steel at Mission Bush. Rail employs 21,000 workers. This again saw English Electric supply locomotives, the EC class. By the 1920s New Zealand Railways (NZR) was carrying more than six million tons of freight and 28 million passengers a year - a remarkable achievement for a nation of just over a million people. Built by the Canterbury provincial government, this line used tiny British-built tank engines and a broad 5-foot 3-inch (1,600-millimetre) ‘Irish’ gauge track. The table below records the performance of the Railways Department in terms of freight tonnage:[42]. The first of these locomotives entered service in September 1955, with all of this initial order running by September 1957. The subject is an unlikely one but as you journey through the life and times of a small part of a once-large government department you realise that the raw material: artwork, photographs, trains, people at work, advertising and much more, is pretty well a summary of 20th-century New Zealand. [38] NZR introduced its first purpose-built container wagons, the UK class, for the growing traffic that was quickly changing freight patterns. They wanted railways to carry products from farms, forests and mines to markets and ports, and to provide acce… [9] Apart from four periods of government-appointed commissions (1889–1894, 1924–1928, 1931–1936 and 1953–1957), this system remained in place until the department was corporatised in 1982. [39] In it, he spelt out the basic challenge facing NZR at the time: providing both commercial and loss-making "social" services. 1886 - Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company opens line to Longburn, near Palmerston North, introducing gas lighting and dining cars. It was the first time an employer had provided employment plus accommodation for its staff. [31] The EW class electric locomotives introduced for the Wellington electric system. This scheme was shut down in 1929 as it was considered improper for a government department to compete with private builders.[16]. Inflationary pressures within the economy greatly rose, at the same time exports were falling. NZ Rail Maps - Main Site. NZR's first bus operation began on 1 October 1907, between Culverden on the Waiau Branch and Waiau Ferry in Canterbury. 2008 – present day - Government funds projects totalling more than $900 million to modernise Wellington’s commuter rail system and allow for longer, faster trains and more services to meet growing commuter demand. The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey Through History. Following the success of the Wairarapa railcar class, in 1938 the Standard class railcars were introduced. The introduction of the Japanese-built DJ class diesels from that year in the South Island accelerated the demise of steam, replacing the remaining steam locomotives. Discover more about New Zealand Railway Employees 1896 This is an index of roughly 4,500 New Zealand railway officers and employees. The following year, he put forward a "Programme of Improvements and New Works'".[18]. The section was electrified at 1,500 V DC, due to the steep grade in the tunnel, and included its own hydro-electric power station. The Act was repealed in 1982. [3] During this period the Prime Minister George Forbes was also Minister of Railways, and Minister of Finance was former Minister of Railways Gordon Coates. New Zealand has a long and colourful railway history, dating from the first public line linking Ferrymead and the new town of Christchurch in 1863. We have new and used copies available, in 0 edition - starting at $68.70. Branch lines around the country were progressively closed and deregulation of the transport industry saw rail’s market share of freight transport drop significantly. 1986 – Labour government makes railways a state-owned enterprise. 2 The 20 mile line between Blenheim and Picton was opened on November 18, 1875. The first of the now-iconic railway houses were prefabricated in a factory in Frankton for NZR staff. New Zealand's first public railway was opened in that year, running the short distance between Christchurch and the wharf at Ferrymead and built by the Canterbury Provincial Railways. All maps are licensed for re-use under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike NZ 3.0. Coates was an ambitious politician who had an almost "religious zeal" for his portfolio. Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) was installed from Taumaranui to Auckland at the same time. [41] TMS resulted in an 8 per cent improvement in wagon utilisation. For 2014 apart from being another Thames heritage Week, is also a jubilee year for Hamilton. The railway network was initially constructed by the provincial governments of New Zealand from 1863 onwards. In 1882, the first shipment of frozen meat from New Zealand made it successfully to England, proving … The war itself led to a decline in passenger, freight and train miles run but also led to an increase in profitability. If you are looking for a detailed work on the history, expansion, and operation of New Zealand's railways, then this is the book for you. The first railway in New Zealand was constructed by the Canterbury Provincial Government in 1863. D-J Paper over boards Small owner's stamp FEP Near Fine. 1873 - First train in North Island, Auckland-Onehunga. Better New Zealand encompasses the critical role we play in a sustainable and inclusive economy, taking trucks off the road, reducing carbon emissions and increasing well-being now and for future generations. In 1946 the last class of steam locomotives built by NZR was introduced, the JA class. While our rail network isn’t vast, thanks to their skill and determination, there are some incredible train journeys on offer. The topography of New Zealand made the construction of railways a major engineering problem, not least the need for 150 tunnels in the hilly to mountainous terrain of so much of the country. We are pleased to announce that the Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific and TranzAlpine trains have returned to the tracks for spring and summer. [13] The war soon affected the supply of coal to the railways. New Zealand Railways No. All maps are licensed for re-use under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike NZ 3.0. The early railways in New Zealand—as in most young countries—were designed to rapidly open up the country at a minimum cost. Most of New Zealand’s early European settlements were on the coast. CONCLUSION: The Frankton Junction settlement represents a significant part of New Zealand Railways history. The book also serves as a company history, drawing on interviews with past staff members and providing pen portraits of the most prominent artists and administrators. Early steam railways. The length of the network peaked at more than 5,500 kilometres in 1953. In reaction to this, the government attempted to control inflation by fixing prices; in 1972 it was decided that NZR could only charge for its services at no more than 1971 rates, despite rising fuel and labour costs. The first settlers probably arrived from Polynesia between 1200 and 1300 AD. In 1972 the first Silver Fern railcars were introduced for the daytime Wellington–Auckland run. At the same time, a protracted legal battle began with the New Zealand Midland Railway Company, which was only resolved in 1898. The locomotives gave good service, but were not powerful or numerous enough to seriously displace steam traction. 2006 – 2014 – Government funds a series of projects totalling $1.6 billion to modernise and electrify Auckland’s commuter rail system. Instead, in August 1881 the Railways Construction and Land Act was passed, allowing joint-stock companies to build and run private railways, as long as they were built to the government's standard rail gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and connected with the government railway lines. The newest addition to MOTAT’s model rail network celebrates 100 years of rail in West Auckland. In February 1867, Southland Province opened a branch from Invercargill to Bluff to the international standard gaugeof 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,43… [5], The Railways Department was formed in 1880 during the premiership of Sir John Hall. Discover New Zealand travel destinations and attractions by rail, bus and ferry. [24] The failure of this class lead to the introduction of the K class in 1932. This led to the closure of the Rimutaka Incline and its unique Fell railway system. Before the Aramoana was introduced, NZR could not compete for inter-island freight business, and the rail networks of both the North and South Islands were not well integrated. Following the war, NZR contracted the Royal New Zealand Air Force from 1947 to ship inter-island freight across Cook's Strait between Paraparaumu in the North Island and Blenheim in the South Island, as part of the "Rail Air" service. Freight traffic was again changing. On 3 November of the same year the 8.798 kilometres (5.467 mi) long Rimutaka Tunnel opened, greatly reducing transit times between the Wairarapa and Wellington. Railways were built and towns sprang up or expanded. Since then, successive Governments have recognised its critical role in New Zealand transport and the value it delivers to communities, regional economies, exporters and businesses. [39], In 1981, parliament passed the New Zealand Railways Corporation Act, and the department was corporatised as the New Zealand Railways Corporation on 1 April 1982.[2]. 1996 - Wisconsin Central and Fay Richwhite float 31 million shares to the public at $6.19/share. From the late 1950s branch lines closed, and by the 2000s, there were less than 4,000 kilometres of railway lines. New Zealand has a long and colourful railway history, dating from the first public line linking Ferrymead and the new town of Christchurch in 1863. Opening of the Midland Railway, Stillwater junction. /records/22794307. Concerns about green-house gas emissions and fluctuating petrol prices, changing global freight trends and growing congestion on our roads has led to a revival of rail, and recognition of its natural advantages moving freight, tourists, urban passengers within major cities and regional commuters to work in the city. The corporatisation of NZ Railways in 1988 saw many of the properties sold into private ownership. About the authors. Our three iconic trains, Coastal Pacific, Northern Explorer, TranzAlpine and our Interislander Cook Strait ferry offer a seamless connection between the North and South islands, and to many spectacular destinations along the way. /records/22903033. Archives New Zealand railway photograph collection (ex-New Zealand Railways publicity collection). First to arrive were ancestors of Māori. The final demise of steam came on 26 October 1971 with the withdrawal of the last class of mainline steam locomotives, the JA class in the South Island (although the NZR-operated heritage Kingston Flyer service, using two AB class steam locomotives began just two months later in December 1971). Hillside built 9 NZR TR class diesel shunters. New Zealand Railway History in Photos. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19080820-14-6. 2018 – Govt funding announced to enable the reopening of the mothballed Napier to Wairoa line. added the pin Manor Park station, Lower Hutt The area at Ferrymead that this railway occupied is now largely a Heritage Museum already with an operational railway which is rebuilt on much of the old original track foundation. The Act had the effect of authorising the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company to build the Wellington-Manawatu Line.[7]. The Auckland workshops (Newmarket, then Otahuhu) specialised in car and wagon work, and in repairs and maintenance. The NZR&LS Archives hold a number of working drawings of D class locomotives, which have all been scanned. 5.000000. The Weka Pass Railway is a historic rural railway using both vintage steam and diesel-electric locomotives on 12.8 km of scenic line through the unique limestone beauty of the Weka Pass out of Waipara. 151 people died when the Wellington-Auckland express was derailed due to a bridge collapse north of Tangiwai due to a lahar from a volcanic eruption, in what became known as the Tangiwai disaster. Despite large orders for diesel-electric locomotives, NZR was still building steam locomotives until 1956, when JA1274 was completed at Hillside Workshops, Dunedin. [36] The US-built General Electric U26C DX class locomotives were introduced in 1972, with a further batch arriving in 1975. The introduction of GMV Aramoana in 1962 heralded the start of inter-island ferry services run by NZR. First train carried MPs on a junket to Auckland, in August (pictured on left). The New Zealand Railways Magazine was published monthly for 14 years, with the final issue appearing in June 1940. 1930 - Rotorua Limited introduced for tourists from Auckland, with observation car. The Railways Department followed a traditional branch structure, which was carried over to the corporation. "[35], On 12 February 1979, NZR introduced a computerised "Traffic Monitoring System", known as TMS. The KA was a further development of the K class, while the J class was primarily for lighter trackage in the South Island. In 1950, Straits Air Freight Express (later known as SAFE Air) took over the contract from the RNZAF. In 1942 the Gisborne Line was finally opened, followed by the Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch being completed in 1945. The service never lived up to its promise and was withdrawn in 1979 due to poor patronage. Toll Rail New Zealand railways; Plains Vintage Railway (Ashburton, Canterbury) The Plains was officially opened to the public in 1973. The first half of the twentieth century was a ‘golden age' for rail. In the Liberals last year of office in 1912, 140 miles (230 km) of line had been relaid, but that was reduced to 118 in 1913, 104 in 1914, 81 in 1924 and 68 in 1925, during the Reform Government's years.[23]. Originally, New Zealand's railways were constructed by provincial governments and private firms. Ten of the DB class were rebuilt into the DBR class at the same time. The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. [26], Alongside these changes, in 1931 the Railways Department was briefly restructured into the Government Railways Board. Christmas Eve crash at Tangiwai kills 151 rail passengers. Membership is open to all with an interest in the New Zealand Railway system both old and new. 1936 - First successful railcars, Wairarapa route. Based on British and American railway company magazines, it was launched as a journal for the Railways Department’s major customers and 18,000 staff. [11] By that time, 3,200 km (2,000 mi) of railway lines were open for traffic. NZ Rail … They discovered New Zealand as they explored the Pacific, navigating by ocean currents and the winds and stars.In some traditions, the navigator credited with discovering New Zealand is Kupe. With the new millennium came renewed enthusiasm for rail – globally and here in New Zealand. Shop now. A chronological history of New Zealand rail. In the 1870s, the government helped thousands of British people start a new life in New Zealand. Despite the war and associated labour and material shortages, new railway construction continued. In 1906 the Dunedin railway station was completed, architect George Troup. 14.000000. Inland travel was difficult because of the mountains, forests and swamps, so most people used sea and river transport, or walked. Future of Rail . 2009 Stratford – Okahukura (Taumaranui) line in Taranaki mothballed following derailment. For the first time, the Department employed significant numbers of women to meet the shortages. During The Vogel Era of the late 1860s to the 1870s, railway construction by central government expanded greatly, from just 80 kilometres (50 miles) in 1869 to 1,900 kilometres (1,200 miles) in 1880. 34.000000 added the pin The unloading of ED101 at Aotea Quay from the floating crane Hikitea 07 October 2013 Archives New Zealand railway photograph collection (ex-New Zealand Railways publicity collection). The line stopped about 1.5 miles (2 km) short of Blenheim until it was extended in 1880/1. 1879 - Possible to travel 600km from Christchurch to Invercargill by train. New marshalling yards at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch; The Milson Deviation of the North Island Main Trunk through, This page was last edited on 25 January 2021, at 08:38. Almost everyone travelling between major centres took … Ja.1260 4-8-2 : Ashburton, New Zealand: Location: Plains Railway Society: Status: Display: Album: Video: Notes: [5] The acquisition in 1908 of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company and its railway line marked the completion of the North Island Main Trunk from Wellington to Auckland. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Photographer Andrew Surgenor Date of Photo July 1991 Map [1] Contributor Andrew Surgenor. Completed in 1988 at a cost of $250 million. Reefton Railway Station, July 1991. Retrieved on 2008-03-25. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 had a significant impact on the Railways Department. 1972 (errata slip) 254p. However, NZR was criticized for not investing enough in new bogie wagons. It set a minimum distance road transport operators could transport goods at 30 miles (48 km) before they had to be licensed. The Wellington railway station and Tawa flat deviation were both completed in 1937. The Canterbury Provincial Railways were built to the broad gauge of 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm). [4] At the time 1,828 kilometres (1,136 miles) of railway lines were open for traffic, 546 km (339 mi) in the North Island and 1,283 km (797 mi) in the South Island, mainly consisting of the 630 km (390 mi) Main South Line from the port of Lyttelton to Bluff. Above and below rail business: [ 42 ] tonnage: [ 42 ] 1908 - North Island trunk. In 1923, heralding the Completion of the K, J, KA JA. Featured buffet cars and modernised rolling stock in Dunedin near the railway has dominated the of! Below rail business be licensed proved to be the backbone of the worst in. 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