The Kaimai Express was a long distance passenger train operated by the Tranz Scenic division of Tranz Rail (previously the New Zealand Rail Limited division InterCity Rail) which ran between the North Island cities of Auckland and Tauranga via Hamilton. It utilised the Silver Fern railcars and operated from 9 December 1991 until 7 October 2001. Toll NZ, properly Toll Consolidated NZ Ltd (NZX: TRH), is New Zealands largest transport company in terms of annual revenue and size. ... Toll NZ Limited (Tranz Rail Holdings Limited until May 2004) is the parent company of New Zealands principal railways operator. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... Tauranga (population 107,706 — 2006 census) is the largest city of the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in Maori) is New Zealands fourth largest city. ... The NZR RM class Silver Fern is a class of railcar used for rail passenger transport in New Zealand. ... Not to be confused with railroad car. ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

Background

In 1928, when the East Coast Main Trunk Railway was opened as far as Taneatua, its furthest extent, a passenger train commenced operating from Auckland to Taneatua on a slow 12 hour schedule. Within a year, this was upgraded to 10.5 hours and named the Taneatua Express. For much of its life, it ran only twice or thrice weekly. The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ...

In 1959, the Taneatua Express was replaced by a daily railcar service utilising 88 seater railcars, but due to negligible traffic to Taneatua, the service terminated in Te Puke. This service did not last long, as the circuitous rail route struggled to compete with private cars. Its cancellation was effective from 11 September 1967, and until 1991, the only passenger services that operated on the route were special excursions. The NZR88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand, aso known unofficially as articulateds, twinsets, Drewrys and Fiats. They were purchased to replace steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains. ... Te Puke is a town located 28 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

Operation

In 1991, the Silver Ferns that operated the daily services between Wellington and Auckland were replaced by the locomotive-hauled Overlander, and accordingly, new routes were found for the Silver Ferns. These were the Geyserland Express to Rotorua, and the Kaimai Express to Tauranga. The train's name came from the Kaimai Tunnel through the Kaimai Ranges; this tunnel was opened on 12 September 1978 and provided a much quicker and more direct route to the Bay of Plenty. This meant services operated substantially quicker than the previous Taneatua Express and 88 seater railcars. The NZR RM class Silver Fern is a class of railcar used for rail passenger transport in New Zealand. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke in Māori) is the capital of New Zealand, the countrys second largest urban area and the most populous national capital in Oceania. ... The Overlander, hauled by an EF class electric locomotive near Waiouru The Overlander is a long-distance rail passenger service between Auckland and Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand. ... The Geyserland Express was a long distance passenger train operated by New Zealand Rail Limited (later Tranz Rail) between Auckland and Rotorua in New Zealands North Island. ... Rotorua is a city located on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... The Kaimai Range is a mountain range located in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Portal:Currentevents September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... The Bay of Plenty, often abbreviated to BoP, is a region of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name. ...

The first Kaimai Express ran on 9 December 1991 and consisted of a morning service from Tauranga to Auckland and afternoon service from Auckland to Tauranga. The train took roughly 3.5 hours to operate in each direction.

In 2000 timings were changed to enable the introduction of the Waikato Connection commuter service between Hamilton and Auckland. The southbound service departed Auckland at 8:20am and reached Tauranga 3 hours and 31 minutes later at 11:51am. The northbound service left Tauranga at 1:05pm and reached Auckland at 4:34pm, 3 hours and 29 minutes later.

The Kaimai Express did not make a financial profit, and in 2001, it was announced that the service was too uneconomic for Tranz Rail to continue. No subsidies came forth from the government to sustain the Kaimai Express's operation, and no private companies wished to invest in it. It was accordingly cancelled and operated for the final time on 7 October 2001. October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

External link

• Kaiami Express timetable and information