The North Island Main Trunk line (NIMT) connects Auckland and Wellington, the two major cities of New Zealand's North Island. The line is the standard New Zealand gauge of 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in). A train going north, towards Auckland, is an "up" train with an even number, and one heading southwards is a "down" train with an odd number. The line is 680 km long and includes the famous Raurimu Spiral. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 393 × 599 pixels Full resolution (600 × 915 pixel, file size: 118 KB, MIME type: image/png) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): North Island Main Trunk Railway... Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... Alternative meanings at Wellington (disambiguation) A view of Wellington from the top of Mount Victoria. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Two rail welds in continuous welded rail in Wisconsin. ... Two rail welds in continuous welded rail in Wisconsin. ... The Raurimu Spiral is a notable feat of engineering in the central North Island of New Zealand. ...

History

Construction

Auckland - Te Awamutu

Auckland's first railway southwards was the 13 km line between Point Britomart and Onehunga, opened in 1873. This line, now the Onehunga Branch, branched off line intended to be built to the Waikato, possibly to support the Invasion of the Waikato. From Penrose the line was extended south to Mercer by 20 May 1875, with 29 km from Ngaruawahia being constructed by the Volunteer Engineer Militia and opening on 13 August 1877. The line from Ngaruawahia was extended to Frankton by December 1877, and to Te Awamutu in 1880. An economic downturn and protracted negotiations with local Maori stalled construction for the next five years, and Te Awamutu remained the operating railhead for some time. Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. ... A branch line is a relatively minor railway line which branches off a more important through route. ... The Onehunga Branch opened in Auckland, New Zealand in 1873. ... The Invasion of the Waikato was an invasion during the Maori Wars fought in the North Island of New Zealand from July 1863 to April 1864 between the military forces of the Colonial Government and a federation of Maori tribes known as the King Movement (Kiingitanga). ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Waikato River, passing through Ngāruawāhia A loose translation of the word Ngāruawāhia (Wāhia-ngā-rua) means the place of the two rivers in Māori, a reference to the joining of the Waipa and Waikato rivers. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Waikato River, passing through Ngāruawāhia A loose translation of the word Ngāruawāhia (Wāhia-ngā-rua) means the place of the two rivers in Māori, a reference to the joining of the Waipa and Waikato rivers. ... Te Awamutu (In Maori: The (Te) Rivers(Awa) End (mutu)) is a town in the Waikato on the North Island of New Zealand. ...

Central North Island

From Te Awamutu it was proposed that the line be built either via Taupo (see Taupo Railway Proposals), or via Taumarunui, the eventual route. Construction of the final central section of line began on 15 April 1885, when Wahanui Maniopoto paramount chief turned the first sod outside of Te Awamutu. It was 23 years before the two lines met, on 6 November 1908; the central section was the most difficult to construct. It required crossing the North Island Volcanic Plateau with its deep ravines. This required the construction of nine viaducts and the world-famous Raurimu Spiral. The last spike was ceremonially driven by the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward. The 'Last Spike' monument is at 39°16.44′S, 175°23.37′E, near Pokaka. Taupo (Māori pronunciation - IPA: ) is a small urban area in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Taupo is a missing link in New Zealand’s railway network. ... Taumarunui 38°53. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Te Awamutu (In Maori: The (Te) Rivers(Awa) End (mutu)) is a town in the Waikato on the North Island of New Zealand. ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The North Island Volcanic Plateau (often called the Central Plateau and occasionally the Waimarino Plateau) is located in the central North Island of New Zealand. ... The Raurimu Spiral is a notable feat of engineering in the central North Island of New Zealand. ... The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealands head of government and is the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand. ... Joseph George Ward (1856 - 1930) was Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the early 20th century. ...

Wellington - Longburn

The Wellington - Longburn (near Palmerston North) section was constructed between 1881 and 1886 by a private company, the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. The company was acquired by the New Zealand Railways Department in 1908, following the completion of the central section. For other uses, see Wellington (disambiguation). ... Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... The Wellington and Manawatu Railway (WMR) was a railway between Thorndon in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and Longburn, near Palmerston North in the Manawatu. ... The New Zealand Railways Department, or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways), often known as the Railways, was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealands rail infrastructure. ...

Track upgrades

In the 1930s the Wellington end of the NIMT was deviated from Wellington to Tawa Flat by the construction of the Tawa Flat deviation, including two long tunnels. The deviation is the centre two tracks, with the Wairarapa Line's Nagauranga station in the background, alongside State Highway 1.

The line has been upgraded and deviated several times. In the 1930s the old Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company line was deviated between Wellington and Tawa Flat, though most of the original line was retained as the Johnsonville Line. Also in the 1930s, the Auckland - Westfield section of line was deviated via Hobson's Bay. In the 1950s the line north from Tawa to Porirua and Plimmerton was duplicated and the section from Porirua to Plimmerton straightened by harbour reclamation. Between 1964 and 1966 the line was deviated from the centre of Palmerston North via Milson on the edge of the city. In 1981 the Mangaweka-Utiku deviation, with three viaducts, was opened. The central section of the line from Te Rapa near Hamilton to Palmerston North was electrified in the 1980s. Progressively tunnel clearances were increased and curves eased. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 506 pixelsFull resolution (1794 × 1134 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 506 pixelsFull resolution (1794 × 1134 pixel, file size: 3. ... The Tawa Flat deviation is a double-track section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) just north of Wellington, New Zealand. ... The Wairarapa line is a section of secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the Wairarapa region. ... State Highway 1 State Highway 1 is the most significant single element of the New Zealand roading network State Highway 1 can be considered as a single highway running the length of both main islands, a total of 2027 km. ... The Wellington and Manawatu Railway (WMR) was a railway between Thorndon in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and Longburn, near the town of Palmerston North, in the Manawatu. ... The Tawa Flat deviation is a double-track section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) just north of Wellington, New Zealand. ... The Johnsonville branch line in Wellington, New Zealand runs from Wellington to the northern suburb of Johnsonville. ... Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. ...

See also: Tawa Flat deviation

The Tawa Flat deviation is a double-track section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) just north of Wellington, New Zealand. ...

Electrification

Early proposals

Electrification of the NIMT was mooted by Electrical Engineer Evan Parry in the first volume of the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology in November 1918. In light of a national coal shortage following World War I, Parry argued that the network was under great strain due to ever-increasing volumes of freight, and the use of steam traction was partly to blame. Parry also noted that there was great potential for cheap hydro-electricity generation in the central North Island to power electrification. “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Post-war proposals

From 1948 to 1951 the then General Manager of the New Zealand Railways Department, Frederick Aicken, advocated electrification of the entire line, despite protests from his engineering staff.

Following the Second World War, railway services again suffered due to skill and coal shortages. Skilled staff sought employment opportunities elsewhere in the economy. Aicken had previously been Staff Superintendent and Chief Legal Advisor to the Department, and considered using diesel locomotives for trains on the NIMT to be too expensive. He turned his attention to electrification, mainly because be saw that it could relieve the coal situation and prevent high expenditure on imported fuels.

He commissioned a study into electrification, which concluded that a low frequency alternating current system could be cheaper than the 1,500 V DC system. Aicken sent a technical mission of four senior officers overseas in March 1949, and travelled overseas himself to negotiate a tentative contract with a British construction company. The Chief Mechanical Engineer and Chief Accountant specified and costed the system and Aicken was able to complete a substantial report justifying the NIMT electrification and submit it to the Government. City lights viewed in a motion blurred exposure. ...

Officers from New Zealand Treasury and the Ministry of Works and two experts from Sweden commented on the proposal and in December 1950 the Government granted approval in principle and agreed to appoint Thelander as a consultant. However, Aicken fell out with the then National Government, and retired from his position as General Manager in July 1951. With the change in regime the electrification proposal disappeared. The New Zealand Treasury (in Māori, Kaitohutohu Kaupapa Rawa) is a public sector organisation and is the Government’s lead advisor on economic and financial policy. ... The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988. ...

A key assumption of Aicken's report was that traffic on the NIMT would grow by 50% from 1948 to 1961. Since a diesel-electric locomotive was in fact a travelling power station, the savings through electrification compared to diesel could be regarded as the difference between the cost of buying bulk electrical energy generated substantially from New Zealand resources and the cost of generating electricity in small plants using imported diesel fuel.

However, the Royal Commission on Railways, created following Aicken's tenure, rejected the reports findings. Aicken's successor, H.C. Lusty, terminated the tentative contract and ordered D^A class diesel-electric locomotives. The NZR DA class (DA class under TMS), built between 1955 and 1967, was the most numerous class of locomotive to run on New Zealands national railway network, with 146 locomotives, five more than the previous largest class, the AB steam locomotive of 1915. ...

Wellington

EW 1805 hauling DC 4611 near Paekakariki on the electrified Wellington section of the NIMT

The first part of the NIMT to be electrified was the Wellington - Paekakariki section, at 1,500 V DC, in 1940. Electric traction in this section is now used only by Tranz Metro for its suburban passenger services. These were extended north to Paraparaumu in 1983. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 873 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) EW 1805 with DC 4611 near Paekakariki - 21 August 2005 Photo by: Alan Wickens File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 873 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) EW 1805 with DC 4611 near Paekakariki - 21 August 2005 Photo by: Alan Wickens File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this... The NZR EW class locomotive was a class of electric locomotive used in Wellington, New Zealand. ... The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive on the New Zealand rail network. ... For other uses, see Wellington (disambiguation). ... Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. ... Direct current (DC or continuous current) is the continuous flow of electricity through a conductor such as a wire from high to low potential. ... Tranz Metro is the commuter rail system of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. ...

Central North Island

The 411 km section between Palmerston North and Hamilton was electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz AC, opened in June 1988 as one of the previous Muldoon National Government's "Think Big" energy development projects. An overall cost in excess of $100 million had been projected, with some 40% being for the locomotives, but the final cost was about $250 million. The overall economics of the project were greatly undermined by the fall of the price of oil in the 1980s and the deregulation of land transport, which removed the long-distance monopoly NZR held when the report was written. Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealands fourth largest urban area, and is the countrys seventh largest city. ... Look up AC, ac in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Right Honourable Sir Robert David (Rob) Muldoon GCMG CH (25 September 1921–5 August 1992) served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. ... The Third National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. ... The New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon (Prime Minister: 1975 - 1984; Sir Robert from 1983) and his New Zealand National Party government in the early 1980s sponsored Think Big as an interventionist state economic strategy. ...

The electrification of the section received approval in 1980 and had had its genesis in a study group set up in June 1974 to report on measures to be taken to cope with increasing rail traffic volumes. This led to a technical study carried out with assistance from the Japan Railway Technical Service. The report stated that increases track capacity would be created by electrification because such traction is faster and more powerful. The report stated, for example, that whereas a diesel locomotive could haul 720 tonne trains at 27 km/h up the Raurimu Spiral, an electric locomotive could haul 1,100 - 1,200 tonne trains at 45 km/h, cutting 3-5 hours off journey times. Less fuel would be needed and employing regenerative braking in electric locomotives lowers the fuel consumption further. The Raurimu Spiral is a notable feat of engineering in the central North Island of New Zealand. ...

Electrification's advantages were reflected in the economic evaluation in the report, which showed a rate of return of 18%. Sensitivity analyses showed that this high rate of return gave the project robustness against lower traffic volumes than expected (the return remained positive even if traffic falls), against significant increases in construction cost, and against lower than expected rises in the diesel fuel price.

The future

The Greater Wellington Regional Council has approved proposals to extend the 1,500 V DC Wellington electrification north from Paraparaumu to Waikanae by the year 2010. This will leave an 80.8 km gap to the central NIMT electrification. Since the systems are different, multi-current locomotives would be required for through working - the current electric locomotives, the EF class, are AC only. The Wellington region of New Zealand occupies the southern end of the North Island. ... Waikanae (pronounced Why-Can-I) is a small town on New Zealands Kapiti Coast. ... // Railway electric traction describes the various types of locomotive and multiple units that are used on electrification systems around the world Railway electrification as a means of traction emerged at the end of the nineteenth century. ...

There have been numerous proposals to electrify the Auckland suburban rail network, some dating from the 1960s^[1]. Most of these proposals coincided with proposals to the electrify the NIMT in its entirety. The most recent proposals (2005), which the government has now determined to implement^[2], are to electrify the network at 25 kV AC, the same system as on the central NIMT^[3]. This includes 49.5 km of the NIMT, the Southern line to Papakura, leaving a gap of 87.1 km to the central NIMT electrification.

See also: Public transport in Auckland - Core Network Upgrade

Public transport in Auckland, the largest city of New Zealand, is split between three modes - bus, ferry and rail. ...

Motive power

Due to its high volume and high value of traffic to NZR and the steep grades in the central section, the line used the most powerful locomotives in New Zealand.

Steam era

When it opened in 1908, the powerful X class was introduced to handle heavy traffic over the mountainous central North Island section. Four G class Garratt-type locomotives were introduced in 1928, but these locomotives were not as effective as anticipated. Instead, in 1932 the 4-6-4 K class was introduced, and later improved in 1939 with the K^A. The NZR X class was a pioneering class of eighteen steam locomotives designed by A. L. Beattie that operated on the national rail network of New Zealand. ... The NZR G class was a type of Garratt steam locomotive used in New Zealand, the only such Garratt type steam locomotives ever used by New Zealand Government Railways. ... Garratt on the Welsh Higland Railway South African Garratt Diagram of a Garratt locomotive A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated, normally in three parts. ... The NZR K class of 1932 was a class of steam locomotive that operated on New Zealands railway network with a wheel arrangement of 4-8-4. ... The NZR KA class of 1939 was a class of steam locomotive that operated on New Zealands railway network with a wheel arrangement of 4-8-4. ...

Diesel era

Some services are still hauled by diesels. Here a DC hauls the Overlander.

The introduction of the English Electric D^F class in 1951 began the end of the steam era, and in 1955 with the introduction of the D^A major withdrawals of steam locomotives began. 1972 saw the introduction of D^X locomotives and the Silver Fern railcars: the latter remained in service between Auckland and Wellington until 1991. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 671 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Toll Rail DC class locomotive at National Park hauling The Overlander from Auckland to Wellington. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 671 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Toll Rail DC class locomotive at National Park hauling The Overlander from Auckland to Wellington. ... The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive on the New Zealand rail network. ... 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 NZR English Electric DF class was the first class of mainline diesel-electric locomotives built for New Zealands national railway network. ... The NZR DA class (DA class under TMS), built between 1955 and 1967, was the most numerous class of locomotive to run on New Zealands national railway network, with 146 locomotives, five more than the previous largest class, the AB steam locomotive of 1915. ... The General Electric DX class, consists of forty-nine locomotives built by General Electric of the United States between 1972 and 1975 for the then New Zealand Railways Department. ... The NZR RM class Silver Fern is a class of railcar used for rail passenger transport in New Zealand. ...

Electric era

With electrification the DX class was mainly re-assigned to the South Island and replaced by EF class electric locomotives, introduced in the late 1980s. Since then services have been mainly worked by the electrics, although some services are still diesel operated, such as paper pulp freight trains from Karioi to Wellington. The South Island The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. ... The EF Class (previously classified Class 30) are the only mainline electric locomotives in service on New Zealands national rail network. ...

Connecting lines

The following lines connect with the NIMT:

• Auckland-Newmarket Line, at Quay Park Junction.
• North Auckland Line, at Otahuhu.
• Mission Bush Branch, at Paerata.
• Glen Afton Branch, at Huntly.
• Glen Massey Branch (closed), at Ngaruawahia.
• East Coast Main Trunk, at Hamilton.
• Stratford - Okahukura Line, at Okahukura.
• Raetihi Branch (closed), at Ohakune.
• Marton - New Plymouth Line, at Marton.
• Taonui Branch (closed), at Taonui.
• Palmerston North - Gisborne Line, at Palmerston North.
• Foxton Branch (closed), at Longburn.
• Wairarapa Line, at Kaiwharawhara.
• Johnsonville Line, at Wellington.

The Auckland - Newmarket Line, sometimes called the Newmarket Branch, is a railway line in Auckland, New Zealand. ... The North Auckland Line is a major railway line in New Zealands national rail network. ... The East Coast Main Trunk Railway is the railway line running between Hamilton to Taneatua via Tauranga, connecting the Waikato with the Bay of Plenty. ... The Stratford-Okahukura Line is a secondary railway line (not a branch line) between Stratford on the Marton - New Plymouth Line and Okahukura on the North Island Main Trunk Railway in the North Island of New Zealand, with 15 intermediate stations. ... The Raetihi Branch was a branch line railway in the central North Island of New Zealand. ... Ohakune is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Marton is the name of several places, most of them in England: Marton is a parish in Macclesfield in Cheshire Marton is in Rugby in Warwickshire Marton is a village in Wiltshire Marton is a town on the outskirts of Middlesbrough Marton-le-Moor is a village in North Yorkshire. ... The Taonui Branch was a minor railway line in New Zealands national network. ... Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... The Foxton Branch was a railway line in New Zealand. ... The Wairarapa line is a section of secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the Wairarapa region. ... Kaiwharawhara, formerly also known as Kaiwarra, is an urban seaside suburb of Wellington in New Zealands North Island. ... The Johnsonville branch line in Wellington, New Zealand runs from Wellington to the northern suburb of Johnsonville. ...

Passenger services

Long-distance

EF 30163 hauling The Overlander on the 25 kV AC electrified section of the NIMT.

From the opening of the line, there have been regular passenger services between Wellington and Auckland. Image File history File links EF30163+Overlander_NearWaiouru_22March2003_JChristianson. ... Image File history File links EF30163+Overlander_NearWaiouru_22March2003_JChristianson. ... The EF Class (previously classified Class 30) are the only mainline electric locomotives in service on New Zealands national rail network. ... 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. ...

Between 1963 and 1968, day-time services on the line were known as the Scenic Daylight. In 1968, an RM class 88-seater railcar was refurbished and repainted in a distinctive blue scheme that led to it being nicknamed the Blue Streak. It initially operated an unsuccessful service between Hamilton and Auckland in early 1968, and was transferred to the Auckland-Wellington run on 23 September 1968. The Scenic Daylight was a relatively short-lived express train that ran between Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, on the North Island Main Trunk Railway. ... The RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) and its sucessors given to all railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealands national rail network. ... 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. ... A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. ... Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealands fourth largest urban area, and is the countrys seventh largest city. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ...

In 1971, NZR introduced the Silver Star, a luxury sleeper train. The service was not economically viable, and was withdrawn in 1979. Much more successful was the Silver Fern, a daytime railcar service, introduced in 1972 to replace the "Blue Streak". This service was withdrawn in 1991 and replaced by The Overlander, now operated by Tranz Scenic. On 25 July 2006 Toll announced that the Overlander would cease at the end of September 2006, but on 28 September 2006, the train's continuation on a limited timetable was announced [1]. Organisations such as the Railway Enthusiasts Society run charters. The New Zealand Railways Department, or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways), often known as the Railways, was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealands rail infrastructure. ... The Silver Star was a luxury passenger train that ran overnight between Auckland and Wellington on the North Island Main Trunk railway of New Zealand. ... The NZR RM class Silver Fern is a class of railcar used for rail passenger transport in New Zealand. ... A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. ... 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. ... Toll NZ, properly Toll Consolidated NZ Ltd (NZX: TRH), is New Zealands largest transport company in terms of annual revenue and size. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Railway Enthusiasts Society Inc is a New Zealand society registered under the Incorporated Societies Act on 17 July 1958, with its principle objectives being as follows: To foster an intelligent interest in railways and in their operation and development generally. ...

Tranz Scenic also operates the Capital Connection between Palmerston North and Wellington. The Capital Connection is a long-distance commuter passenger service between Palmerston North and Wellington in New Zealand. ... Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. ...

Auckland surburban

Main article: Transport in Auckland

The northern terminus of the NIMT, Britomart Transport Centre

Within the Auckland Region (between Britomart and Pukekohe) suburban trains runs on the NIMT at regular intervals. Services terminate at Britomart Transport Centre, using the NIMT from Quay Park Junction. Downtown Auckland (Queen Street) traffic at night. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 340 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 340 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Britomart Transport Centre is the Auckland, New Zealand, CBD transport hub, combining a bus interchange, railway station, and Edwardian former post office building in an expansive post-modernist architectural melange, with the main ferry terminal just across Quay Street. ... The Auckland Region is one of the 16 Regions of New Zealand, named for Auckland City, the large city at its heart. ... Britomart Transport Centre is the Auckland, New Zealand, CBD transport hub, combining a bus interchange, railway station, and Edwardian former post office building in an expansive post-modernist architectural melange, with the main ferry terminal just across Quay Street. ...

Eastern Line (Pukekohe, Papakura and Otahuhu to Britomart via Glen Innes) trains run along the NIMT between Pukekohe and Britomart.

Southern Line (Pukekohe, Papakura and Otahuhu to Britomart via Newmarket) trains run along the NIMT from Pukekohe to Westfield, the North Auckland Line to Newmarket, and the Auckland-Newmarket Line to the NIMT at Quay Park junction. The North Auckland Line is a major railway line in New Zealands national rail network. ... The Auckland-Newmarket Line (sometimes called the Newmarket Branch) is the railway line between Britomart and Newmarket. ...

Wellington surburban

Main article: Public transport in Wellington

The southern terminus of the NIMT, Wellington railway station

Wellington's suburban network, operated by Tranz Metro, includes the southern portion of the NIMT between Wellington and Parapararumu, known as the Paraparaumu Line. Services terminate at Wellington railway station. Public transport in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is well developed compared to other parts of the country. ... Image File history File links WellingtonRailwayStation_14May2003_JChristianson. ... Image File history File links WellingtonRailwayStation_14May2003_JChristianson. ... Wellington Railway Station is the central railroad terminus of Wellington, New Zealand. ... Tranz Metro is the commuter rail system of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. ... The Paraparaumu Line is the name given to the electrified southern portion of the North Island Main Trunk Railway between New Zealands capital city, Wellington, and Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast. ... Wellington Railway Station is the central railroad terminus of Wellington, New Zealand. ...

References

• North Island Main Trunk: An Illustrated History by Bill Pierre (1981, AH & AW Reed), ISBN 0 589 01316 5.

The New Zealand Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 for desktop publishing use. ...

See also

• List of Auckland railway stations
• List of Wellington railway stations

This is the list of Aucklands Train Stations as at October 2005. ... This page lists all railway stations in Wellington used for passenger services. ...

External links

• The Overlander - the current passenger service.
• Raurimu Spiral
• NZ Engineering Heritage NIMT page
• A history of the NIMT