Otira Tunnel Midland Railway Southern Alps New Zealand

Construction yard at entrance to the Otira tunnel

The Midland line of the New Zealand railways network connects Christchurch on the east coast of the South Island to the West Coast. Confronting many geographic obstacles, the line must traverse the Southern Alps. At Arthur's Pass, a tunnel through the Southern Alps to Otira had to be constructed.

When it was completed in 1923, the Otira tunnel was the longest in the British Empire. Since the dominant railway locomotive technology at the time - steam - was impractical to haul trains through the tunnel, electric locomotives were tasked with hauling trains through the tunnel with steam resuming once again after the trip through the tunnel.

Electric locomotive at Otira

Rail service provided faster and more reliable transport for passengers and supplies to the West Coast, treacherous bars at the mouth of river harbours of Hokitika, Greymouth, and Westport putting shipping at great risk. The West Coast's major products, coal and timber, were more cheaply railed to Canterbury for domestic use and for export from the Port of Lyttelton.

Most Southern in the World #5 - Railway Station, Bluff, NZ

click image to enlarge
The Most Southern Railway Station in the World, Bluff, N.Z. circa 1910

The railway line from Invercargill to Bluff was completed in 1867, connecting the growing town with its seaport. At the end of the line, the southern most railway station was constructed at Bluff.

Railway Station, Bluff - trackside. Muir & Moodie, 1913

The station was demolished.

The North Island Main Trunk Line – 1908 – 2008 – Century of Service

The North Island Main Trunk Line (NIMT), the backbone of New Zealand Railways in the North Island turns 100 years old on August 7.

The 630 kilometre line connected Wellington, the capital, at the southern tip of the North Island, to Auckland in the north, providing a land link for the first time that could provide an alternative to unpredictable and sometimes dangerous sea passage between the two main centres.

On the evening of August 7, 1908, the “Parliament Special” left Wellington on the first tripAuckland to greet the “The Great White Fleet” of the US Navy on its around the world goodwill voyage. The journey took 20 ½ between the two cities. It carried politicians and other VIPs to hours, involving several changes of locomotive, and required travel along temporary track in the middle section of the line hastily put in place by the Public Works department.

Construction of the NIMT took more than 20 years. The first sod was turned in 1885 after the Government reached agreement with the Ngati Maniapoto iwi on a right of way through the King Country, an area of the western Central North Island that had remained effectively in Maori hands after the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s.

Massive engineering challenges had to be overcome and much of the work was completed by the manual labour of gangs of workers who lived in work camps under harsh conditions.

The Waimarino plateau between Taumarunui and Taihape presented a particular challenge to engineers as the gradient exceeded the capacity of then existing locomotives to pull a train up the plateau. The solution was a masterful example of engineering design by R W Holmes in the form of the Raurimu spiral, involving three horseshoe curves, two tunnels, and a complete spiral.

Deep ravines also had to be bridged by steel viaducts at Makatote, Hapuawhenua, Mangaweka, and Makohine.

Pakeha New Zealanders were justifiably proud of the engineering feats of the NIMT and their ability to rapidly develop a railroad network in a young country incorporating the newest technology. Postcards of the type shown here were mailed in their thousands back to “Home”, Mother England, bearing messages extolling the achievements of the NIMT, the proof being displayed in the pictures.

The NIMT was officially opened in February 1909 and regular passenger service quickly grew with the time being reduced down to 14 hours for the trip. After World War Two, passenger demand eroded as road transport then air travel outcompeted rail service. Rail freight remained an important traffic on the line. By 2006, passenger service appeared to be near its end but a vociferous public response prevented the daylight Overlander service from being canceled. With the return of the railway system back into government ownership in mid 2008 after an unsuccessful 15+ year period of privatization, passenger service appears likely to continue for awhile yet.

Waiouru Railway Station, NIMT, 1909,

Mt Ruapehu (left) and Mt Ngauruhoe (right) volcano in eruption.

This post is respectfully dedicated to the men and women who built the NIMT and who have kept the line open over the past century. Nation-builders, one and all.