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68-414: The Main South Line , sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway , is a railway line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin . It is one of the most important railway lines in New Zealand and was one of the first to be built, with construction commencing in

136-697: A "grand go-ahead policy" to dispel the slump with increased government expenditure on contracts so increasing the community's purchasing power. The country had under fifty miles (80 km) of railway in three gauges, and Vogel proposed to borrow £10 million in ten years, with six million acres along the new railway lines and roads set aside as security. Vogel became colonial treasurer in the Fox ministry in 1869. On 28 June 1870, he read his financial statement in Parliament, which proposed increased immigration and public works for railways and roads, with railways designed as part of

204-636: A branch from Tophouse to Nelson . There was also a proposal to use the latter route as the trans-Alpine line (as the Midland Line 's route was yet to be chosen), linking Waipara with Reefton and then connecting to Nelson and possibly Blenheim via a line up the Buller Gorge . The people of Marlborough favoured a coastal route and began work south, while in Canterbury, work initially began on an inland route, with Waipara linked to Culverden in 1886. Although

272-534: A compromise between a proposal to build a coastal line through the fertile territory and a proposal to build an inland line to achieve easier crossings of rivers such as the Rakaia . Construction had to be postponed as the Canterbury Province government was low on funds, and it did not restart until Julius Vogel announced the central government's "Great Public Works Policy". The "Great Public Works Policy" placed

340-465: A fall at Gore. As the line from Dunedin to Christchurch had been finished on 7 September 1878, a rail link was opened all the way from Invercargill to Christchurch, thus completing the Main South Line. For much of New Zealand's railway history, the passenger service from Christchurch to Dunedin was the flagship of the railway. What is regarded as the country's first "express" run on 6 September 1878

408-423: A halt to construction and the 3 km of track laid beyond Parnassus was removed. The war also brought a halt to work at the northern end, with the coastal village of Wharanui established as the terminus of the line south from Blenheim. The 1920s saw much indecisiveness and disputes over what route to take between Waipara and Wharanui. The Culverden line now ran all the way as Waiau and some work took place on

476-599: A height limit of 11 + 1 ⁄ 2  ft (3.5 m) led to expensive lowering of track in tunnels or "daylighting" them to accommodate intermodal containers on flat wagons in the 20th century. Charles Rous-Marten writing in the English Railway Magazine in 1899, described the decision to use a narrow gauge in New Zealand as a grevious and irrepairable blunder . But some 1000 miles (1604 km) of railways had been opened within seven years, and in 1878

544-400: A high priority on the completion of the Main South Line. At this time, the central government had decided on 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow gauge as New Zealand's national rail gauge , but Canterbury was permitted to extend its broad gauge as far as Rakaia - although it did so on 2 June 1873, it converted its entire network to narrow gauge by 6 March 1876. Further south,

612-426: A hill cutting at Edendale caved in several times. In December 1875 the lines to Winton and Bluff were narrowed from the standard gauge in two days. Undulating countryside necessitated heavier earthworks to Balclutha, completing the route from Dunedin to Invercargill, and construction was completed on 22 January 1879. An opening function was held at Invercargill. The Commissioner of Railways, Mr Conyer injured himself in

680-537: A junction at Sawyers Bay , leaving the final two kilometres to become the Port Chalmers Branch . A difficult hillside climb out of Dunedin was encountered, with construction taking a significant length of time. For this reason, the line from Dunedin met that advancing south from Oamaru at Goodwood, midway between Palmerston and Waikouaiti , some 310 kilometres south of Christchurch but only 57 kilometres north of Dunedin. The construction south from Oamaru included

748-452: A line between Invercargill and Gore was opened on 30 August 1875 and a line between Dunedin and Balclutha was opened two days later. Construction to link these sections faced more construction challenges than the earlier work had, and accordingly, the rate of progress slowed. Over the next three years, the line between Dunedin and Christchurch was constructed; Christchurch and Timaru were linked on 4 February 1876, followed by Oamaru on

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816-620: A line to link Waiau with Kaikōura , but after a few kilometres of formation was made, work came to a halt. The coastal route was then chosen and work had only just restarted when the Great Depression began and brought about more severe delays. Fortunes improved in 1936 sufficiently to allow a resumption of progress, and a more coastal route out of Parnassus than the Leader Valley route was chosen. World War II brought even more delays, but this time, construction progressed through wartime and

884-553: A section of track near Rakaia called the "racetrack". The Main South Line saw the last regularly steam-hauled expresses in New Zealand, with J locomotives hauling the Friday and Sunday night expresses until 26 October 1971. All other steam-hauled expresses were replaced on 1 December 1970 by the Southerner , which was hauled by DJ class diesel-electric locomotives . This service was one of

952-489: A separate New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) was established to run the railways. Eventually the worldwide Long Depression of the late 1870s affected New Zealand, with a downturn in 1879, with bad harvests and low prices for wheat and wool. The City of Glasgow Bank collapse in 1878 took out New Zealand and Australian investment capital, as advances had been made against Australian and New Zealand wool consignments and securities e.g. land company stock. Local banks, notably

1020-523: A trunk line in each island. He mentioned "revenue railroads" in America constructed to suit the traffic offered; without expensive stations and suitable for a moderate speed so of low capital cost and constructing the maximum length of line with the available capital. This contrasted with elaborate British and European railways serving densely populated regions. The lines could be improved in accordance with traffic demands. He sought authority to borrow £6 million of

1088-615: A year later, and the difficult section between Oamaru and Dunedin was finally completed on 7 September 1878. All that remained was the Balclutha-Gore link, which was opened on 22 January 1879, completing the Main South Line. Construction of the 348 kilometres (216 mi) Main North Line was one of the longest construction projects in New Zealand's history. Through the 1870s, work on a line from Christchurch to northern centres in Canterbury

1156-488: Is mothballed. Until the 1960s, there was little focus on long-distance freight between the major centres. Instead, the Main South Line was used to feed its many branch lines, with the majority of goods trains being local services between regional areas and major centres or harbours in Christchurch ( Lyttelton ), Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin (Port Chalmers), and Invercargill ( Bluff ). A good example of how regionalised this traffic

1224-501: Is that: Early passenger carriages were English style 4 or 6 wheel carriages . Some 6 wheel carriages had rigid centre axles and some with play in the outer axles. But neither were satisfactory in New Zealand, and in 1878 the first North American style bogie carriages from America proved to be much more suitable. So the Addington Workshops constructed similar carriages, and 73 12.2-metre (40 ft) carriages were in use on

1292-575: The 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) gauge that later became New Zealand's uniform gauge. The first section of the line was opened to Rolleston on 13 October 1866. Beyond Rolleston, three routes south were considered: The third option was chosen and the line was built through an at times relatively barren part of the Canterbury Plains towards Rakaia . By the time the line reached Selwyn in October 1867, 35 km from central Christchurch

1360-690: The Bank of New Zealand and the Colonial Bank of New Zealand , were "reckless" and permitted "a frenzy of private borrowing". The Hall government of 1880 cut back on railway construction; resulting in Wellington businessmen establishing the successful Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company which built the West Coast Railway from Wellington to the Manawatu. In the five years to 1885, only 317 miles were added to

1428-464: The Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway was opened on 1 January 1873 as the first railway in the country to adhere to the new national gauge. Although the final portion of this line became the Port Chalmers Branch , most of it was incorporated into the mainline northwards and construction progressed through difficult terrain towards Oamaru . South of Dunedin, work was progressing on a link with Invercargill;

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1496-848: The Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill , running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to collectively as the South Island Main Trunk ( SIMT ). Construction of a line running the length of the east coast began in the 1860s and was completed all the way from Picton to Invercargill in 1945; the last sections being on the Main North Line south of Picton. The designation "South Island Main Trunk" originally referred to only that line between Christchurch and Invercargill. Construction of

1564-580: The NZR T class of 1879 and the NZR N class and NZR O class of 1885. Baldwin also supplied most of the WMR locomotives. The P class and V class locomotives ordered from Nasmyth Wilson of England in 1885 were delayed and overweight "for reasons still not entirely clear", and the Baldwin-built N and O locomotives were delivered promptly and to the specified weight, creating a favourable impression. A later comment

1632-474: The North Island via roll-on roll-off ferries between Picton and Wellington. These ferries have allowed freight trains to be operated from Auckland to Christchurch on a 30-hour schedule. The Vogel Era#Vogel railways Julius Vogel, the premier and colonial treasurer, appreciated that settlement was confined to coastal lands because of inadequate transport, and ("before Lord Keynes was born") propounded

1700-496: The original J class or the Rogers K class , except on the hilly section south of Oamaru where the T class was used. In 1906, the A class was introduced and maintained an eight-hour schedule, though they soon handed over duties to the superheated A class of 1915. The introduction of the J class and J class in 1939 and 1946 respectively was the final development in steam motive power, and they took just 7 hours 9 minutes to haul

1768-505: The " South Island Limited " express from Christchurch to Dunedin. During their heyday, these steam-hauled expresses were famous for the speeds they attained across the Canterbury Plains along a section of track near Rakaia nicknamed the "racetrack". They were replaced on 1 December 1970 by the Southerner , headed by DJ class diesel-electric locomotives . Steam engines continued to operate Friday and Sunday night expresses, and they were

1836-616: The "K" driver made "Josephine" do too much of the work). When trains began to run between Christchurch and Invercargill in a day in November 1904, the main passenger services on the Dunedin-Invercargill section were essentially an extension of the Christchurch-Dunedin trains. When the line was completed in the late 19th century, trains took 11 hours to travel from Christchurch to Dunedin and were usually headed by steam engines of

1904-555: The 1860s. At Christchurch, it connects with the Main North Line to Picton , the other part of the South Island Main Trunk. Construction of the Main South Line falls into two main sections: from Christchurch through southern Canterbury to Otago 's major city of Dunedin; and linking the southern centres of Dunedin and Invercargill, improving communication in southern Otago and large parts of Southland . Construction of

1972-510: The 44,000 were government assisted) and the population rose from 248,000 in 1870 to 399,000 in 1876. In 1880, New Zealand had almost 1,200 miles of working railway, with more than 75% in the South Island. According to the minister ( Richard Oliver ) this was one mile of railway for every 406 inhabitants, which compared favourably with America (580 people), Britain (1,961 people), France (2,900 people) and New South Wales (1,108 people). That year,

2040-471: The 600 kilometres (370 mi) Main South Line (originally known as the "Great Southern Railway") began in 1865 when the Canterbury Provincial Railways began work on a 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) broad gauge line south from Christchurch . It reached Rolleston on 13 October 1866 and Selwyn a year later. A number of routes south were considered, and the one chosen was

2108-649: The DJ class, or sometimes the DI class and DSC class . The Port Chalmers services lasted 11 more years and were cancelled in late 1979, followed by the Mosgiel services in December 1982. Between 1908 and 1914, the line to Mosgiel was double-tracked because of the commuter traffic, but it has been converted back to single track since the end of commuter services. On 10 February 2002, the Southerner

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2176-542: The Hurunui-Bluff section by 1886. Most were "composites" with 1st and 2nd class compartments and clerestory roofs . Carriages were now mostly American-style open "saloon" cars rather than British style carriages with small compartments and a side corridor. From the 1890s turtle-back style roofs were used. Early wagons were of 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) wheelbase with four wheels, but in 1886 9.14 m (30 ft 0 in) wheelbase bogie wagons were introduced. In

2244-463: The Main North Line was finally completed when the northern and southern ends met at Kaikōura on 15 December 1945. The South Island Main Trunk has been famous for its passenger services. In the days of steam locomotives , the South Island Limited expresses were particularly famous; drivers of J and J class locomotives claimed to have broken the official New Zealand railway speed record on

2312-658: The Railways Act, and the Immigration and Public Works Loan Act. Vogel went to England where he borrowed £1 or £2 million at 5%; and arranged contracts with the British firm of John Brogden and Sons . While the Fox-Vogel government collapsed in 1872 because of the loss of powers by the provinces, by 1873 Vogel was back. But Vogel's proposals for reserves of land as security for railway loans and for forestry were not accepted. Resistance by

2380-648: The Rangitata River (with two bridges ). The 1870 Act specified a uniform rail gauge for the country; although the act just specified that the rail gauge was not to exceed 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ), the Cape gauge as used at that time in Canada and Norway was chosen, as recommended by Charles Fox and Sons of London. Lines were constructed with lightweight track, steep gradients, tight curves and light wooden bridges. The 40 lb/yd (19.8 kg/m) iron rails

2448-492: The South Island Limited was slowed down by handling mail. When many branch lines were open, local passenger services and "mixed trains" of both passengers and freight were a regular sight on the Main South Line as they made their way to their branch destination, but such trains were progressively cancelled during the 20th century and ceased to exist entirely a number of decades ago. An evening railcar service operated in

2516-582: The creation of two short branch lines along the way, the Moeraki Branch and the Shag Point Branch . On 7 September 1878 the route from Christchurch to Dunedin was opened in its entirety. The railway from Dunedin to Clutha was one of the first railways to be built under Vogel's " Great Public Works Policy ". Authorised by the Railways Act 1870 at a cost of £5,000 per mile, the line was the first major line constructed to 1,067 mm gauge. Construction

2584-510: The first inter-city route, complete with stylish American-built locomotives was ready to go into operation (The Main South Line , Christchurch-Dunedin-Invercargill). Many railways in Africa (e.g. South Africa) and Asia (e.g. Japan) use either the Cape gauge (1067 mm) or the meter gauge (1000 mm). Vogel had contracted John Brogden and Sons of England to construct six lines, for land as well as cash and

2652-699: The first section of the line began in 1865 and the whole line was completed on 22 January 1879. The Canterbury provincial government built and opened the first public railway in New Zealand, the Ferrymead Railway , on 1 December 1863. A line south to connect with major South Canterbury centres, northern Otago and Dunedin was desired, and on 24 May 1865 construction of what was then termed the Canterbury Great South Railway began. The Canterbury Provincial Railways were broad gauge , 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ), significantly wider than

2720-581: The form of bulk cargo from large customers. Although passenger services no longer exist, the future of long-distance bulk freight on the line appears secure and the Main South Line is an important link in New Zealand's transport infrastructure. Many secondary and branch lines had junctions with the Main South Line. Below is a list of these lines, all of which are closed unless otherwise noted. South Island Main Trunk Railway The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and

2788-543: The heavier plate frames used in Britain. Brereton said in his letter that: So the first American locomotives were the NZR K class (1877) with two batches from Rogers of New Jersey, ordered through New York consulting engineer Walton Evans . They were very successful despite initial Canterbury apprehension at their light construction, and hauled the first express from Christchurch to Dunedin in 1878. Further American orders from NZR were placed with Baldwin of Pennsylvania for

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2856-409: The important cities. The first through freight from Christchurch to Invercargill did not operate until December 1970. During the 1970s and 1980s, patterns of freight haulage changed dramatically, with the last of the branch lines closing and an emphasis placed upon long-distance haulage. The South Island Main Trunk is now used to carry significant quantities of long-distance freight, and it connects with

2924-435: The last regular service in New Zealand to be hauled by a steam locomotive. The Southerner ran to an even faster schedule than the "South Island Limited". The journey between Christchurch and Dunedin was initially cut to just 6 hours 14 minutes, and by utilising two DJs north of Oamaru and three south, the schedule was further cut to 5 hours 55 minutes. Part of these gains resulted from the Southerner not carrying mail , while

2992-470: The last steam passenger trains in New Zealand. This makes New Zealand unusual, as steam saw out its final days on quiet, unimportant branch lines in most countries, while the last regular services operated by New Zealand's steam engines were prominent express passenger trains. This was because the trains' carriages were steam heated, so separate steam heating vans with boilers were required. So on 26 October 1971, an express from Christchurch to Invercargill became

3060-513: The line to Culverden was treated as the mainline for decades, it eventually became part of the Waiau Branch . At the start of the 20th century, work began on a coastal route northwards from Waipara, with the line opened to Parnassus in 1912. Construction then proceeded up the Leader River valley as part of a somewhat inland route to Kaikōura via river valleys, but the start of World War I brought

3128-425: The major centres rising to prominence. The concentration of exports on fewer ports and the development of containerisation spurred on long-distance freight, and the first freight train from Christchurch to Invercargill was introduced in December 1970 on a 16-hour schedule. Today, to meet the demands of modern business and to compete with road transportation, operations continue to be enhanced, and much traffic comes in

3196-506: The mid-1870s the loans were also used to build 4-roomed cottages, to encourage immigrants to move to areas needing labour. They were built of timber and corrugated iron, so as to be portable. There was criticism that the cottages were a waste of money, remained empty, were occupied by people unsuited to the work available, or were in the wrong places. Some of the cottages have survived, as they were built of kauri and used brass screws. The uninhabited cottages were put to other uses, such as

3264-527: The middle of the 20th century and took 6 hours 10 minutes between Christchurch and Dunedin: it was cancelled in April 1976. The Main South Line was used in Dunedin to provide commuter services both north to Port Chalmers and south to Mosgiel . In the days of steam, A, B , and B classes operated suburban trains, though railcars were used on occasion until 1967. In 1968 commuter services were dieselised and operated by

3332-410: The most famous in New Zealand, but it ceased on 10 February 2002. For many years, Fiat or 88-seater railcars ran services on the Main North Line, but they were withdrawn during the 1970s. On 25 September 1988 the tourist-focused Coastal Pacific express began operating along the scenic route between Christchurch and Picton; it continues to operate to this day. In the summer of 1994–95, this service

3400-528: The national network, compared with 1,032 miles in the previous five years. Vogel proposed narrow-gauge railways as easier to construct through the rugged landscape. The "pilot" was the 59 miles (95 km) Dunedin to Clutha Railway ; the first 10 km (6.2 mi) section opened in 1874. Priority was given to the completion of the trunk line between Christchurch and Dunedin. The gradients were not to exceed 1 in 50 (2%) and curves were not to be sharper than 200 metres (9.9 chains) radius . Construction cost

3468-500: The new NZR chief mechanical engineer Allison D. Smith believed that American locomotives would be preferable for the light track used. The London agent-general's consulting engineer, R. M. Brereton, obtained opinions from two English firms Neilson and the Vulcan Foundry : both agreed that British locomotives were "excessively rigid" and that there was "absurd conservatism" in this country. American builders used bar frames rather than

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3536-614: The only long-distance passenger services on the South Island Main Trunk are the Coastal Pacific and the TranzAlpine , which uses the short portion of the Main South Line between Christchurch and Rolleston before running along the Midland Line to Greymouth . Freight services on both lines operated for many years as feeder services from rural districts to nearby major centres and harbours, rather than utilising long-distance services between

3604-497: The provincial government was so short of finances that construction was temporarily halted. In 1870, Julius Vogel announced his "Great Public Works Policy" and placed a high priority on the completion of a line between Christchurch and Dunedin. The act of parliament that established the nation's uniform gauge as 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) granted Canterbury an exemption, permitting it to extend its 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) gauge line to Rakaia, which

3672-484: The provincial governments resulted in their abolition in 1876 (although Vogel had originally been a "provincialist"). A new Public Works Department was set up in 1870, headed as minister by the Hon William Gisborne , who was replaced by John Davies Ormond in 1871. The engineer selected by Vogel was John Carruthers , a Scot who had worked on railways in Canada, America, Russia, Mauritius and Egypt. Carruthers

3740-614: The right to bring out 10,000 immigrants or "navvies". The six sections of a future national network went out from Auckland, Wellington, Napier, Picton, Oamaru and Invercargill. The first NZR loco was the English built NZR F class tank engine, which could reach 40 mph (64 km/h), and even on long steep banks could "climb like a cat". The first tender locomotives for the NZR were the English built NZR J class (1874) which could reach 50 mph (80 km/h) downhill with an express. However,

3808-483: The £7.5 million needed to build 2,400 to 2,600 km of railway in the next ten years at a cost of £5,000 per mile (1.6 km). Another £1 million would be needed for other proposals, and 1,030,000 hectares of land would be acquired. His proposals got both positive and negative comments in newspapers. Vogel's proposals of 1870 were embodied in three acts passed in September 1870; The Immigration and Public Works Act,

3876-527: Was a special train hauled by the new Rogers K class locomotive "Washington". Leaving Christchurch at 6 am the train arrived at Dunedin at 6.40 pm; there was a breakfast with the Governor and other official guests at Oamaru, passengers were left behind at intermediate stops, and the train was assisted by the Double-Fairlie "Josephine" between Oamaru and Seacliff (where the engine was left for fitters as Ben Verdon

3944-459: Was augmented by the Lynx Express , which was unsuccessful and not repeated in later years. Commuter services used to operate around major centres along the South Island Main Trunk, and many rural services also operated when country branch lines were operational, but the branch lines progressively closed during the 20th century and commuter services in the South Island ceased in the 1980s. Nowadays,

4012-423: Was comes from the Dunedin-Invercargill portion of the line. North of Clinton were five branches whose traffic essentially ran to and from Dunedin/Port Chalmers, while south of Clinton were four branches whose traffic essentially ran to or from Invercargill/Bluff. As this short-distance local traffic declined in the 1950s and 1960s and branch lines closed, long-distance freight increased, with through services between

4080-425: Was done on 2 June 1873. Soon after this, the provincial government recognised the need to conform with the uniform gauge and the broad gauge was phased out by 6 March 1876. Construction not only progressed south from the Christchurch end and north from Dunedin, but also from the intermediate ports of Timaru and Oamaru in both directions. Construction was swift through the 1870s, and on 4 February 1876, Christchurch

4148-507: Was engineer-in-chief and was responsible for railway construction; John Blackett was responsible for road construction. Carruthers resigned in 1878 after effectively being demoted by a reorganisation under the new minister James Macandrew . Vogel (from 1875 Sir Julius Vogel) resigned as premier in 1876, being replaced by Harry Atkinson , and became agent-general in London. Vogel was colonial treasurer in 1869–72, 1872, 1872–75, 1876 and 1884; and

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4216-683: Was estimated at £3,000 per km, compared with the Canterbury Provincial Railways which averaged £8,000 per km (excluding the £200,000 for the Lyttelton Tunnel). But while the earthworks for the Canterbury Plains were low or "mere scratching", the expense in crossing the wide Canterbury braided rivers was considerable, despite looping inland to get shorter and more stable crossing points for the Rakaia River (an 1,818-metre or 5,965-foot long combined road and rail bridge built in 1873) and

4284-463: Was later replaced with (now cheaper) 50 lb/yd (24.8 kg/m) steel rails ; and then with heavier 55 or 70 lb/yd (27.3 or 34.7 kg/m) rails in the Liberal era of 1891–1912, increasing the maximum axle load from six tonnes (5.9 long tons; 6.6 short tons) to 16 or 18 tonnes (15.7 or 17.7 long tons; 17.6 or 19.8 short tons) with 100 lb/yd (49.6 kg/m) rail. But the tight tunnels with

4352-410: Was linked with Timaru. Just under a year later, on 1 February 1877, the line was complete all the way from Christchurch to Oamaru in north Otago. At the southern end, the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway opened on 1 January 1873, the first 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) gauge line in New Zealand. Most of this line became part of the Main South Line, with construction progressing north from

4420-652: Was premier 1873-75 and 1876 (governments changed frequently in the 19th-century before the development of political parties). The public debt had increased from £7.8 million in 1870 to £18.6 million in 1876. The cost of railways per mile was £6000 not £4000, with some bridges needed rebuilding and tunnels relining. But 718 miles (1,156 km) of railway had been built with 427 miles (687 km) under construction. 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of road had been opened, and electric telegraph lines increased from 699 miles (1,125 km) in 1866 to 3,170 miles (5,100 km) in 1876. A record number of immigrants arrived in 1874 (32,000 of

4488-475: Was rapid, and the first 10 km section south from Dunedin to Abbotsford opened on 1 July 1874. On 1 September 1875 the line opened to Balclutha ; the major town of the lower Clutha River region and 84 kilometres from Dunedin. At the Invercargill end, construction was swift. The first 17 km to Woodlands opened on 11 February 1874, but the whole section to Gore was not completed until 30 August 1875 as

4556-468: Was undertaken, with a line through Kaiapoi , Rangiora , and Amberley reaching Waipara in 1880, and at the other end, a line linking Blenheim and Picton opened in 1875. Further construction was delayed by disputes over proposed routes. Different regions sought to protect their interests by having the line constructed through their area. Some preferred the coastal route via Parnassus and Kaikōura , while others favoured an inland route to Blenheim with

4624-580: Was withdrawn as it was claimed to no longer be economic to operate. As of January 2020, only two regular passenger services utilise small portions of the Main South Line: between Christchurch and Rolleston by the TranzAlpine before it heads along the Midland Line to Greymouth ; and the only passenger trains to use Dunedin Railway Station are those operated by Dunedin Railways , which is as of May 2020

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