71-548: The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand . The line runs for 172 kilometres (107 mi), connects the capital city Wellington with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line at Woodville , via Lower Hutt , Upper Hutt and Masterton . The first part of the line opened in 1874 between Wellington and Lower Hutt, with the entire line to Woodville completed in 1897. It
142-586: A Fell brake van and other railway-related items of historical significance. The Woodside Station Preservation Society focuses its activities on the Woodside railway station Building. The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society focuses its activities on the Historic Carterton railway station complex, which includes a museum inside Carterton's historic station building, rolling stock in the station yard , and other heritage items. The Pahiatua Railcar Society
213-691: A branch line to Martinborough was proposed but this line never eventuated. Several upgrades and alterations to the Wairarapa Line have been made, but only the Western Hutt and Rimutaka tunnel deviations have significantly altered its route. In 1925, construction began on what was then known as the Hutt Valley Branch , leaving the main line just north of Petone station and running east to Waterloo , opening on 26 May 1927. After World War II , new state housing suburbs developed north of Waterloo, and
284-500: A committee to investigate proposals, and on 2 July 1866, it passed the Wellington, Hutt and Wairarapa Railway Ordinance. The act authorised a railway employing either 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) or 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge to carry 200 tonnes at speeds of 24 kilometres per hour (15 mph), but construction did not commence as sufficient funds were not available in
355-559: A longer loop at Upper Hutt will hold longer Wairarapa log trains. The work is expected to improve the operation of both suburban passenger trains to Upper Hutt and the Wairarapa Connection . Until the acquisition of the WMR in December 1908, all NZR freight out of Wellington was carried on the Wairarapa Line. As soon as the western route became available, all freight that could be diverted off
426-410: A railcar service operated on Friday evenings between Masterton and Woodville, and in December that year the decision was taken to replace the morning railcar to Wellington with a carriage train as over 200 passengers wished to use the railcar service that had a capacity of just 176. The final railcar service was replaced by carriage trains in December 1977; some of the carriage trains from this point until
497-517: A railway along the narrow, rocky shoreline of Wellington Harbour , and the section to Lower Hutt was not opened until 14 April 1874. Further difficulties were encountered in building the rest of the route up the Hutt Valley along the Hutt River 's western bank, including the need to divert the river and reinforce its bank in places. On 1 February 1876 the line opened to Upper Hutt . On 28 December 1877
568-526: A steep but manageable route with a grade of 1 in 39-40 was found from Kaitoke up the Pakuratahi River valley to the site of Summit station, 348 metres (1,142 ft) above sea level. However, from Summit down the eastern slope to Cross Creek near Featherston , a gradient of 1 in 14-16 was required. This was far too steep for regular steam locomotives to handle, and accordingly the Fell mountain railway system
639-681: A whole. During the Last Glacial Period when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels, the North and South islands were connected by a vast coastal plain which formed at the South Taranaki Bight . During this period, most of the North Island was covered in thorn scrubland and forest , while the modern-day Northland Peninsula was a subtropical rainforest . Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, eventually separating
710-892: Is 24 kilometres (15 mi) from the bridge and the railway reached it in August 1897, and the line was finally opened to Woodville and a junction with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line on 11 December 1897. Four branch lines diverge from the Wairarapa Line: the Melling Branch and the Gracefield Branch to Hutt Workshops , both still open; the Greytown Branch , closed in 1953, and the Hutt Park Railway , which ceased serving its intended purpose in 1906 but survived in truncated form as an industrial siding until 1982. At one time
781-447: Is at Pahiatua railway station , which is no longer served by passenger trains but maintained by the society. It has the only surviving Wairarapa and 88-seater railcars and is restoring them to operational condition; it also has an operational Standard railcar . Kaiwharawhara Station was closed suddenly in June 2013 as it was discovered how badly corroded the overbridge was. In November 2013,
SECTION 10
#1732844907076852-628: Is currently under restoration by the Pahiatua Railcar Society . Mixed trains also operated until the 1950s. In the 1950s, the Hutt Valley line was electrified using the 1500 V DC system already operating from Wellington to Johnsonville and Paekākāriki . The electrification was opened to Taitā on 12 October 1953 and Upper Hutt on 24 July 1955, allowing for a more intensive suburban commuter service to Wellington. Originally operated by DM/D class electric multiple units and carriage trains hauled by ED and EW class electric locomotives,
923-459: Is in the North Island", "my mother lives in the North Island". Maps, headings, tables, and adjectival expressions use North Island without "the". According to Māori mythology , the North and South Islands of New Zealand arose through the actions of the demigod Māui . Māui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe (the South Island) when he caught a great fish and pulled it right up from
994-469: Is one of the two main islands of New Zealand , separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait . With an area of 113,729 km (43,911 sq mi), it is the world's 14th-largest island , constituting 43% of New Zealand's land area. It has a population of 4,077,800 (June 2024), which is 76% of New Zealand's residents, making it the most populous island in Polynesia and
1065-513: Is still in use by heritage operators, particularly the Pahiatua Railcar Society and Steam Incorporated . The Masterton—Pahiatua section will be temporary reopened between December 2024 and February 2025 to enable the Waingawa logging traffic to be diverted via Woodville and Palmerston North, due to track upgrades requiring a 46-day closure of the Remutaka Tunnel. In the late nineteenth century,
1136-622: Is used to distinguish it from other narrow gauges. In Japan the 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) gauge, along with other narrow gauges, is referred to as kyōki ( 狭軌 ) , which directly translates as narrow gauge , to differentiate it from the Shinkansen lines. It is defined in metric units. It is commonly referred to as 三六軌間 ( 36 gauge ) , which derives from the 3 ft 6 in. Similar, but incompatible without wheelset adjustment, rail gauges in respect of aspects such as cost of construction, practical minimum radius curves and
1207-448: The 28th-most-populous island in the world. Twelve main urban areas (half of them officially cities) are in the North Island. From north to south, they are Whangārei , Auckland , Hamilton , Tauranga , Rotorua , Gisborne , New Plymouth , Napier , Hastings , Whanganui , Palmerston North , and New Zealand's capital city Wellington , which is located at the south-west tip of the island. The island has been known internationally as
1278-690: The DBR , DF/DFT and DX classes occasionally used. In July 2015, the DFT class took over services on the line. As of November 2021, rolling stock regularly used on the Wairarapa Line include: Improvements planned for the Wairarapa Line beyond Upper Hutt from 2021 to 2024 include track renewals with full renewal in the Remutaka and Maoribank tunnels, renewals of timber elements in three bridges, refurbishments of some level crossings and drainage and vegetation clearing. In November 2021, Greater Wellington Regional Council proposed
1349-777: The Napier Express (the WMR had operated the Wellington- Longburn portion of the New Plymouth Express ). After the acquisition of the WMR, the Napier Express was re-routed to the quicker west coast route in early 1909 and the Wairarapa Mail was introduced to provide a regular service through the Wairarapa to Woodville. In 1936, RM class Wairarapa railcars were introduced; these were designed to operate at speed over
1420-494: The North Island for many years. The Te Reo Māori name for it, Te Ika-a-Māui , also has official recognition but it remains seldom used by most residents. On some 19th-century maps, the North Island is named New Ulster (named after Ulster province in northern Ireland) which was also a province of New Zealand that included the North Island. In 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that, along with
1491-584: The Philippines , Taiwan , and Queensland (which has the second largest narrow gauge network in the world) in Australia. There are approximately 112,000 kilometres (70,000 mi) of 1,067 mm gauge track in the world, which are classified as narrow-gauge railways . This gauge is sometimes called Cape gauge , named after the Cape Colony in what is now South Africa, which adopted it in 1873. "Cape gauge"
SECTION 20
#17328449070761562-633: The Silver Stream Railway where members restoring three Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company carriages. It also has an archives building beside Ava railway station in Lower Hutt. The Silver Stream Railway is a heritage railway in Silversteam, Wellington. It regularly operates preserved New Zealand Railways Department locomotives along a restored section of the Hutt Valley Line (part of
1633-584: The 150-metre (490 ft) long Wiwaka tunnel, the only tunnel between the Rimutaka Incline and Woodville, and the section was opened on 8 April 1889. Construction of the 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) section to Newman was inexplicably slow, not completed until 1896. Pahiatua was reached in May 1897, including the Mangatainoka River bridge, the longest bridge on the line at 162 metres (531 ft). Mangatainoka
1704-409: The 1990s, the service between Masterton and Wellington was rebranded as the Wairarapa Connection and presently operates five times each way weekdays (with a sixth service in the evening on Fridays), and twice each way on weekends and public holidays. In 2007, eighteen new SW class carriages were introduced to replace the 56ft carriages used since the service's inception; in 2013, they were joined by
1775-573: The 2023 census, 63.1% of North Islanders identified as European ( Pākehā ), 19.8% as Māori , 10.6% as Pacific peoples , 19.3% as Asian , 1.9% as Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, and 1.1% as other ethnicities. Percentages add to more than 100% as people can identify with more than one ethnicity. Māori form the majority in three districts of the North Island: Kawerau (63.2%), Ōpōtiki (66.2%) and Wairoa (68.5%). Europeans formed
1846-673: The GWRC voted to close it permanently as on health and safety grounds, it was too expensive and nearly impossible to upgrade the station to provide step free access via ramps for disabled passengers. Petone – Melling, became Melling Branch 1 March 1954; Melling – Haywards, closed 28 February 1954 Section closed 30 October 1955; Rimutaka Deviation opened 3 November 1955 Closed to passengers 1 August 1988 North Island The North Island ( Māori : Te Ika-a-Māui [tɛ i.kɐ ɐ mɑː.ʉ.i] , lit. 'the fish of Māui', officially North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui or historically New Ulster )
1917-459: The Hutt River, replacing a section of line now used by Silver Stream Railway The Rimutaka Incline was difficult, costly and time-consuming to operate, but as the Wairarapa Line had become a secondary route since the acquisition of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway in 1908, its replacement was not a priority. Various alternate systems and routes were debated, with a tunnel chosen in 1936. However,
1988-503: The Masterton to Pahiatua section, and this section is currently under review as part of KiwiRail's turnaround plan . The Labour Party promised during the 2017 election campaign to upgrade the track to improve operation of the Wairarapa Connection , and on 9 October 2018 the Minister of Transport Phil Twyford announced that the proposed $ 196 million for the region included $ 96 million for
2059-488: The North Island is provided by fifteen District Health Boards (DHBs) . Organised around geographical areas of varying population sizes, they are not coterminous with the Local Government Regions . 3 ft 6 in gauge railways Railways with a track gauge of 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) were first constructed as horse-drawn wagonways . The first intercity passenger railway to use 3 ft 6 in
2130-566: The Rimutaka Incline and provided a much quicker service to Wellington and local Wairarapa services. They originally augmented the Wairarapa Mail but replaced it in 1948. Carriage trains operated only at peak times of the year when the railcar capacity was exceeded; in 1955, the Incline's closure meant the Wairarapa railcars were withdrawn and 88 seater railcars were introduced, boosting capacity at off-peak times. One Wairarapa railcar has survived and
2201-508: The South Island, the North Island had no official name. After a public consultation, the board officially named it North Island, or the aforementioned Te Ika-a-Māui, in October 2013. In prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island , with the definite article. It is also normal to use the preposition in rather than on , for example "Hamilton
Wairarapa Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-437: The South Island, this is solely due to the North Island having higher natural increase (i.e. births minus deaths) and international migration; since the late 1980s, the internal migration flow has been from the North Island to the South Island. In the year to June 2020, the North Island gained 21,950 people from natural increase and 62,710 people from international migration, while losing 3,570 people from internal migration. At
2343-462: The South Island, with the country's largest city, Auckland, and the capital, Wellington, accounting for nearly half of it. There are 30 urban areas in the North Island with a population of 10,000 or more: The sub-national GDP of the North Island was estimated at NZ$ 282.355 billion in 2021 (78% of New Zealand's national GDP). Nine local government regions cover the North Island and its adjacent islands and territorial waters. Healthcare in
2414-663: The Trentham–Upper Hutt–Featherston section being transferred to Train Control in February 2007, this was the last section with CTC controlled by a signalman . Part-time signal boxes remained at Petone (weekday peak and inter-peak) and at Taitā (weekday peak) until December 2013 and July 2014 respectively, when signalling was switched to Train Control in central Wellington. Masterton is a unique signalling arrangement with Track Warrant Control ending at 'TWC Ends' boards north of
2485-519: The Wairarapa Line was diverted, due to the difficulties created by the Rimutaka Incline. This meant that even some traffic from the northern Wairarapa was sent through the Manawatū Gorge and down the west coast to Wellington. The opening of the Rimutaka Tunnel made the line more desirable for through freight traffic, but as localised freight gave way to containerised inter-city freight in the 1980s,
2556-604: The Wairarapa Line was the only way D class locomotives could access Wellington due to tunnels south of Paekākāriki being too small. In the 1980s, the DG class had been fully withdrawn and the DA class in the process of withdrawal or conversion to the DC class ; accordingly motive power on the Wairarapa Line changed. Until 2015, the DC class was the mainstay of the Wairarapa line south of Masterton, with locomotives of
2627-478: The Wairarapa Line), deviated in 1954. The Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust is based at Maymorn railway station and its ultimate goal is to return the Rimutaka Incline to full operational condition as a tourist attraction. The Fell Engine Museum is a short walk from Featherston station and includes preserved H 199, the sole Fell steam locomotive ( NZR H class ) left in the world. The museum also has
2698-770: The Wairarapa Line; $ 50 million in the Wairarapa and $ 46.2 million south of the Rimutaka Tunnel including double-tracking the Trentham to Upper Hutt section. Work is to start in April 2019. The double-tracking was completed in November 2021. Other "infrastructure renewals" on the line include three bridges with timber elements and track renewal (including in the Rimutaka Tunnel), replacement of signals between Masterton and Featherston and upgrades to Upper Hutt. Passing loops at Carterton and Woodside had previously been removed, leaving Featherston with
2769-546: The branch on 14 May 1880 until the bridging of the Waiohine a month later. Later in 1880, the line opened all the way through to Masterton. The northern Wairarapa was more rugged and isolated, and construction was slower and more difficult. Mauriceville , 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Masterton, was reached on 14 June 1886, followed by the next 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to Mangamahoe on 10 January 1887. The 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) between Mangamahoe and Eketāhuna included
2840-619: The carriage trains and many of the DM/D units were phased out upon the introduction of the "Ganz-Mavag" EM/ET class units in the early 1980s. The "Matangi" FP/FT class was introduced on the Hutt Valley Line in 2011–12, initially relegating the Ganz Mavag units to peak services only before being completely replacing them from 2015. Railcar services were withdrawn in 1977, and carriage trains were re-instated progressively from early 1964. Until 1963,
2911-411: The circumnavigation of New Zealand. The maps described the North Island as " Ea Heinom Auwe " and " Aeheinomowe ", which recognises the "Fish of Māui" element. Another Māori name that was given to the North Island, but is now used less commonly, is Aotearoa . Use of Aotearoa to describe the North Island fell out of favour in the early 20th century, and it is now a collective Māori name for New Zealand as
Wairarapa Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-447: The conclusion of the Otago gold rush in the 1860s, New Zealand's European population growth has experienced a steady 'Northern drift' as population centres in the North Island have grown faster than those of New Zealand's South Island. This population trend has continued into the twenty-first century, but at a much slower rate. While the North Island's population continues to grow faster than
3053-537: The economic conditions left from the Great Depression followed by the impact of World War II meant that work on the tunnel did not start until 1948. The Incline and the line up the western side of the Rimutakas closed on 29 October 1955 and the tunnel opened on 3 November 1955. When the full line opened in 1897, passenger services from the Hutt Valley to Wellington were augmented by NZR's first express from Wellington,
3124-611: The first in the early hours of the morning and the second in the afternoon. No freights currently operate regularly at weekends. KiwiRail ceased running timetabled revenue services on the Masterton–Pahiatua section of the line in February 2015, transferring the Sunday Wellington to Palmerston North via Woodville run to the NIMT. However, they have undertaken to keep it open and maintain it to an operational standard, in part because it
3195-461: The first members of the K class to operate in the North Island were transferred from the South Island to work the Napier Express. They were augmented by members of the M and N classes. In the twentieth century, typical locomotives included members of the A and A class. The Rimutaka Incline was almost always operated by the six members of the H class built specifically for it. In 1906 E 66
3266-480: The fledgling New Zealand colony, nor were they successfully raised in England . In 1870, Julius Vogel included a Wellington-Wairarapa railway in his Great Public Works Policy and visited London to arrange a loan to finance the policy. On this trip, he was approached by several contracting firms and a contract that included the first section of the Wairarapa Line was awarded to Brogden & Sons . The construction of
3337-522: The gauge was nicknamed Blekinge gauge , as most of the railways in the province of Blekinge had this gauge. Colonial Gauge was used in New Zealand. In Australia, this gauge is typically referred to as narrow gauge in comparison to 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge or 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) broad gauge. In some instances, simply 3 foot 6 inch — or in rarer cases medium gauge —
3408-648: The islands and linking the Cook Strait to the Tasman Sea . The North Island has an estimated population of 4,077,800 as of June 2024. The North Island had a population of 3,808,005 at the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 213,453 people (5.9%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 570,957 people (17.6%) since the 2013 census . Of the total population, 733,893 people (19.3%) were aged under 15 years, 743,154 (19.5%) were 15 to 29, 1,721,427 (45.2%) were 30 to 64, and 609,534 (16.0%) were 65 or older. Ever since
3479-543: The line between Wellington and Upper Hutt is electrified and is also known as the Hutt Valley Line . Transdev on behalf of the Greater Wellington Regional Council runs suburban services along the Hutt Valley section, as well as the Wairarapa Connection service between Wellington and Masterton. KiwiRail runs regular freight services along the line between Wellington to Masterton and between Pahiatua and Woodville. No regular services currently run along
3550-458: The line can be considered in three stages: the Hutt Valley section, the route over the Rimutakas, and the line through the Wairarapa via Masterton to Woodville . On 20 August 1872, construction of the Wairarapa Line began with the turning of the first sod at Pipitea Point , the site of Wellington's first railway station. Construction was delayed due to the difficulties associated with building
3621-507: The line to Kaitoke was officially opened by the Governor,. On 1 January 1878 the line to Kaitoke was opened to the public; becoming the railhead for the Wairarapa for nearly ten months (to 16 October). The Rimutaka Range posed a severe difficulty to those involved in planning and constructing the Wairarapa Line. On 1 January 1878, the Hutt line opened to Kaitoke at the western foot of the range, and
SECTION 50
#17328449070763692-466: The mid-1950s, the line between Petone and Featherston was substantially realigned, with the line diverted to the east of the Hutt River between Petone and Haywards to serve new housing developments in Lower Hutt, and the construction of the Rimutaka Tunnel to replace the Rimutaka Incline. Part of the former route west of the Hutt River has been retained as the Melling Branch . The southern portion of
3763-485: The mid-1980s were made up of de-motorised former 88-seater railcars known as " grassgrubs " in New Zealand railfan jargon . Passenger services through the lowly populated northern Wairarapa survived due to the poor roads in the area, but as they were improved, demand for the trains declined. Masterton – Palmerston North passenger trains ceased from Monday, 1 August 1988 with the last such service running on Friday, 29 July. In
3834-503: The only loop between Upper Hutt and Masterton; the Carterton loop may need reinstating at some time for more frequent trains. The New Zealand Upgrade Programme announced on 30 January 2020 included passing loops at Carterton, Featherston and Maymorn and a second platform at Featherston. It is planned to have up to 7 peak services from Masterton at 15-minute intervals. Proposals for railed transportation out of Wellington were made as early as
3905-465: The plurality in the Auckland region (49.8%) and are the majority in the remaining 39 districts. The proportion of North Islanders born overseas at the 2018 census were 29.3%. The most common foreign countries of birth were England (15.4% of overseas-born residents), Mainland China (11.3%), India (10.1%), South Africa (5.9%), Australia (5.5%) and Samoa (5.3%). The North Island has a larger population than
3976-414: The purchase of tri-mode multiple units for the line, similar to bi-mode multiple units used overseas. In 2023 it was announced that 18 four-car trains will be built for Capital Connection and Wairarapa services. Proposals have been made to extend the electrification into the Wairarapa and the Rimutaka Tunnel was constructed to allow overhead lines to be installed, although before opening diesel operation
4047-408: The railway was extended to serve them. In 1954, it re-joined the western line south of Manor Park and superseded the old route. On 1 March 1954 the former Hutt Valley Branch became part of the Wairarapa Line. The western route was truncated into the Melling Branch from Petone, with the Lower Hutt railway station becoming the Western Hutt railway station . The deviation included a new bridge across
4118-427: The sea. While he was not looking, his brothers fought over the fish and chopped it up. This great fish became the North Island, and thus a Māori name for the North Island is Te Ika-a-Māui ("The Fish of Māui"). The mountains and valleys are believed to have been formed as a result of Māui's brothers' hacking at the fish. During Captain James Cook 's voyage between 1769 and 1770 , Tahitian navigator Tupaia accompanied
4189-463: The significance of the Wairarapa Line declined, especially on the section north of Masterton. KiwiRail is currently investigating a log shipment hub in Masterton that would mean log traffic would use the northern portion of the Wairarapa Line, from Masterton to Napier. In February 2012, it was reported that the total freight carried on the northern section of the line had increased from 74,031 tonnes in 2009 to 97,139 tonnes in 2011, although this figure
4260-522: The six SE class to relieve capacity constraints especially on evening services. The Wellington Metro Rail Upgrade project (2020-2021) started in November 2019; and is expected to take eighteen months and cost $ 300 million. The single-track Trentham-Upper Hutt section will be double-tracked and equipped for bi-directional signalling so that trains can run on either track in either direction between Upper Hutt and Trentham (and possibly later to Heretaunga). Signalling, track and three bridges will be renewed, and
4331-399: The start of the 1850s, barely a decade after European settlement of the area began. In 1853 and 1857, investigation of horse-hauled tramways was undertaken, but no action was taken. Robert Stokes , a member of the provincial government , proposed a railway over the Rimutakas in 1858 and finally succeeded in gaining government interest in 1863. The Wellington Provincial Government established
SECTION 60
#17328449070764402-406: The two-position home signal, which allows shunting movements to be carried out without the need for a Track Warrant. Along with Horotiu (on the NIMT between Te Rapa and Ngāruawāhia) Masterton still has Woods Points Keys. The Horotiu ones are not in regular use. Seven railway preservation organisations are based on or close by the Wairarapa Line. NZRLS has a workshop based at the northern end of
4473-446: Was $ 226m, with option 2 being $ 82m. The Wairarapa line used four of the six New Zealand railway signalling systems: Double Line Automatic (DLA) , Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) , Track Warrant Control (TWC) and Station Limits. Signalling at Petone is future-proofed for conversion to a fifth system, Automatic Signalling Rules (ASR). The Wairarapa Line had a number of lasts for railway signalling in New Zealand: Prior to
4544-431: Was adopted. In 2007, the Greater Wellington Regional Council rejected a call for the line to be electrified to Masterton, stating that patronage was too low to justify the capital expenditure. In May 2021, KiwiRail, Beca and Systra published the North Island Electrification Study, which put forward two options for electrification expansion for the Wairarapa Line from Upper Hutt to Masterton: The estimated costs of option 1
4615-404: Was built for the Incline but did not prove as successful as the six H locomotives and was retired in 1917. When the Rimutaka Tunnel opened in November 1955, the Wairarapa Line became the first in New Zealand to be fully dieselised as steam locomotives were unable to pass through the tunnel. Initially, D and D class diesels were employed, and they were soon joined by the D class . Until 1967,
4686-462: Was constructed in Norway by Carl Abraham Pihl . From the mid-nineteenth century, the 3 ft 6 in gauge became widespread in the British Empire . In Africa it became known as the Cape gauge as it was adopted as the standard gauge for the Cape Government Railways in 1873, although it had already been established in Australia and New Zealand before that. It was adopted as a standard in New Zealand , South Africa , Indonesia , Japan ,
4757-424: Was employed. This used a centre rail to which specially-designed locomotives and brake vans clung, allowing them to climb the steep slope upwards or control the descent. Despite the terrain, construction of this unique route was completed swiftly, opening to Featherston on 12 October 1878. Construction from Featherston to Masterton across the Wairarapa plains north of Lake Wairarapa was relatively easy. The decision
4828-464: Was inflated by a ten-day closure of the Manawatū Gorge section of the railway line due to a slip. Presently freight services operate at each end of the line. Log and other wood-related traffic is moved between Wellington and Waingawa , just south of Masterton, with one overnight and one daylight return service on weekdays, and a daylight service operates both weekend days. Two freight trains operate from Palmerston North to Pahiatua and return on weekdays,
4899-400: Was taken to bypass Greytown and build the line through Woodside to bridge the Waiohine River at a point far enough up the river to be considered safe; a line through Greytown would have required a bridge at a point considered unsafe by the surveyors. The Greytown Branch was constructed from Woodside, and Greytown was briefly the effective terminus of the Wairarapa Line from the opening of
4970-446: Was the only New Zealand Government Railways route out of Wellington until 1908, when the government bought out the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company who owned and operated the present North Island Main Trunk section between Wellington and Palmerston North. The line originally included the famous Rimutaka Incline , which used the Fell mountain railway system to cross the Rimutaka Range between Upper Hutt and Featherston . In
5041-424: Was used in several English-speaking countries. The equivalent of Cape gauge is used in other languages, such as the Dutch kaapspoor , German Kapspur , Norwegian kappspor and French voie cape . After metrication in the 1960s, the gauge was referred to in official South African Railways publications as 1,065 mm ( 3 ft 5 + 15 ⁄ 16 in ) instead of 1067 mm. In Sweden,
#75924