Dunedin Railways facts for kids
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Train travelling through the Taieri Gorge
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| Overview | |
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| Headquarters | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Locale | Eastern Otago, New Zealand |
| Dates of operation | 1991– |
| Predecessor | New Zealand Railways Corporation |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
Dunedin Railways (once known as the Taieri Gorge Railway) runs fun train trips for tourists. These trains start from the Dunedin Railway Station in the South Island of New Zealand. The company is owned by the Dunedin City Council. It is a special type of company that the council controls.
History of Dunedin Railways
How the Railway Started
In 1978, a group called the Otago Excursion Train Trust was created. Their goal was to run special train trips on the Otago Central Railway line. Their first trip happened in October 1979. These train rides became very popular. By the 1980s, the Trust saw that these trips could be a big hit with tourists. They got new train carriages. In February 1987, they launched a new service called the "Taieri Gorge Limited."
In December 1989, the New Zealand Railways Corporation said they would close part of the Otago Central railway line. This was because there wasn't enough freight (goods) being carried on it. The Clyde Dam had just been finished, changing how things were transported. The Dunedin City Council then bought the railway line up to Middlemarch. They also bought five locomotives (train engines). The Trust then leased these from the council to keep running their trains.
The Trust continued to run the Taieri Gorge Limited. They used their own engines, which were DJ class locomotives. These engines had been stopped from use by the New Zealand Railways. The Trust needed more money, about NZ$1 million, to keep running. In 1990, the community helped by raising NZ$1.2 million. The railway line past Middlemarch was removed in 1991. The land it was on was given to the New Zealand Department of Conservation in 1993. This land is now the Otago Central Rail Trail. It is a popular path for cycling tourists.
Becoming a Council Company
In March 1995, the Dunedin City Council and the Trust created a new company. It was called Taieri Gorge Railway Limited. The council owned most of the company (72.03%). The Trust owned the rest (27.97%). This new company needed to raise more money to grow its operations. The Dunedin City Council then sold the railway line to this new company. The Trust also sold its engines, carriages, and other items to the company. The company is managed by a board of six directors.
On December 1, 2017, the company changed its name. It became Dunedin Railways Limited.
The Taieri Gorge Limited Journey
The Taieri Gorge Limited is New Zealand's longest tourist railway. It travels along the old Otago Central Railway line. The journey is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) long. It goes from near Dunedin all the way to Middlemarch. Near Dunedin, the trains use KiwiRail's Main South Line. They have a special agreement to do this.
The train line follows the Taieri River. It goes through many tunnels and along the Taieri Gorge. It crosses many bridges called viaducts. It also passes through ten tunnels.
At Wingatui railway station, you can see the old station building and signal box. These were built in 1914 and have been fixed up. After a long tunnel called Salisbury Tunnel (437 metres (1,434 ft) long), the train crosses the Wingatui Viaduct. This viaduct is 197 metres (646 ft) long. It is the biggest wrought iron structure in New Zealand. It was built in 1887 and stands 47 metres (154 ft) high.
After the Wingatui Viaduct, the train enters the Taieri Gorge. It then follows the gorge above the Taieri River. The line passes old stations like Parera and Hindon. Hindon is often a stop for the train. Just before Hindon, the railway tracks share a bridge with Hindon Road.
Another popular stop for photos is the Deep Stream viaduct. From here, the line slowly climbs out of the gorge. It passes over the Flat Stream viaduct and a section called "The Notches." This part has short bridges and cuts through rocky areas. The train then reaches Pukerangi. Between Pukerangi and Middlemarch, the railway crosses Sutton Creek. It shares this bridge with a road.
Dunedin Railways now runs on a changed schedule. The Inlander train goes through the Taieri Gorge to Hindon. The Seasider train goes along the coast to Seacliff. The Victorian is a longer trip to Oamaru. They also have special trips, like the Christmas Inlander and Quiz Trains.
The Seasider Train
Dunedin Railways also runs the Seasider tourist train. This train travels along the coast to Waitati, north of Dunedin. After the Southerner train stopped running in 2002, the Seasider became the only passenger train on the Main South Line.
New Name: Dunedin Railways
On October 23, 2014, the Taieri Gorge Railway announced a name change. It would now be called Dunedin Railways. For 35 years, the company had taken tourists on scenic trips. These trips went up the Taieri Gorge to Middlemarch and along the coast on the Seasider. The name change was made so tourists could easily connect the train trips with Dunedin. It made it clearer what the railway was all about.
Temporary Closure and Reopening
On April 20, 2020, the company announced a temporary closure. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. Most of their money came from international tourists. The company had to stop running its trains and put its equipment away.
Later, in May 2021, the Dunedin City Council decided to keep the Taieri Gorge line open. It would run as far as Hindon. They also agreed to keep services running on KiwiRail's lines. In 2023, the council decided to reopen the section from Hindon to Middlemarch as well.
Train Engines and Carriages
Locomotives (Train Engines)
The railway owns seven old New Zealand Railways DJ class engines. Four of these can currently run on the main railway lines. They are painted in a special blue and yellow design. Two more engines can run but are not currently used on the main lines. One engine, DJ3021, is being stored to be fixed up later. Another engine, DJ3044, was bought for spare parts and has been taken apart.
Dunedin Railways also uses one DE class engine, DE 504. This engine is not used on the main lines. It is based at the railway's workshop. It was repainted in 2006 to look like it did in the 1970s.
From 2013 to 2019, Dunedin Railways leased a Silver Fern railcar, RM24. They used it for trips between Dunedin and Waitati.
Carriages (Passenger Cars)
Dunedin Railways uses several types of passenger carriages.
Older Wooden Carriages
Some trains use five old New Zealand Railways wooden carriages. These are called "Scarrett" heritage carriages. They were built between 1912 and 1923. They have open ends where you can stand and gangways to walk between cars. Each has 37 seats. Dunedin Railways is slowly taking these carriages out of service. They use parts from them for other carriages.
50-foot Carriages
Dunedin Railways has three steel carriages and one wooden carriage that are 50 feet long. These were once used on local Dunedin trains and express trains. The steel carriages have 30-37 seats and enclosed ends. They were built between 1931 and 1940. The wooden carriage, A 1327, was built in 1913.
"Jungle Gym" Panorama Carriages
Dunedin Railways has three special steel carriages. They have air conditioning and open ends. They are called "Jungle Gyms" because of how they looked when they were being built. These were designed and built by the OETT between 1987 and 1992. They have a unique shape to fit through the tunnels.
56-foot Carriages
In 2007, the railway bought 12 NZR 56-foot carriages. These were previously used on another train service. The first of these, A 2325, was ready in 2008 after being fixed up. The company planned to fix up three carriages each year. As of 2015, five of the twelve carriages had been restored.
In 2012, a carriage with large windows, AO 77, was leased from KiwiRail. It has since been repainted in Dunedin Railways' blue colors and is now owned by them. Another privately owned carriage, A 3022, has been leased since 2013. In 2018, Dunedin Railways bought six more carriages with big windows from KiwiRail.
Freight Transport
In the early 2000s, the railway looked into carrying logs by train. This would have been from Mount Allan to Port Chalmers. However, in 2007, it was found that carrying logs by road was cheaper. Even with possible government help, the train option was more expensive. The Dunedin City Council was disappointed. They thought trains were better for the environment and would reduce road traffic.
Later, it was realized that the logging trucks caused extra damage to the roads. This meant it would have been cheaper to use the railway. But the company involved had already spent too much money on the road option.
The size of the tunnels and bridges on the railway limits the size of train wagons that can use the line. Some larger freight wagons cannot fit.
See also
- Rail transport in New Zealand
- Otago Central Rail Trail
