Southerner (New Zealand train) facts for kids

The Southerner was a special passenger train in New Zealand's South Island. It traveled between Christchurch and Invercargill on the South Island Main Trunk railway line. This train ran from 1970 until 2002.

The Southerner was one of New Zealand's most important passenger trains. Because of it, Invercargill became the southernmost train station in the entire world!

The Southerner's Beginning

Before the Southerner, older express trains in the South Island were pulled by steam locomotives. These trains were very important and always got the newest engines and carriages. In the mid-1900s, some faster evening trains called railcars also ran between Christchurch and Dunedin.

By the late 1960s, steam trains were being replaced by diesel-electric locomotives. In 1968, new DJ class diesel engines arrived. This meant steam trains would soon be gone.

In May 1969, plans were announced for a new, top-quality diesel train. It would replace the old "South Island Limited" service. This new train was named the Southerner. It would be pulled by DJ class locomotives. Unlike the old steam trains, it wouldn't carry mail. The Southerner started its service on 1 December 1970.

DJ3228 (D^J 1222) preserved in "Southerner Blue" livery at Dunedin in 2017

The Southerner was designed to be a fast train with only a few stops in bigger towns. For smaller towns, passengers could use special bus services to connect to the train. The train also brought back buffet carriages, which meant passengers could buy food and drinks on board. This was the first time since the 1930s that trains had dining services again! This also meant the train didn't need to stop for refreshment breaks, saving time.

The Southerner was a single-class train, meaning all passengers had the same great experience. They enjoyed wide, comfortable reclining seats. These seats were much more comfortable than what other trains or buses offered back then.

Even after the Southerner started, some steam-hauled express trains continued to run on Fridays and Sundays for almost another year. The very last regular steam train service in New Zealand ran on 26 October 1971. After 1979, the Southerner was the only long-distance passenger train on the South Island Main Trunk line.

Train Carriages and Upgrades

The first Southerner trains used ten (later twelve) comfortable first-class carriages. They also had two (later three) full buffet carriages where people could eat. In the 1980s, some wagons for parcels were added too. All the passenger carriages were older ones from 1938-1945 that had been rebuilt.

Two special carriages were turned into full buffet cars. They had long counters and 20 swivel stools for people to sit on. Later, a third buffet car was added.

Smoother Rides and New Seats

The buffet carriages were given new Japanese bogies (the wheel sets under the train) to make the ride very smooth. Passengers had complained that the other carriages weren't as smooth. The seats in the other carriages were also updated with new blue covers.

Later, all the Southerner carriages got new Korean bogies, which also helped make the ride smoother.

In the 1980s, the train's seats were upgraded again. New seats were designed and installed, which meant each carriage could hold more passengers. This increased the number of seats from about 29-33 to 45-50 per car.

Sometimes, carriages from other train services like the Endeavour were used on the Southerner. The Southerner also used some carriages that were originally meant for the new TranzAlpine Express, which were very comfortable with seats arranged around tables.

The Connoisseur Car

Around the same time, a private company leased one of the Southerner's carriages. They made it very fancy and called it The Connoisseur car. It offered a more luxurious travel experience.

In 1988, more carriages were updated for the Southerner. Some were set up like a cafe, with seats arranged around tables. Others had regular forward-facing seats. The trains also got new power-baggage vans, which carried luggage and provided electricity for the train. This also meant the train stopped carrying parcels.

More Services and Timetable Changes

After air-conditioned "panorama" carriages (carriages with large windows) were added, the Southerner became even more popular. Because of this, Tranz Scenic (the train operator) added extra services between Christchurch and Dunedin, and between Invercargill and Christchurch, on Fridays. However, these extra services didn't last long.

Even with the panorama carriages, fewer people started riding the train.

The new technology and not having to stop for mail or refreshments made the Southerner much faster. The trip between Christchurch and Dunedin was cut by almost an hour! At first, the train only stopped at a few main stations like Gore, Balclutha, Dunedin, Oamaru, Timaru, and Ashburton. Buses would then take passengers to smaller towns. Over time, more stops were added, but some were "stops on request" only.

Usually, two DJ class diesel locomotives pulled the train. When a third was added for more power on the hilly section between Oamaru and Dunedin, another 19 minutes were cut from the travel time!

Dining on Board

The Southerner was special because it was the first train in New Zealand to have a full dining service again. Dining carriages had been removed during World War I to save money. The Southerner had a buffet car with 20 seats where passengers could buy hot meals and cafeteria-style food. In the early 1990s, this changed to a buffet bar service, where passengers bought food to eat at their seats.

Why the Southerner Stopped Running

By the 1990s, the DJ class locomotives were mostly retired. Other types of diesel locomotives, like the DC and DX classes, started pulling the Southerner.

The train service was losing money. The government used to help pay for it, but this support stopped in 1989. To save money, New Zealand Rail changed the seating. The very spacious three-abreast seating was replaced with a more common four-abreast layout. The full dining car was also replaced with a simpler buffet bar. These changes helped reduce costs.

However, the Southerner faced tough competition from cheaper shuttle bus services, especially between Christchurch and Dunedin. These buses were much less expensive than the train. Still, the Southerner continued to run seven days a week, with one train going each way.

The Southerner was the only regular train that stopped at the famous Dunedin Railway Station. This station was once the busiest in the country! By this time, a typical Southerner train only had two or three passenger carriages and a power/luggage van.

The train continued to struggle against buses, more people owning cars, and cheaper flights. It just couldn't find a way to make enough money.

In 2001, the company that ran the Southerner, Tranz Rail, tried to sell part of its long-distance passenger services. However, the buyers didn't want to take on the Southerner unless the government promised to help pay for it. A study was done to see if helping the Southerner would be good for the economy. But the study showed that not enough people were riding the train (only about 40 to 50 people per day in each direction). This was about half the number needed for the train to be profitable. Since bus and airline services weren't getting government money, the government decided not to help the train, and it had to stop running.

Despite many people wanting to save the train, the last Southerner services ran on Sunday, 10 February 2002. The carriages were then used on other popular train services like the TranzAlpine (between Christchurch and Greymouth) and the TranzCoastal (between Christchurch and Picton). When the Southerner stopped, Invercargill lost its title as the southernmost passenger train station in the world.

What Happened After the Southerner

Today, most of the South Island Main Trunk railway line doesn't have regular passenger trains. The northern part, between Christchurch and Rolleston, is still used by the TranzAlpine. Dunedin Railway Station and the line out to Wingatui are used by Dunedin Railways' Taieri Gorge Limited, a popular tourist train. Dunedin Railways also runs a weekly train called the Seasider between Dunedin and Palmerston.

There has been some talk about bringing back a train service like the Southerner, especially between Invercargill and Dunedin. This is because more people are traveling, and students at Otago University and Southern Institute of Technology could benefit from a train between the two cities. KiwiRail, the main railway company, has said it's not interested in running the service itself. However, they said they would help a private company if one wanted to try.

In December 2016, KiwiRail even thought about running a temporary Southerner-style service. This was while the Coastal Pacific train was stopped after a big earthquake.

In June 2017, the government gave $50,000 to study if bringing back the Southerner would be a good idea for businesses. Even with this interest, the service hasn't returned. Now, there are discussions about special chartered trains for things like pop concerts.

Images for kids

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  DJ3228 (D^J 1222) preserved in "Southerner Blue" livery at Dunedin in 2017