North Island Main Trunk.html



North Island Main Trunk
Map of the North Island Main Trunk Railway
Info
Type	Main line
System	New Zealand railway network
Status	Open
Locale	North Island, New Zealand
Termini	Wellington Auckland
Operation
Opened	6 November 1908
Owner	ONTRACK
Operator(s)	KiwiRail Tranz Scenic Tranz Metro (Wellington to Paraparaumu) Veolia (Auckland to Pukekohe)
Character	Main line
Rolling stock	EF class electric locomotives
Technical
Line length	681 kilometres (423 mi)
No. of tracks	Double track Wellington-Pukerua Bay, Paekakariki-MacKays Crossing, Hamilton-Te Kauwhata, Amokura-Auckland, remainder single track
Gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge
Electrification	1500V DC overhead (Wellington to Paraparaumu) 25kV 50Hz AC overhead (Palmerston North to Te Rapa)
Operating speed	120 km/h maximum
Highest elevation	815 metres (2,674 ft)

North Island Main Trunk Railway

Legend 681.0 Britomart Transport Centre Auckland Central Eastern Line  Auckland - Newmarket Line Former Auckland Railway Station Ports of Auckland Orakei Meadowbank Purewa Tunnel Glen Innes Panmure Sylvia Park North Auckland Line Westfield Otahuhu 662.2 Middlemore Papatoetoe Puhinui Manukau Branch Proposed Homai Manurewa Te Mahia Takanini 646.9 Papakura Mission Bush Branch & Glenbrook Vintage Railway 628.7 Pukekohe End of Auckland suburban services Te Rapa to Pukekohe  Glen Afton Branch Huntly Ngaruawahia Waikato River bridge Glen Massey Branch Te Rapa 542.3 Hamilton East Coast Main Trunk Railway Te Awamutu 494.4 Otorohanga 475.7 Te Kuiti Waiteti viaduct 36m Stratford - Okahukura Line 397.8 Taumarunui Whanganui River bridge Raurimu Raurimu Spiral 346.8 National Park Makatote viaduct 79m Manganui viaduct Mangaturuturu viaduct Taonui viaduct Hapuawhenua viaduct 51m Raetihi Branch 317.1 Ohakune Tangiwai Tangiwai disaster site Waiouru Taihape Utiku North Rangitikei Viaduct 81m Kawhatau Viaduct 73m Mangaweka Viaduct South Rangitikei Viaduct 78m Mangaweka Mangaweka deviation Makohine viaduct 73m 180.3 Marton - New Plymouth Line Marton Rangitikei River bridge 153.0 Feilding Palmerston North - Gisborne Line 136.2 Palmerston North Foxton Branch Milson deviation Paraparaumu to Longburn  Manawatu River Shannon 90.3 Levin Otaki Waikanae 48.3 Paraparaumu End of Wellington suburban services Paraparaumu Line  Raumati South Proposed 38.8 Paekakariki Tunnels 3 - 7 31.2 Muri 30.4 Pukerua Bay 24.5 Plimmerton 23.2 Mana Pauatahanui inlet 21.9 Paremata 17.7 Porirua 16.2 Kenepuru 14.9 Linden 13.8 Tawa 13.0 Redwood Former connection to Johnsonville Branch 11.9 Takapu Road Tunnel 2 Tunnel 1 Hutt Valley Line & Wairarapa Line 2.6 Kaiwharawhara Thorndon Interisland Ferry to South Island Johnsonville Branch 0.0 Wellington Railway Station Wellington City

In the 1930s the Wellington end of the NIMT was deviated from Wellington to Tawa Flat by the construction of the Tawa Flat deviation, including two long tunnels. The deviation is the centre two tracks, with the Wairarapa Line's Ngauranga station in the background, alongside State Highway 1.

The NIMT approaching Auckland CBD through the eastern suburbs.

EW 1805 hauling DC 4611 near Paekakariki on the electrified Wellington section of the NIMT

A DC hauls the Overlander.

EF 30163 hauling The Overlander on the 25 kV AC electrified section of the NIMT.

The northern terminus of the NIMT, Britomart Transport Centre

The southern terminus of the NIMT, Wellington railway station

The North Island Main Trunk line (NIMT) connects Auckland and Wellington, the two major cities in New Zealand's North Island. The line is the standard New Zealand gauge of 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in). A train going north, towards Auckland, is an "up" train with an even number, and one heading southwards is a "down" train with an odd number. Distances are measured from Wellington to Auckland. The 681-kilometre (423 mi) line was completed in 1908, and through expresses operated from 1909.

The North Island Main Trunk has been described as an "engineering miracle", with numerous engineering feats especially between along the Rangitikei River and on the North Island Volcanic Plateau. This included the building of the famous Raurimu Spiral to allow trains to manage the steep grade from the Whanganui River valley onto the Volcanic Plateau. The NIMT also contains nine major viaducts, of which five are over 70 metres (230 ft) high - Makohine (73 m/240 ft), South Rangitikei (78 m/256 ft), Kawhatau (73 m/240 ft), North Rangitikei (81 m/266 ft), and Makatote (79 m/259 ft),

The line is credited for having been an economic lifeline for the young nation, and for having opened up the centre of the North Island to European settlement and investment.¹