142:
bus operations were actively encouraged, resulting in a stark decline in passenger demand on the
Waipara-Culverden-Waiau route on what was now the Waiau Branch. In 1914, 20,000 passengers were carried, but by 1938, this figure was down to 3,000 annually and passenger services on the Waiau Branch
121:, with carriages for Parnassus detached at Waipara and operated separately through to Parnassus. However, in the mid-1920s, Parnassus became the primary terminus, with the carriages detached in Waipara now conveyed to Culverden. The name of the train was changed to the
125:
to reflect the alteration. This train was used for trials of the 'Midland Red' paint scheme to replace the
Railways Department's former olive green with yellow trim livery; this paint scheme later came to be used nationwide through to the 1990s.
528:
548:
538:
533:
543:
143:
were cancelled on 29 January 1939. The service to
Parnassus continued to operate until the Main North Line was completed in full from Christchurch to
138:
route gradually declined in importance as
Parnassus became the primary terminus and work began on the coastal route as the line to the north. The
256:
228:
73:
On 8 February 1886, the railway line from
Christchurch to Culverden was opened. Initially envisaged as part of the main route north to
139:
97:
s operation was extended too: it ran twice daily between
Christchurch and Culverden, continuing thrice weekly through to Waiau.
77:, an express passenger train began operating between the two towns. It was the most important passenger train in the northern
30:
503:
48:
249:
432:
397:
362:
437:
78:
242:
114:
56:
498:
392:
299:
144:
457:
417:
407:
377:
289:
74:
234:
412:
372:
284:
90:
82:
442:
367:
330:
427:
422:
315:
493:
483:
462:
452:
447:
387:
382:
43:
522:
402:
147:
in
December 1945. With the full line open, the Parnassus train was replaced by the
488:
86:
52:
34:
357:
320:
110:
38:
325:
294:
106:
89:
of 1899. In 1919, when the railway was extended beyond
Culverden to
26:
117:
in 1912. Initially, the service to
Culverden remained the main
238:
109:, where the Main North Line turned inland to run through the
187:(revised ed.). Wellington: Grantham House. p. 62.
55:. In the mid-1920s, the main northern terminus became
212:
The
Railways of New Zealand: A Journey Through History
471:
350:
343:
308:
277:
270:
59:, and to reflect this, the name was changed to the
41:. It ran from 1886 until its replacement by the
105:In 1900, work began on a coastal route north of
81:region and it received modern rolling stock and
172:. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. p. 110.
529:Long-distance passenger trains in New Zealand
265:Long distance passenger trains of New Zealand
250:
231:(As dotted line, may require user to zoom in)
8:
210:Churchman, Geoffrey B.; Hurst, Tony (1991).
347:
274:
257:
243:
235:
47:in 1945 and its route followed both the
214:. Auckland: HarperCollins. p. 181.
197:
160:
185:Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways
549:1945 disestablishments in New Zealand
539:Railway services discontinued in 1945
183:Leitch, David; Scott, Brian (1998) .
7:
534:Railway services introduced in 1886
544:1886 establishments in New Zealand
140:New Zealand Railways Road Services
14:
113:to Culverden. This line reached
31:New Zealand Railways Department
16:Passenger train in New Zealand
1:
565:
398:New Plymouth Night Express
229:Tracks on OpenStreetMap
170:Kings of the Iron Road
168:Mahoney, J.D. (1982).
499:South Island Limited
393:New Plymouth Express
331:Taieri Gorge Limited
300:Wairarapa Connection
458:Waikato Connection
378:Geyserland Express
290:Capital Connection
516:
515:
512:
511:
479:Culverden Express
413:Northland Express
339:
338:
285:Northern Explorer
136:Culverden Express
123:Parnassus Express
83:steam locomotives
62:Parnassus Express
22:Culverden Express
556:
443:Taneatua Express
368:Daylight Limited
348:
275:
259:
252:
245:
236:
216:
215:
207:
201:
195:
189:
188:
180:
174:
173:
165:
29:operated by the
25:was a passenger
564:
563:
559:
558:
557:
555:
554:
553:
519:
518:
517:
508:
467:
428:Scenic Daylight
423:Rotorua Express
335:
316:Coastal Pacific
304:
266:
263:
225:
220:
219:
209:
208:
204:
196:
192:
182:
181:
177:
167:
166:
162:
157:
132:
103:
71:
49:Main North Line
17:
12:
11:
5:
562:
560:
552:
551:
546:
541:
536:
531:
521:
520:
514:
513:
510:
509:
507:
506:
501:
496:
494:Picton Express
491:
486:
484:Kingston Flyer
481:
475:
473:
469:
468:
466:
465:
463:Wairarapa Mail
460:
455:
453:Thames Express
450:
448:Taranaki Flyer
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
420:
415:
410:
405:
400:
395:
390:
388:Napier Express
385:
383:Kaimai Express
380:
375:
370:
365:
360:
354:
352:
345:
341:
340:
337:
336:
334:
333:
328:
323:
318:
312:
310:
306:
305:
303:
302:
297:
292:
287:
281:
279:
272:
268:
267:
264:
262:
261:
254:
247:
239:
233:
232:
224:
223:External links
221:
218:
217:
202:
200:, p. 105.
190:
175:
159:
158:
156:
153:
149:Picton Express
131:
128:
102:
99:
85:, such as the
70:
67:
44:Picton Express
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
561:
550:
547:
545:
542:
540:
537:
535:
532:
530:
527:
526:
524:
505:
502:
500:
497:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
477:
476:
474:
470:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
449:
446:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
409:
406:
404:
403:Night Limited
401:
399:
396:
394:
391:
389:
386:
384:
381:
379:
376:
374:
371:
369:
366:
364:
361:
359:
356:
355:
353:
349:
346:
342:
332:
329:
327:
324:
322:
319:
317:
314:
313:
311:
307:
301:
298:
296:
293:
291:
288:
286:
283:
282:
280:
276:
273:
269:
260:
255:
253:
248:
246:
241:
240:
237:
230:
227:
226:
222:
213:
206:
203:
199:
194:
191:
186:
179:
176:
171:
164:
161:
154:
152:
150:
146:
141:
137:
129:
127:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
100:
98:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
68:
66:
64:
63:
58:
54:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
32:
28:
24:
23:
489:Lynx Express
478:
472:South Island
351:North Island
309:South Island
278:North Island
211:
205:
198:Mahoney 1982
193:
184:
178:
169:
163:
148:
135:
133:
122:
118:
104:
94:
72:
69:Introduction
61:
60:
53:Waiau Branch
42:
35:Christchurch
21:
20:
18:
438:Silver Star
433:Silver Fern
363:Blue Streak
358:Bay Express
321:TranzAlpine
271:Operational
130:Replacement
101:A new route
75:Marlborough
523:Categories
504:Southerner
418:Overlander
408:Northerner
155:References
79:Canterbury
373:Endeavour
115:Parnassus
111:Weka Pass
57:Parnassus
39:Culverden
344:Historic
326:Seasider
95:Express'
51:and the
33:between
295:Te Huia
119:Express
107:Waipara
87:U class
145:Picton
93:, the
91:Waiau
27:train
134:The
37:and
19:The
525::
151:.
65:.
258:e
251:t
244:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.