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New Zealand
Trains in New Zealand
New Zealand trains transport both freight and people.
Steam, diesel, and electric trains
Trains in New Zealand were steam-powered until the 1950s. The last steam service was in 1971. There were some electric-powered trains from the 1920s and 1930s. From 1949 there were diesel engines.
Urban passenger trains
Pōneke Wellington and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland are the only cities with an urban rail network. This means thousands of passengers can travel between suburbs and the central city.
Long distance passenger trains
KiwiRail operates long-distance passenger trains. You might have heard of the “Great Journeys of New Zealand” brand. These include:
- The Northern Explorer (Pōneke Wellington to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland)
- The TranzAlpine (Ōtautahi Christchurch to Māwhera Greymouth)
- The Coastal Pacific (Ōtautahi Christchurch to Waitohi Picton).
Freight trains
Every week over 900 freight trains – almost 130 a day - move goods over a 3500 kilometre network from Whangārei to Te Kārehu-a-Tamatea Bluff.
Electric trains
All electric rail is in the North Island and includes:
- The Wellington metro line
- 65% of the North Island main trunk line NIMT
- The Auckland metro line.
Private property
Railway tracks and rail yards are private property. You cannot:
- cross railway tracks anywhere other than on an official level crossing
- enter railway property without permission.
Train control
The train control centre is in Wellington. All New Zealand’s trains are controlled from here. Trains are located using GPS and tracked so train controllers can manage signal changes.
Try the trains in New Zealand quiz
Watch train control, a video from the 2019 rail safety field trip to Wellington about how technology is used to track and manage trains across New Zealand's rail network.