North Island Main Trunk Railway

The NIMT is the railway line connecting Auckland and Wellington, the two major cities of New Zealand's North Island. The line was completed in 1908. Like most New Zealand railways it has a guage of 3'6" (1068mm)

The section between Wellington and Hamilton was converted to electric propulsion during the late 1970's as one of the National government's "Think Big" development projects.

By convention, and train going to Auckland was refered to as an "up" train, and any train heading away was a "down" train.

Current Passenger Stops (2005)

These are typically the "Passenger Express" stops of old.

• Auckland
• Middlemore
• Papakura
• Pukekohe
• Hamilton
• Otorohanga
• Te Kuiti
• Taumarunui – previously included a cafe and engines were changed.
• National Park – Now a 35 minute lunch stop.
• Ohakune
• Marton
• Feilding
• Palmerston North
• Levin
• Paraparaumu
• Porirua
• Wellington

Historic Passenger Stops

Between Pukekohe and Hamilton

• Te Kauwhata(discontinued April 2005)
• Huntly (discontinued April 2005)

Between Hamilton and Otorohanga

• Te Awamutu (discontinued April 2005)

Between Tamarunui and National Park

• Manunui
• Piriaka
• Kakahi – Steam Engine turn around point before incline.
• Owhango
• Oio
• Raurimu – Location of Raurimu Spiral

Between Ohakune and Marton

• Waiouru – near the highest point on the line. (discontinued April 2005)
• Taihape – previously included a cafe and engines were changed. (discontinued April 2005)

Between Levin and Paraparaumu

• Otaki (discontinued April 2005)
• Waikanae (discontinued April 2005)

External links

• The Overlander – the current passenger service.
• Raurimu Spiral
• NZ Engineering Heritage North Island Main Trunk line page