Canterbury Interior Main Line
Encyclopedia
The Canterbury Interior Main Line was a proposed railway line that would have linked many of the branch line
s in the Canterbury
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. Although it was never built in full, its most northerly portion was constructed.
(which together form the South Island Main Trunk Railway
). These lines ran from coastal centres inland and were intended to provide better communication and transport for young, fledgling communities and to open up parts of Canterbury for greater, more intensive economic activity - mainly agriculture
. The Canterbury Interior Main Line proposal intended to link these branch lines together. It was to leave the Main North Line in Rangiora, head inland to Oxford
and Sheffield and then link a number of branch lines at or near their termini before returning to the coast and joining the Main South Line in Temuka
, just north of Timaru
.
The lines linked would have been:
to Sheffield. A Royal Commission of New Zealand's railways in 1880 recommended the early completion of this link to Sheffield, and despite the Long Depression
, it was finished and opened on 28 July 1884. This was seen as the first portion of the Canterbury Interior Main Line, and although the 1880 Royal Commission disapproved of the proposal, it remained on the table for a number of years. However, increasing usage of road transport in the early 20th century began to impact the amount of passengers and freight carried by rail and the economic viability of any interior main line sharply declined and the proposal disappeared. By 1930, it was clearly accepted that the proposal would never come to fruition, as evidenced by the closure of the Oxford to Sheffield link on 14 July 1930. The rest of the Oxford Branch closed on 19 April 1959.
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
s in the Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. Although it was never built in full, its most northerly portion was constructed.
The proposal
The proposal was created and developed in the 1870s and 1880s as branch lines began to fan out from the then under-construction Main North Line and Main South LineMain South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
(which together form the South Island Main Trunk Railway
South Island Main Trunk Railway
The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and the Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill, running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to as the South Island Main Trunk Railway...
). These lines ran from coastal centres inland and were intended to provide better communication and transport for young, fledgling communities and to open up parts of Canterbury for greater, more intensive economic activity - mainly agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. The Canterbury Interior Main Line proposal intended to link these branch lines together. It was to leave the Main North Line in Rangiora, head inland to Oxford
Oxford, New Zealand
Oxford is a small town of 1,716 people serving the farming community of North Canterbury, New Zealand. It is part of the Waimakariri District. Oxford is a linear town, approximately two kilometres long. For a time Oxford was serviced by the Oxford Branch railway, and had two stations, East Oxford...
and Sheffield and then link a number of branch lines at or near their termini before returning to the coast and joining the Main South Line in Temuka
Temuka
Temuka is a town on New Zealand's Canterbury Plains, 15 kilometres north of Timaru and 142 km south of Christchurch. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy farming region, for which it is a service town.-History:...
, just north of Timaru
Timaru
TimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...
.
The lines linked would have been:
- Oxford Branch - the route inland from Rangiora
- Eyreton Branch - it was connected to the Oxford Branch
- Midland LineMidland Line, New ZealandThe Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel.-Freight services:...
- then known as the Malvern Branch, it terminated in Malvern (now known as Sheffield) - Whitecliffs Branch - to meet it in Homebush
- Methven BranchMethven BranchThe Methven Branch was a branch line railway that was part of New Zealand's national rail network in Canterbury. It opened in 1880 and operated until 1976.-Construction:...
- Mount Somers BranchMount Somers BranchThe Mount Somers Branch, sometimes known as the Springburn Branch, was a branch line railway in the region of Canterbury, New Zealand. The line was built in stages from 1878, reaching Mount Somers in 1885. A further section to Springburn was added in 1889; this closed in 1957, followed by the...
The constructed portion
On 21 June 1875, the Oxford Branch was completed to Oxford, and construction soon began on a link across the Waimakariri GorgeWaimakariri Gorge
The Waimakariri Gorge is located on the Waimakariri River in inland Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand.Like its neighbour, the Rakaia River, the Waimakariri runs through wide shingle beds for much of its length, but is forced through a narrow canyon as it approaches the Canterbury...
to Sheffield. A Royal Commission of New Zealand's railways in 1880 recommended the early completion of this link to Sheffield, and despite the Long Depression
Long Depression
The Long Depression was a worldwide economic crisis, felt most heavily in Europe and the United States, which had been experiencing strong economic growth fueled by the Second Industrial Revolution in the decade following the American Civil War. At the time, the episode was labeled the Great...
, it was finished and opened on 28 July 1884. This was seen as the first portion of the Canterbury Interior Main Line, and although the 1880 Royal Commission disapproved of the proposal, it remained on the table for a number of years. However, increasing usage of road transport in the early 20th century began to impact the amount of passengers and freight carried by rail and the economic viability of any interior main line sharply declined and the proposal disappeared. By 1930, it was clearly accepted that the proposal would never come to fruition, as evidenced by the closure of the Oxford to Sheffield link on 14 July 1930. The rest of the Oxford Branch closed on 19 April 1959.