Wairarapa Line
Encyclopedia
The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

 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...

, connecting the capital city of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

 with the Wairarapa
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...

 region. The line ends at Woodville
Woodville, New Zealand
Woodville is a small town in the southern North Island of New Zealand, 75 km north of Masterton and 25 km east of Palmerston North. In the 2006 census 1,398 people are usually resident in Woodville, a decrease of 81 people, or 5.5%, since the 2001 Census.-Early History and Local...

, where it joins the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
The Palmerston North – Gisborne Line is a secondary main line railway in the North Island of New Zealand. It branches from the North Island Main Trunk Railway in Palmerston North and runs east through the Manawatu Gorge to Woodville, where it meets the Wairarapa Line, and then proceeds to...

. The Wairarapa Line was at one time the only New Zealand Government Railways
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...

 route out of Wellington, as the present North Island Main Trunk route along the western side of the lower North Island was owned and operated by the private Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company from its completion in 1886 until 1908. Accordingly, the Wairarapa Line was a crucial part of the national rail network for some years after its linking to other parts of the government system in 1897. Until 1955, the line included the famous Rimutaka Incline, which used the Fell mountain railway system
Fell mountain railway system
The Fell system uses a raised centre rail between the two running rails on steeply-graded railway lines to provide extra traction and braking, or braking alone. Trains are propelled by wheels or braked by shoes pressed horizontally onto the centre rail, as well as by means of the normal running...

. Due to considerable historical and present operational differences, the line is sometimes considered to be two routes linked by the Rimutaka Tunnel
Rimutaka Tunnel
The Rimutaka Tunnel is a railway tunnel through New Zealand's Rimutaka Ranges, between Maymorn, near Upper Hutt, and Featherston, on the Wairarapa Line.The tunnel, which was opened to traffic on 3 November 1955, is long...

, which replaced the Incline: the Hutt Valley Line on the western side of the Rimutaka Range
Rimutaka Range
The Rimutaka Range is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington.The ridge is at its most pronounced in the southern part of the island, where it consists of the Ruahine,...

, ending at Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...

, and the remainder of the Wairarapa Line on the eastern side of the Rimutakas. The northern portion of the line is currently under review as part of KiwiRail's turnaround plan.

Four branch line
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 diverge from the Wairarapa Line: the Melling Branch
Melling Branch
The Melling Branch is a railway branch line in the Hutt Valley, north of Wellington, New Zealand. It is part of the national rail network and formerly part of the Wairarapa Line...

, which was part of the main line until a deviation was opened in 1954, and the Gracefield Branch to Hutt Workshops
Hutt Workshops
The Hutt Railway Workshops is a major railway engineering facility in the Lower Hutt suburb of Gracefield in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island...

, both still open; and the Greytown Branch
Greytown Branch
The Greytown Branch was a five-kilometre branch line railway off the Wairarapa Line at Woodside in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand's North Island. It followed an almost straight course over flat terrain...

, closed in 1953, and the Hutt Park Railway
Hutt Park Railway
The Hutt Park Railway was a private railway in Petone at the southern end of the Hutt Valley in New Zealand's North Island. It operated from 1885 as a branch from the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line, from 1915 truncated as an industrial siding....

, which ceased serving its intended purpose in 1906 but survived in truncated form as an industrial siding
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...

 until 1982.

Construction

Proposals for railed transportation out of Wellington were made as early as the start of the 1850s, barely a decade after European settlement of the area began. In 1853 and 1857, investigation of horse-hauled tramways
Tramway (mineral)
Tramways are lightly laid railways, sometimes worked without locomotives. The term is in common use in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and elsewhere. In New Zealand, they are commonly known as bush tramways...

 was undertaken, but no action was taken. Robert Stokes, a member of the provincial government
Wellington Province
The Wellington Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:...

, proposed a railway over the Rimutakas in 1858 and finally succeeded in gaining government interest in 1863. The government established a committee to investigate proposals, and on 2 July 1866, the Wellington, Hutt Valley, And Wairarapa Railway Ordinance was passed. It authorised a railway employing either or to carry 200 tonnes at speeds of 24 kilometres per hour (14.9 mph), but construction did not commence as sufficient funds were not available in the fledging New Zealand colony, nor were they successfully raised in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

In 1870 Julius Vogel
Julius Vogel
Sir Julius Vogel, KCMG was the eighth Premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works...

 included a Wellington-Wairarapa railway in his Great Public Works policy and visited London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 to arrange a loan to finance the policy. On this trip he was approached by several contracting firms and a contract that included the first section of the Wairarapa Line was awarded to Brogden & Sons
John Brogden and Sons
John Brogden and Sons was a firm of Railway Contractors, Iron and Coal Miners and Iron Smelters operating from roughly 1837 to the bankruptcy in 1883. However the business essentially started when John Brogden moved from his father's farm near Clitheroe to set up in business in the rapidly...

. The construction of the line can be considered in three stages: the Hutt Valley section, the route over the Rimutakas, and the line through the Wairarapa via Masterton
Masterton
Masterton is a large town and local government district in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges...

 to Woodville
Woodville, New Zealand
Woodville is a small town in the southern North Island of New Zealand, 75 km north of Masterton and 25 km east of Palmerston North. In the 2006 census 1,398 people are usually resident in Woodville, a decrease of 81 people, or 5.5%, since the 2001 Census.-Early History and Local...

.

Hutt Valley section

On 20 August 1872 construction of the Wairarapa Line began with the turning of the first sod at Pipitea Point, the site of Wellington's first railway station. Construction was delayed due to the difficulties associated with building a railway along the narrow, rocky shoreline of Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour is the large natural harbour at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is on the western side of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current name in the 1980s.In Māori the harbour is...

, and the section to Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...

 was not opened until 14 April 1874. Further difficulties were encountered in building the rest of the route up the Hutt Valley along the Hutt River
Hutt River, New Zealand
thumb|300px|The Hutt River looking downstream.The Hutt River flows through the southern North Island of New Zealand...

's western bank, including the need to divert the river and reinforce its bank in places. On 1 February 1876 the line opened to Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...

.

Rimutaka section


The Rimutaka Range posed a severe difficulty to those involved in planning and constructing the Wairarapa Line. On 1 January 1878 the Hutt line opened to Kaitoke
Kaitoke Railway Station
Kaitoke railway station was a single-platform rural railway station on the Wairarapa Line between Upper Hutt and Featherston in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island. Initially it was the railhead of the Wairarapa Line, at a point where the railway met the main road between Upper...

 at the western foot of the range, and a steep but manageable route with a grade of 1 in 39-40 was found from Kaitoke up the Pakuratahi River
Pakuratahi River
The Pakuratahi River is a river of the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows northwest from its source in the Rimutaka Range 15 kilometres east of Lower Hutt before turning southeast to reach the northwestern shore of Lake Wairarapa five kilometres southwest of...

 valley to the site of Summit station, 348 metres (1,141.7 ft) above sea level. However, from Summit down the eastern slope to Cross Creek
Cross Creek Railway Station
Cross Creek railway station was the base of operations for the Rimutaka Incline, a Fell railway over the Rimutaka Ranges, and part of the original Wairarapa Line between Upper Hutt and Featherston in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island....

 near Featherston
Featherston Railway Station
Featherston railway station is a single-platform, urban railway station serving the town of Featherston in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand. The station lies on the Wairarapa Line, and is located between Harrison Street West and Harrison Street East...

, a gradient of 1 in 14-16 was required. This was far too steep for regular steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

s to handle, and accordingly the Fell mountain railway system was employed. This used a centre rail to which specially-designed locomotives and brake vans clung, allowing them to climb the steep slope upwards or control the descent. Despite the terrain, construction of this unique route was completed swiftly, opening to Featherston on 12 October 1878.

South Wairarapa section

Construction from Featherston to Masterton across the Wairarapa plains north of Lake Wairarapa
Lake Wairarapa
Lake Wairarapa is a lake at the southern end of the North Island of New Zealand, 50 kilometers east of Wellington. The lake covers an area of 78 km², and is the third largest in the North Island, fractionally smaller than Lake Rotorua...

 was relatively easy. The decision was taken to bypass Greytown
Greytown, New Zealand
Greytown or Te Hupenui, population 2,001 , is a town in the Wellington region of New Zealand. It lies in the Wairarapa, in the lower North Island...

 and build the line through Woodside to bridge the Waiohine River
Waiohine River
The Waiohine River is a river of the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows generally south from its origins in the Tararua Range southeast of Levin, turning southeast once it reaches the plains to the north of Lake Wairarapa...

 at a point far enough up the river to be considered safe; a line through Greytown would have required a bridge at a point considered unsafe by the surveyors. The Greytown Branch
Greytown Branch
The Greytown Branch was a five-kilometre branch line railway off the Wairarapa Line at Woodside in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand's North Island. It followed an almost straight course over flat terrain...

 was constructed from Woodside, and Greytown was briefly the effective terminus of the Wairarapa Line from the opening of the branch on 14 May 1880 until the bridging of the Waiohine a month later. Later in 1880 the line opened all the way through to Masterton.

North Wairarapa section

The northern Wairarapa was more rugged and isolated, and construction was slower and more difficult. Mauriceville, 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north of Masterton, was reached on 14 June 1886, followed by the next 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to Mangamahoe on 10 January 1887. The 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) between Mangamahoe and Eketahuna
Eketahuna
Eketahuna is a small rural service town, the most southerly in the Tararua District in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand, but is considered to be in northern Wairarapa. It was called Mellenskov, but was renamed soon after its founding.The town is located at the foot of...

 included the 150 metres (492.1 ft) long Wiwaka tunnel, the only tunnel between the Rimmutaka Incline and Woodville, and the section was opened on 8 April 1889. Construction of the 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) section to Newman was inexplicably slow, not completed until 1896. Pahiatua
Pahiatua
Pahiatua is a rural service town in the south-eastern North Island of New Zealand with an urban and rural population of over 4,000. It is between Masterton and Woodville on State Highway 2 and the Wairarapa Line railway, north of Masterton and east of Palmerston North...

 was reached in May 1897, including the Mangatainoka River
Mangatainoka River
The Mangatainoka River is a river that flows in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand's North Island. Its headwaters are on the eastern side of the Tararua Range to the southwest of the town of Eketahuna, and it roughly parallels the Wairarapa Line railway and State Highway 2 through the northern...

 bridge, the longest bridge on the line at 162 metres (531.5 ft). Mangatainoka is 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) from the bridge and the railway reached it in August 1897, and the line was finally opened to Woodville and a junction with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
The Palmerston North – Gisborne Line is a secondary main line railway in the North Island of New Zealand. It branches from the North Island Main Trunk Railway in Palmerston North and runs east through the Manawatu Gorge to Woodville, where it meets the Wairarapa Line, and then proceeds to...

 on 11 December 1897.

Deviations

Several upgrades and alterations to the Wairarapa Line have been made, but only the Hutt and Rimutaka tunnel deviations have significantly altered its route.

Hutt deviation

In 1925 construction began on what was then known as the Hutt Valley Branch, leaving the main line just north of Petone
Petone
Petone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...

 station and running east to Waterloo
Waterloo, New Zealand
Waterloo is an eastern suburb of Lower Hutt, Wellington. It is named after the Battle of Waterloo won by the Duke of Wellington in 1815.It is the home suburb to St. Bernard's College, Chilton Saint James School and Waterloo Primary School. It is also home to Waterloo Interchange, a major train and...

, opening on 26 May 1927. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the Hutt Valley experienced a population boom and the railway was extended to serve the fast-growing new suburbs. In 1954 it re-joined the western line south of Manor Park
Manor Park, New Zealand
Manor Park is the northern-most suburb of Lower Hutt City situated at the bottom of the North Island of New Zealand. The suburb is located on the western side of the Hutt River and State Highway 2....

 and superseded the old route. On 1 March 1954 the former Hutt Valley Branch became part of the Wairarapa Line and the western route was truncated into the Melling Branch
Melling Branch
The Melling Branch is a railway branch line in the Hutt Valley, north of Wellington, New Zealand. It is part of the national rail network and formerly part of the Wairarapa Line...

 from Petone.

Silversteam deviation

The deviation included a new bridge across the Hutt River, replacing a section of line now used by Silver Stream Railway
Silver Stream Railway
The Silver Stream Railway is a heritage railway at Silverstream in the Hutt Valley near Wellington, New Zealand. It regularly operates preserved New Zealand Railways Department locomotives along a restored section of the Hutt Valley Line before a deviation was built in 1954.- History :The...


Rimutaka deviation

The Rimutaka Incline was difficult, costly and time-consuming to operate, but as the Wairarapa Line had become a secondary route since the acquisition of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway in 1908, its replacement was not a priority. Various alternate systems and routes were debated, with a tunnel chosen in 1936. However, the economic conditions left from the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 followed by the impact of World War II meant that work on the tunnel did not start until 1948. The Incline and the line up the western side of the Rimutakas closed on 29 October 1955 and the tunnel opened on 3 November 1955.

Passenger services

When the full line opened in 1897, passenger services from the Hutt Valley to Wellington were augmented by NZR's first express from Wellington, the Napier Express
Napier Express
The Napier Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department initially between Napier and Palmerston North and later between Napier and Wellington. It ran from 1891 until 1954.-Introduction:...

 (the WMR had operated the Wellington-Longburn
Longburn
Longburn is a rural settlement just outside of Palmerston North in the Manawatu-Wanganui area of New Zealand. Made up of large dairy processing plants Longburn is often mistaken to be a small township and not seen as a large satellite town of Palmerston North...

 portion of the New Plymouth Express
New Plymouth Express
The New Plymouth Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between Wellington and New Plymouth. It ran from 1886 until 1955 and was sometimes known as the New Plymouth Mail due to the Railway Travelling Post Office carriages included in its consist...

). After the acquisition of the WMR, the Napier Express was re-routed to the quicker west coast route in early 1909 and the Wairarapa Mail
Wairarapa Mail
The Wairarapa Mail was a passenger train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between Wellington and Woodville, continuing on to Palmerston North as a mixed train...

 was introduced to provide a regular service through the Wairarapa to Woodville. In 1936, RM class
NZR RM class
The RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department and its successors given to most railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealand's national rail network. As NZR and its successors has operated many diverse types of railcars, alternate names have been given...

 Wairarapa
NZR RM class (Wairarapa)
The NZR RM class Wairarapa railcar was the first truly successful class of railcars to operate on New Zealand's national rail network...

 railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...

s were introduced; these were designed to operate at speed over the Rimutaka Incline and provided a much quicker service to Wellington and local Wairarapa services. They originally augmented the Wairarapa Mail but replaced it in 1948. Carriage trains operated only at peak times of the year when the railcar capacity was exceeded; in 1955, the Incline's closure meant the Wairarapa railcars were withdrawn and 88 seater railcars
NZR RM class (88 seater)
The NZR RM class 88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand, known unofficially as 'articulateds', 'twinsets', 'Drewrys' and 'Fiats'. They were purchased to replace steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains...

 were introduced, boosting capacity at off-peak times. One Wairarapa railcar has survived and is currently under restoration by the Pahiatua Railcar Society
Pahiatua Railcar Society
The Pahiatua Railcar Society is a society located in Pahiatua, New Zealand, dedicated to the restoration of railcars and other locomotives and rolling stock formerly operated by the New Zealand Railways Department...

. Mixed train
Mixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...

s also operated until the 1950s.

In the 1950s the Hutt Valley line was electrified using the 1500 V DC system already operating to Johnsonville
Johnsonville, New Zealand
Johnsonville is a large suburb in northern Wellington, New Zealand. It is seven kilometres north of the city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua . The population of "J'ville" was about 6,500 at the 2001 census.- Public transport :Johnsonville is a reasonably...

 and Paekakariki
Paekakariki
Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It is 22 km north of Porirua and 45 km north-east of Wellington, the nation's capital city....

. The electrification was opened to Taita
Taita, New Zealand
Taitā is one of the easternmost suburbs of Lower Hutt City in New Zealand, situated toward the northern end of the city...

 on 12 October 1953 and Upper Hutt on 24 July 1955, allowing for a more intensive suburban commuter service to Wellington. Originally operated by DM/D class electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

s and carriage trains hauled by ED
NZR ED class
The NZR ED class locomotive was a class of electric locomotive used in Wellington, New Zealand. They were built by English Electric and New Zealand Railways between 1938 and 1940, and hauled mainly passenger trains on the Wellington region's 1500 V DC electrification, and banked freight trains on...

 EW
NZR EW class
The NZR EW class locomotive was a class of electric locomotive used in Wellington, New Zealand. The classification 'EW' was due to their being electric locomotives allocated to Wellington.- Introduction :...

 electric locomotives, many of the DM/D units were phased out upon the introduction of the EM/ET class units in the early 1980s.

Proposals have been made to extend the electrification into the Wairarapa and the Rimutaka Tunnel was constructed to allow wires to be installed, but no substantial moves have been made. The railcar services survived until 1977, and carriage trains were re-instated progressively from early 1964. Until 1963, a railcar service operated on Friday evenings between Masterton and Woodville, and in December that year the decision was taken to replace the morning railcar to Wellington with a carriage train as over 200 passengers wished to use the railcar service that had a capacity of just 176. The final railcar service was replaced by carriage trains in December 1977; some of the carriage trains from this point until the mid-1980s were made up of de-motorised former 88-seater railcars known as "grassgrubs" in New Zealand railfan jargon. Passenger services through the lowly populated northern Wairarapa survived due to the poor roads in the area, but as they were improved, demand for the trains declined. Masterton – Palmerston North passenger trains ceased from Monday, 1 August 1988 with the last such service running on Friday, 29 July. In the 1990s, the service between Masterton and Wellington was rebranded as the Wairarapa Connection and presently operates five times each way weekdays (with a sixth service in the evening on Fridays), and twice each way on Saturdays and Sundays.

Freight services

Until the acquisition of the WMR in December 1908 all NZR freight out of Wellington was carried on the Wairarapa Line. As soon as the western route became available, all freight that could be diverted off the Wairarapa Line was diverted, due to the difficulties created by the Rimutaka Incline. This meant that even some traffic from the northern Wairarapa was sent through the Manawatu Gorge
Manawatu Gorge
The Manawatu Gorge runs between the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges of the North Island of New Zealand, linking the Manawatu and Hawke's Bay regions...

 and down the west coast to Wellington. The opening of the Rimutaka Tunnel made the line more desirable for through freight traffic, but as localised freight gave way to containerised inter-city freight in the 1980s, the significance of the Wairarapa Line declined, especially on the section north of Masterton.

Presently, a freight operates early in the morning every weekday from Wellington to Masterton, returning to Wellington in the late evening. Two freight trains operate from Palmerston North to Pahiatua and return on weekdays, the first in the early hours of the morning and the second in the afternoon. No freights currently operate regularly at weekends. Train 640 operates most Sundays on the Masterton to Pahiatua section of track (Wellington to Palmerston North via Wairarapa).

KiwiRail is currently investigating a log shipment hub in Masterton that would mean log traffic would use the northern portion of the Wairarapa Line, from Masterton to Napier.

Locomotives

In the late nineteenth century, the first members of the K class
NZR K class (1877)
The NZR Rogers K class was the first example of American-built locomotives to be used on New Zealand's railways. Their success coloured locomotive development in New Zealand until the end of steam.-History:...

 to operate in the North Island were transferred from the 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...

 to work the Napier Express. They were augmented by members of the M and N
NZR N class
The N class were 12 steam locomotives that operated on the national rail network of New Zealand. They were built in three batches, including one batch of two engines for the private Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, the WMR, by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1885, 1891, and 1901...

 classes. In the twentieth century, typical locomotives included members of the A
NZR A class (1906)
The A class were steam locomotives built in 1906 with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement for New Zealand's national railway network, and described by some as the most handsome engines to run on New Zealand rails. The class should not be confused with the older and more obscure A class of 1873. They were...

 and AB
NZR Ab class
The NZR AB class was a class of 4-6-2 Pacific tender steam locomotive that operated on New Zealand's national railway system. Originally an improvement on the 1906 A class, 141 were built between 1915 and 1927 by NZR's Addington Workshops, A & G Price Limited of Thames, New Zealand, and North...

 class. The Rimutaka Incline was almost always operated by the six members of the H class
NZR H class
The NZR H class locomotive was a unique class of locomotive used by the New Zealand Railways Department on the famous Rimutaka Incline, the three-mile section of 1 in 15 gradient between Cross Creek and Summit, over the Rimutaka Ranges...

 built specifically for it. In 1906 E 66
NZR E class (1906)
The E class comprised a single steam locomotive operated by New Zealand Railways from 1906 until 1917. Classified as E 66 and nicknamed Pearson's Dream after its designer, it was an experimental Mallet locomotive designed to work on the Rimutaka Incline...

 was built for the Incline but did not prove as successful as the six H locomotives and was retired in 1917.

When the Rimutaka Tunnel opened in November 1955, the Wairarapa Line became the first in New Zealand to be fully dieselised
Dieselisation
Dieselisation or dieselization is a term generally used for the increasingly common use of diesel fuel in vehicles, as opposed to gasoline or steam engines.-Water Transport:...

 as steam locomotives were unable to pass through the tunnel. Initially, DE
NZR DE class
The NZR DE class is a New Zealand class of shunting diesel-electric locomotives. The New Zealand Railways intended to replace steam locomotives for shunting duties with this class...

 and DG
NZR DG class
The NZR DG and DH class locomotives were a class of diesel-electric locomotives used on New Zealand's national rail network, built by English Electric.- Introduction :...

 class diesels were employed, and they were soon joined by the DA class
NZR DA class
The NZR Da diesel-electric mainline locomotive class ran on the New Zealand railway system between 1955 and 1989. With 146 locomotives, it was the most numerous class to operate in New Zealand, just five more than the AB class steam locomotive....

. Until 1967, the Wairarapa Line was the only way DA class locomotives could access Wellington due to tunnels south of Paekakariki being too small. In the 1980s, the DG class had been fully withdrawn and the DA class in the process of withdrawal or conversion to the DC class
NZR DC class
The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive currently in operation on the New Zealand rail network. Primarily employed to haul freight trains operated by KiwiRail, the class is also used for long-distance passenger trains operated by Tranz Scenic and suburban passenger trains...

; accordingly motive power on the Wairarapa Line changed. DBR, DC, DF (now upgraded to DFT)
NZR DF class (1979)
The NZR DF class of 1979 is a class of 30 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives built by General Motors Diesel of Canada between 1979 and 1981. Between 1992 and 1997, all the locomotives were rebuilt as the DFT class, a turbocharged version of the DF....

, and occasionally DX
NZR DX class
The NZR DX class is a class of 49 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives that currently operates on New Zealand's national railway network.Built by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, they were introduced to New Zealand between 1972 and 1976. The class is based on the General Electric...

 class locomotives were introduced and continue to operate on the line today.

Signalling

All four of the main forms 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...

 railway signalling
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...

 are used on this line; Double Line Automatic (DLA)
Double line automatic signalling
Double Line Automatic Signalling is a form of railway signalling utilised on the majority of double line sections in New Zealand. Double Line Automatic Signalling utilises track circuits to detect the presence of trains in sections broken up by intermediate signals.Usually there is an 'up' and a...

, Centralised Traffic Control (CTC), Track Warrant Control (TWC) and Station Limits.

The Wairarapa Line had a number of lasts for railway signalling in New Zealand
  • Semaphore Signal
    Railway semaphore signal
    One of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...

     on an operational line
  • Line controlled by Tyers Electric Train Tablet
    Tyers Electric Train Tablet
    Tyer's Electric Train Tablet system is a form of railway signalling for single line railways used in several countries; it was first devised in Great Britain by engineer Edward Tyer after the Thorpe rail accident of 1874, which left 21 people dead...



Prior to the Trentham - Upper Hutt - Featherston section being transferred to Train Control, this was the last section with CTC controlled by a signalman
Signalman (rail)
A signalman or signaller is an employee of a railway transport network who operates the points and signals from a signal box in order to control the movement of trains.- History :...



Masterton is a unique signalling arrangement with Track Warrant Control ending at 'TWC Ends' boards north of the two-position home signal, which allows shunting movements to be carried out without the need for a Track Warrant. Along with Horotiu (on the NIMT between Te Rapa and Ngaruawahia) Masterton still has Woods Points Keys. The Horotiu ones are not in regular use.

Heritage

Seven railway preservation organisations are based on or close by the Wairarapa Line.

New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society

NZRLS has a workshop based at the northern end of the Silver Stream Railway
Silver Stream Railway
The Silver Stream Railway is a heritage railway at Silverstream in the Hutt Valley near Wellington, New Zealand. It regularly operates preserved New Zealand Railways Department locomotives along a restored section of the Hutt Valley Line before a deviation was built in 1954.- History :The...

 where members restoring two Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company carriages. It also has an archives building beside Ava Railway Station
Ava Railway Station
Ava Railway Station is an intermediate station in Lower Hutt, New Zealand served by Tranz Metro's electric multiple unit trains on the Hutt Valley Line section of the Wairarapa Line.The island platform station between double tracks serves the suburb of Ava....

 in Lower Hutt.

Silver Stream Railway

The Silver Stream Railway
Silver Stream Railway
The Silver Stream Railway is a heritage railway at Silverstream in the Hutt Valley near Wellington, New Zealand. It regularly operates preserved New Zealand Railways Department locomotives along a restored section of the Hutt Valley Line before a deviation was built in 1954.- History :The...

 is a heritage railway in Silversteam, Wellington.
It regularly operates preserved New Zealand Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...

 locomotives along a restored section of the Hutt Valley Line (part of the Wairarapa Line), deviated in 1954.

Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust

The Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust
Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust
The Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust is a non-profit, charitable trust in New Zealand that was established in 2003 with the objective of reinstating an operating heritage railway over the Rimutaka Ranges using the original route of the Wairarapa Line between Maymorn and Featherston,...

 is based at Maymorn Railway Station
Maymorn Railway Station
Maymorn railway station is a twin platform, rural railway station serving the small settlement of Maymorn on the Maymorn Plateau, east of Upper Hutt, in New Zealand’s North Island...

 and its ultimate goal is to return the Rimutaka Incline to full operational condition as a tourist attraction.

Fell Engine Museum

The Fell Engine Museum
Fell Engine Museum
The Fell Engine Museum in Featherston, New Zealand, is a museum based around the only remaining Fell railway locomotive in the world.This locomotive, number H 199, climbed up the Rimutaka Incline using John Barraclough Fell's unique method of four grip wheels on a raised center rail.H 199 is one...

 is a short walk from Featherston station and includes preserved H 199, the sole Fell steam locomotive left in the world. The museum also has a Fell brake van and other railway-related items of historical significance.

Woodside Station Preservation Society

The Woodside Station Preservation Society focuses its activities on the Woodside Railway Station
Woodside Railway Station, New Zealand
Woodside railway station is a single-platform rural railway station on the Wairarapa Line serving the town of Greytown in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand, about five kilometres away in the small settlement of Woodside...

 Building.

Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society

The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society
Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society
The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society is a railway heritage and preservation community group in the town of Carterton, in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand's North Island...

 focuses its activities on the Historic Carterton Railway Station
Carterton Railway Station
Carterton Railway Station, in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand, is a single platform railway station in the town of Carterton. It is located at the corner of Cnr Broadway, Davy and Wheatstone Streets, near the main shopping precinct on State Highway 2...

 complex, which includes a museum inside Carterton's historic station building, rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...

 in the station yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....

, and other heritage items.

Pahiatua Railcar Society

The Pahiatua Railcar Society
Pahiatua Railcar Society
The Pahiatua Railcar Society is a society located in Pahiatua, New Zealand, dedicated to the restoration of railcars and other locomotives and rolling stock formerly operated by the New Zealand Railways Department...

 is at Pahiatua railway station, which is no longer served by passenger trains but maintained by the society. It has the only surviving Wairarapa and 88-seater railcars and is restoring them to operational condition; it also has an operational Standard railcar
NZR RM class (Standard)
The NZR RM class Standard railcars were a class of railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the North Island of New Zealand. Officially classified as RM like all other railcar classes in New Zealand, they acquired the designation of 'Standard' to differentiate them from others...

.

Stations


Wellington Section

Distance from Wellington Name Location Image Notes
N/A 41°17′30.28"S 174°46′54.47"E Terminus of the Te Aro Extension from 1893 to 1917.
N/A 41°16′42.52"S 174°46′46.11"E One of two Wellington stations, this was the government counterpart to the WMR Thorndon station and was the terminus of the Wairarapa Line prior to the opening of the combined Wellington station in 1937.
0 km (0 mi) 41°16′43"S 174°46′51"E Photo This station became the combined terminus for both the North Island Main Trunk and the Wairarapa Line when it opened in 1937.
N/A This was Wellington's first railway station and operated from 1874 to 1884.
2.55 km (1.58 mi) 41°15′36.18"S 174°47′28.92"E Photo Both the North Island Main Trunk and Wairarapa Line are served by this station which opened in 1874.
4.8 km (2.98 mi) 41°14′55.20"S 174°48′48.88"E Photo Ngauranga was opened at the same time as Kaiwharawhara and is one of the oldest stations on the line. It was moved from its original site in 1965 due to harbour reclamations and line deviations built during the 20th century.
Wellington did have another railway station, Thorndon Railway Station
Thorndon Railway Station
Thorndon Railway Station in Wellington, New Zealand was opened in 1885 as the southern terminus of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company’s Wellington-Manawatu Line. This line is now part of the Kapiti section of the North Island Main Trunk....

, built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR or W&MR), but this station did not serve the Wairarapa Line but instead the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) via Johnsonville.

Western Hutt Section

Petone – Melling, became Melling Branch 1 March 1954; Melling – Haywards, closed 28 February 1954
Distance from Hutt Valley Junction Name Location Image Notes
1.37 km (0.851280649210235 mi) 41°12′43.22"S 174°53′23.48"E Originally known as Lower Hutt and located on the Wairarapa Line, it became a station on the Melling Branch in 1954. It was the terminus of the first section of railway line to open in the Wellington region, and marked the northernmost extent of double-track operations on the Western Hutt section.
2.99 km (1.86 mi) 41°12′13.12"S 174°54′18.94"E Photo This station serves the suburb of Melling and was originally on the Wairarapa Line. It became the terminus of the Melling Branch in 1954. It was originally on the northern side of the Melling Link road but was moved to its present location when the branch opened.
5.22 km (3.24 mi) This station served the suburb of Belmont on the Wairarapa Line prior to the closure of this section.
6.65 km (4.13 mi) Replaced Pitcaithly's in 1938 and closed in 1954.
Became a tablet station in 1906 and was later replaced by Andrews, a short distance to the south, in 1938.

Hutt Valley Section

Distance from Wellington Name Location Image Notes
10.5 km (6.52 mi) 41°13′19.91"S 174°52′9.89"E Photo This station serves Petone, a suburb of Hutt City. It is at the junction of the Wairarapa Line with the Melling Branch.
12.52 km (7.78 mi) 41°13′10.52"S 174°53′30.06"E This station serves the suburb of Ava, and was one of the original stations on the Hutt Valley Branch prior to it becoming part of the Wairarapa Line.
14.37 km (8.93 mi) 41°13′14.51"S 174°54′40.22"E This station serves the suburb of Woburn and was one of the first stations on the Hutt Valley Branch. It is located at the junction of the Gracefield Branch with the Wairarapa Line.
15.5 km (9.63 mi) 41°12′49.77"S 174°55′15.95"E Photo This station serves Hutt City and is a major public transport interchange. It was the original terminus of the Hutt Valley Branch from 1927 to 1946.
16.54 km (10.28 mi) 41°12.458′S 174°55.809′E Photo This station serves the suburb of Epuni and was opened in 1946 when the Hutt Valley Branch was extended north to Naenae.
18.25 km (11.34 mi) 41°11.876′S 174°56.754′E This station serves the suburb of Naenae and was opened in 1946 when it became the second northern terminus of the Hutt Valley Branch.
19.49 km (12.11 mi) 41°11.321′S 174°57.279′E This station serves the suburb of Wingate and was opened in 1950.
20.55 km (12.77 mi) 41°10.832′S 174°57.639′E This station serves the suburb of Taita and was opened in 1947.
21.98 km (13.66 mi) 41°10.159′S 174°58.189′E This station serves the suburb of Pomare and was opened when the Hutt Valley Branch became part of the Wairarapa Line in 1954.
23.7 km (14.73 mi) 41°09′22.87"S 174°58′44.07"E This station serves the suburb of Manor Park. It was known as Haywards prior to the opening of the Hutt Valley Deviation in 1954.
41°9′4.07"S 174°59′41.37"E This station was on the Wairarapa Line until the opening of the Silverstream Deviation in 1954.
26.83 km (16.67 mi) 41°08′50.42"S 175°00′38.63"E This station serves the suburb of Silverstream and was opened along with the Silverstream Deviation in 1954.
28.24 km (17.55 mi) 41°08′32.37"S 175°01′33.20"E This station serves the suburb of Heretaunga and was opened in 1908.
29.4 km (18.27 mi) 41°08′15.76"S 175°02′19.09"E This station serves the suburb of Trentham and was opened in 1907. It is the northern terminus of double-track operations on the Wairarapa Line.
31.3 km (19.45 mi) 41°07′50.82"S 175°03′29.30"E This station serves the suburb of Wallaceville and was opened in 1879.
32.4 km (20.13 mi) 41°7′34.11"S 175°4′13.77"E Photo This station serves the city of Upper Hutt and was opened in 1876. It marks the northernmost extent of electric operations on the Wairarapa Line.

Rimutaka Section

Section closed 30 October 1955; Rimutaka Deviation opened 3 November 1955
Distance from Wellington Name Location Image Notes
41°7′16.58"S 175°6′37.48"E Photo One of the original stations on the Rimutaka section, this station served the small settlement of Mangaroa. Closed in 1955 along with the old route over the Rimutaka Range.
41°5′4.22"S 175°10′5.02"E Photo One of the original stations on the Rimutaka section, this station served the small settlement of Kaitoke. Closed in 1955 along with the old route over the Rimutaka Range.
41°8′41.29"S 175°11′48.93"E Photo One of the original stations on the Rimutaka section, this station existed solely to serve the operational requirements of the Rimutaka Incline. Closed in 1955 along with the old route over the Rimutaka Range.
41°10′3.39"S 175°12′56.64"E Photo One of the original stations on the Rimutaka section, this station existed solely to serve the operational requirements of the Rimutaka Incline. Closed in 1955 along with the old route over the Rimutaka Range.
41°9′7.69"S 175°16′12.63"E Photo One of the original stations on the Rimutaka section, this station served the South Wairarapa region around the area known as Pigeon Bush. Closed in 1955 along with the old route over the Rimutaka Range.
38.75 km (24.08 mi) 41°6′29"S 175°8′3"E Photo Opened in 1955 as the only station on the Rimutaka Deviation. Originally known as Mangaroa.
The Rimutaka Loop, located at 48.41 km (30.08 mi), was opened in 1955 as a remote crossing loop on the Rimutaka Deviation on the Wairarapa Side of the tunnel and closed in November 1990. Though not a station in the true sense it is a significant location signalling-wise due to its treatment as a fully interlocked passing/crossing loop.

South Wairarapa Section

Distance from Wellington Name Location Image Notes
57.15 km (35.51 mi) 41°6′47.74"S 175°19′48.85"E Photo This station serves the town of Featherston.
60.98 km (37.89 mi) 41°5′17.69"S 175°21′38.97"E Photo This now closed station served the small settlement of Fernside, north of Featherston.
65.12 km (40.46 mi) 41°4′2.61"S 175°24′7.05"E Photo This station serves the small settlement of Woodside.
69.61 km (43.25 mi) 41°2′55.78"S 175°26′53.31"E Photo This station serves the small settlement of Matarawa.
73.48 km (45.66 mi) 41°2′12.05"S 175°29′26.08"E Photo This now closed station served the small settlement of Dalefield, south of Carterton.
76.6 km (47.6 mi) 41°1′18"S 175°31′23.89"E Photo This station serves the town of Carterton.
79.33 km (49.29 mi) 41°0′16.51"S 175°32′48.35"E Photo This station, closed in 1970, served the small settlement of Clareville, north of Carterton.
83.4 km (51.82 mi) 40°58′44.94"S 175°34′54.15"E This small flag station was closed not long after the line opened, in 1891.
85.11 km (52.89 mi) 40°58′8.47"S 175°35′46.82"E Photo This station, now closed to passengers, serves neighbouring industrial customers.
88.09 km (54.74 mi) 40°57′11.94"S 175°37′30.72"E Photo This station serves the suburb of Solway, in Masterton.
89.4 km (55.55 mi) 40°56.856′S 175°38.322′E Photo This station serves the area around Renall Street, Masterton.
90.96 km (56.52 mi) 40°56.420′S 175°39.321′E Photo This station serves the town of Masterton. It marks the northernmost extent of the Wellington suburban passenger network.

North Wairarapa Section

Closed to passengers 1 August 1988
Distance from Wellington Name Location Image Notes
97.25 km (60.43 mi) This station served the small settlement of Opaki.
103.53 km (64.33 mi) This station served the small settlement of Kopuaranga.
110.56 km (68.7 mi) 40°46′45.08"S 175°42′0.42"E Photo This station served the small settlement of Mauriceville.
116.57 km (72.43 mi) 40°43′47.70"S 175°43′31.44"E Photo This station served the small settlement of Mangamahoe.
126.82 km (78.8 mi) 40°38′58.66"S 175°42′23.57"E This station served the town of Eketahuna.
130.18 km (80.89 mi) 40°37′19.17"S 175°42′40.83"E Photo This station served the small settlement of Newman.
137.28 km (85.3 mi) 40°34′1.10"S 175°41′40.02"E This station served the small settlement of Hukanui. Decommisned about 1977, Closed to passengers approx 1981. Station included Postoffice, Good Shed and Loading bank.
144.82 km (89.99 mi) 40°30′46.65"S 175°44′47.86"E This station served the small settlement of Mangamaire.
147.91 km (91.91 mi) 40°29′35.54"S 175°45′44.94"E This station served the small settlement of Konini.
154.62 km (96.08 mi) 40°26′42.12"S 175°48′54.42"E Photo This station served the town of Pahiatua.
159.1 km (98.86 mi) 40°24′49.47"S 175°51′44.60"E This station served the small settlement of Mangatainoka.
163.89 km (101.84 mi) 40°22′51.52"S 175°53′38.68"E This station served the small settlement of Ngawapurua.
171.5 km (106.57 mi) 40.3449°N 175.8676°W Photo This station served the town of Woodville.

Private sidings

Currently the only private sidings in use are Eurocell (Parapine) at Upper Hutt, Jukken Nisho at Waingawa and Fonterra at Pahiatua. The sidings remain at Taratahi but the main line points were removed around 2003 (Ravensdown Fertiliser). Line Works at Mauriceville are also still connected to the network but are overgrown and covered with lime.

Extensive sidings at Petone, Naenae (where the goods shed remains, in non-rail use), Taita (Unilever) and Trentham (Army) have been closed and removed. Other former sidings include one used by oil companies between Renall St and Masterton stations; disused sidings at Mauriceville and Ekatahuna; the Ngauranga Industrial Siding to an abattoir in the Ngauranga Gorge; and a siding to a military camp north of Featherston during World War I.

Tunnels

Nine tunnels have been constructed on the various routes of the Wairarapa Line. Of these, only three are still in use for railway purposes, and only the Wiwaka tunnel in northern Wairarapa has remained unaffected by deviations since the line opened.

Five of these tunnels are now part of the Rimutaka Rail Trail: Mangaroa, Pakuratahi, Summit, Siberia and Prices. The Rimutaka Incline Railway project hopes to incorporate these tunnels into its restored railway line across the Rimutaka Ranges.

Original route

From Wellington to Woodville:
  • Cruickshanks Tunnel
  • Mangaroa Tunnel
  • Pakuratahi Tunnel
  • Summit Tunnel
  • Siberia Tunnel
  • Prices Tunnel
  • Wiwaka Tunnel

Current route

From Wellington to Woodville:
  • Maoribank Tunnel
  • Rimutaka Tunnel
    Rimutaka Tunnel
    The Rimutaka Tunnel is a railway tunnel through New Zealand's Rimutaka Ranges, between Maymorn, near Upper Hutt, and Featherston, on the Wairarapa Line.The tunnel, which was opened to traffic on 3 November 1955, is long...

  • Wiwaka Tunnel

See also

  • Wairarapa Connection
  • Hutt Valley Line
  • Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
    Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
    The Palmerston North – Gisborne Line is a secondary main line railway in the North Island of New Zealand. It branches from the North Island Main Trunk Railway in Palmerston North and runs east through the Manawatu Gorge to Woodville, where it meets the Wairarapa Line, and then proceeds to...

  • Te Aro Extension
    Te Aro Extension
    The Te Aro Extension, also known as the Te Aro Branch, was a short branch line railway in Wellington, New Zealand continuing the Wairarapa Line southwards...

  • Pahiatua Railcar Society
    Pahiatua Railcar Society
    The Pahiatua Railcar Society is a society located in Pahiatua, New Zealand, dedicated to the restoration of railcars and other locomotives and rolling stock formerly operated by the New Zealand Railways Department...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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