Wellington - Manawatu Line
Encyclopedia
The Wellington and Manawatu Line is an unofficial name for the section of New Zealand
's North Island Main Trunk Railway between Wellington
and Palmerston North
. Originally a government project, the line (initially known as the West Coast Railway) was constructed by the private Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, and bought by the government in December 1908.
region. However, land owning interests in the Wairarapa saw that the railway line from Wellington to the Wairarapa was given higher priority. As a result, proposals for a line along the west coast did not resurface until 1878 (following the completion of the Palmerston North - Foxton Line
in 1876). Proposals for this line were based on the line from the Hutt Valley. The Public Works Department
conducted a number of surveys a concluded there were three possible routes: the first was to build a line from Upper Hutt
via the Akatarawa Valley
to Waikanae
, the second a line from Paekakariki
via Haywards to Taita
in the Hutt Valley, and the third via Porirua
, through to Johnsonville and then to Wellington. The final option was settled on, as the first two required significant tunneling then not possible (Wellington had a population of just 22,000 in 1878).
approved the construction of the line, which was included in the Public Works Estimates, reported to the House of Representatives on 27 August 1878. The final details of the survey were completed, and the first workers were hired for the construction of the line on 21 August 1879. However, Grey's government was defeated in October 1879, and the government of Sir John Hall
elected in its place. Hall had the line removed from the Public Works Estimates, and then created a Royal Commission to review the government's public works programme, with a view to reducing government expenditure. The Commission reviewed the Wellington - Manawatu Line in March 1880, and concluded that work should be abandoned.
In response, John Plimmer
, considered the "father of Wellington", proposed the formation of a private company to build and operate the line. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce supported the move, and the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company was formed in May 1881. That same year the government passed the Railway Construction and Land Act, which allowed joint stock companies to build and run private railways, so long as they were built to the government's standard gauge and connected with a government line. The company signed a contract to construct the line in 1882, acquiring the land on which the line was to be built and materials used in the abandoned section of the line. Only one change was made to the Public Works surveys - the line was to connect with the government's line at Longburn, instead of Foxton, leaving the Palmerston North - Foxton Line
a branch line
.
The company immediately let contracts for the construction of the line from Wellington to Wadestown, now part of the Johnsonville Line. They hired Harry Higginson, a distinguished engineer from Dunedin, to oversee construction. Higginson brought with him Arthur and James Fulton. Arthur Fulton was given responsibility for the Longburn to Waikanae section, and James the Waikanae to Wellington section. A contract was let in April 1882 for the construction of the Longburn - Manawatu River
section, which included the Manawatu River bridge, the longest on the line. Higginson had a special wharf built on the Manawatu River near the bridge site, to allow steamers to offload construction materials for the bridge. In August the Wadestown - Crofton section contract was let, with construction of two tunnels. The next contract let was for Johnsonville to Porirua, including the Belmont Viaduct, the highest on the line. The formation reached Paremata by mid-January 1885, with rails being laid over this section six months later.
The next section, Paremata to Paekakariki, proved difficult - it included six tunnels built against a steep cliff face, and a large swamp outside a township to be known as Plimmerton
. Rails reached Pukerua Bay
in 1885, where a temporary tramway was constructed below the No. 13 tunnel to allow goods and passengers to be transshipped to a stagecoach to Foxton. Material for the construction of the tunnels between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay were unloaded at a makeshift wharf constructed in Brendan's Bay. Meanwhile, rails were within two miles of Waikanae in the north by 25 September, with a service from Otaki
connecting the two railheads. The laying of the line from Pukerua Bay to Paekakariki was completed on 4 October 1886, and on 27 October the lines from Waikanae and Paekakariki met at Otaihanga
. The first revenue-earning train, a stock train from Longburn to Johnsonville with 355 sheep and 60 head of cattle was on 30 October.
The section was officially opened on 3 November 1886, when the last spike was driven at a public ceremony by the Governor of New Zealand
, Sir William Jervois
. A public timetable was introduced on 1 December 1886.
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 North Island Main Trunk Railway between 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...
and Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
. Originally a government project, the line (initially known as the West Coast Railway) was constructed by the private Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, and bought by the government in December 1908.
Proposals
Proposals for a railway line on the west coast of the North Island predated proposals for a railway line from Wellington to the WairarapaWairarapa
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. However, land owning interests in the Wairarapa saw that the railway line from Wellington to the Wairarapa was given higher priority. As a result, proposals for a line along the west coast did not resurface until 1878 (following the completion of the Palmerston North - Foxton Line
Foxton Branch
The Foxton Branch was a railway line in New Zealand. It began life as a tramway, evolved into a railway by 1876, and operated until 1959. At Himatangi there was a junction with the Sanson Tramway, a line operated by the Manawatu County Council that was never upgraded to the status of a...
in 1876). Proposals for this line were based on the line from the Hutt Valley. The Public Works Department
New Zealand Ministry of Works
The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988...
conducted a number of surveys a concluded there were three possible routes: the first was to build a line from 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...
via the Akatarawa Valley
Akatarawa Valley
The Akatarawa Valley is a valley in the Tararua Range of New Zealand's North Island. It provides a link from the upper reaches of the Hutt Valley to Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast through rugged hill country. The valley is lowly populated and contains the localities of Reikorangi and Cloustonville...
to Waikanae
Waikanae
Waikanae is a small town on New Zealand's Kapiti Coast. The name is a Māori word meaning "The waters of the yellow eyed mullet". Another settlement called Waikanae Beach exists near Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand....
, the second a line from 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....
via Haywards to Taita
Taita
Taita may refer to:* Taita people, a Kenyan ethnic group; also their language* Taitā, New Zealand, a suburb of Lower Hutt City* Taita Hills, mountain range in Kenya* Taita Line, a railway line in Gifu prefecture, Japan...
in the Hutt Valley, and the third via Porirua
Porirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
, through to Johnsonville and then to Wellington. The final option was settled on, as the first two required significant tunneling then not possible (Wellington had a population of just 22,000 in 1878).
Construction
The government of Sir George GreyGeorge Edward Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:...
approved the construction of the line, which was included in the Public Works Estimates, reported to the House of Representatives on 27 August 1878. The final details of the survey were completed, and the first workers were hired for the construction of the line on 21 August 1879. However, Grey's government was defeated in October 1879, and the government of Sir John Hall
John Hall (New Zealand)
Sir John Hall was born in Kingston upon Hull, England, and later became the 12th Prime Minister of New Zealand. He was also Mayor of Christchurch.-Migration to New Zealand:...
elected in its place. Hall had the line removed from the Public Works Estimates, and then created a Royal Commission to review the government's public works programme, with a view to reducing government expenditure. The Commission reviewed the Wellington - Manawatu Line in March 1880, and concluded that work should be abandoned.
In response, John Plimmer
John Plimmer
John Plimmer has been called the Father of Wellington.He was a member of the Wellington Provincial Council from 1856 to 1857, the first Wellington Town Board and was on the Wellington City Council from 1870 to 1871....
, considered the "father of Wellington", proposed the formation of a private company to build and operate the line. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce supported the move, and the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company was formed in May 1881. That same year the government passed the Railway Construction and Land Act, which allowed joint stock companies to build and run private railways, so long as they were built to the government's standard gauge and connected with a government line. The company signed a contract to construct the line in 1882, acquiring the land on which the line was to be built and materials used in the abandoned section of the line. Only one change was made to the Public Works surveys - the line was to connect with the government's line at Longburn, instead of Foxton, leaving the Palmerston North - Foxton Line
Foxton Branch
The Foxton Branch was a railway line in New Zealand. It began life as a tramway, evolved into a railway by 1876, and operated until 1959. At Himatangi there was a junction with the Sanson Tramway, a line operated by the Manawatu County Council that was never upgraded to the status of a...
a 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...
.
The company immediately let contracts for the construction of the line from Wellington to Wadestown, now part of the Johnsonville Line. They hired Harry Higginson, a distinguished engineer from Dunedin, to oversee construction. Higginson brought with him Arthur and James Fulton. Arthur Fulton was given responsibility for the Longburn to Waikanae section, and James the Waikanae to Wellington section. A contract was let in April 1882 for the construction of the Longburn - Manawatu River
Manawatu River
The Manawatu River is a major river of the southern North Island of New Zealand.The river has its headwaters to the northwest of Norsewood in the Ruahine Ranges of southern Hawke's Bay. It flows initially eastward before turning south-west near Ormondville, flowing 40 km before turning...
section, which included the Manawatu River bridge, the longest on the line. Higginson had a special wharf built on the Manawatu River near the bridge site, to allow steamers to offload construction materials for the bridge. In August the Wadestown - Crofton section contract was let, with construction of two tunnels. The next contract let was for Johnsonville to Porirua, including the Belmont Viaduct, the highest on the line. The formation reached Paremata by mid-January 1885, with rails being laid over this section six months later.
The next section, Paremata to Paekakariki, proved difficult - it included six tunnels built against a steep cliff face, and a large swamp outside a township to be known as Plimmerton
Plimmerton
The township of Plimmerton is adjacent to one of the more congenial beaches in the northwest part of the Wellington urban area of Porirua in New Zealand...
. Rails reached Pukerua Bay
Pukerua Bay
Pukerua Bay is a small seaside community at the southern end of the Kapiti Coast, New Zealand. In local government terms it is the northernmost suburb of Porirua City...
in 1885, where a temporary tramway was constructed below the No. 13 tunnel to allow goods and passengers to be transshipped to a stagecoach to Foxton. Material for the construction of the tunnels between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay were unloaded at a makeshift wharf constructed in Brendan's Bay. Meanwhile, rails were within two miles of Waikanae in the north by 25 September, with a service from Otaki
Otaki, New Zealand
Otaki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District of the North Island of New Zealand, situated half way between the capital city Wellington, 70 kilometres to the southwest, and Palmerston North, 70 kilometres to the northeast. It marks the northernmost point of the Wellington Region. The town's...
connecting the two railheads. The laying of the line from Pukerua Bay to Paekakariki was completed on 4 October 1886, and on 27 October the lines from Waikanae and Paekakariki met at Otaihanga
Otaihanga Railway Station
Otaihanga Railway Station was a flag station between Paraparaumu and Waikanae on the Wellington-Manawatu Line in New Zealand, when the line was run by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. This line is now part of the Kapiti section of the North Island Main Trunk.The station was opened on 2...
. The first revenue-earning train, a stock train from Longburn to Johnsonville with 355 sheep and 60 head of cattle was on 30 October.
The section was officially opened on 3 November 1886, when the last spike was driven at a public ceremony by the Governor of New Zealand
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
, Sir William Jervois
William Jervois
Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa...
. A public timetable was introduced on 1 December 1886.