Branch Closures
New Zealands Branch Railways
In 1950 New Zealand had a railway network of about 5700km. In 1990 we had a network of about 3500km. We had lost 2200km of railways. The sole reason for this (with only one or two exceptions) was the competition with road transport. Rail simply could not compete with the efficiency of trucks and cars. The branch railways had been running at a loss all their lives. For a long time road transport was not allowed to compete with rail. In the 1940s this was replaced with a piece of legislation known as the 40 mile (60km) limit. This meant that goods carried by road could only be carried up to 60km if they could go by rail. This kept the railways open as most were over 60km long. The majority of branches was over 60km long so this did not affect them. The 40mile limit was slowly phased out over the 40 years from 1940 to 1980 when it was finally removed. At each change of protection level more branches closed. The final removal of all protection eventually closed the remaining lines , most were over 100km in length. The last significant line the Otago Central closed in April 1990.
Branch Closures from 1879 onwards :
| Branch Name | Location | Date of Closure |
| Moeraki | Hillgrove - Moeraki | Oct 1879 |
| Kumeu - Riverhead | Kumeu - Riverhead | 18 July 1881 |
| Taonui | Taonui - Direction of Colyton | 14 August 1885 |
| Ormondville Deviation | Ormondville | 9 Jan 1907 |
| Te Aro | Old Lambton St - Wakefield St | 1917 |
| Fernhill | Abbortsford - Fernhill | 20 Feb 1930 |
| Tokarahi | Windsor Jnc - Tokarahi | 14 July 1930 |
| Ngatapa | Makaraka - Ngatapa | 1 April 1931 |
| Grahamstown | Whangarei - Onerahi | 30 June 1933 |
| Shag Point | Shag Point St - Shag Point | 1934 |
| Johnsonville - Tawa Flat | Johnsonville - Tawa Flat | 19 June 1937 |
| Cape Foulwind | Wesport - Tauranga Bay | 1940 |
| Mt Egmont Quarry | Waipuku - Quarry | 1941 |
| Saddle Hill | Walton Park - Saddle Hill | 24 Jul 1944 |
| Turakina Deviation | Turakina - Aramaho | 7 Dec 1947 |
| NIMT - Longburn Section | Longburn - Terrace End | 21 Oct 1963 |
| Outram | Mosgiel - Outram | 5 Dec 1953 |
| Waiho Downs | Waimate - Waiho Downs | 11 Dec 1953 |
| Hedgehope | Browns - Hedgehope | 24 Dec 1953 |
| Greytown | Woodside - Greytown | 25 Dec 1953 |
| Eyreton | Wetheral - Horrelville | 26 May 1954 |
| Melling - Haywards | Melling - Haywards | 26 June 1955 |
| Nelson | Nelson - Glenhope | 3 Sep 1955 |
| Rimutaka Incline | Featherston - Mangaroa | 29 Oct 1955 |
| Springburn | Mt Somers - Springburn | 26 Mar 1957 |
| Walton Park | Geddes - Walton Park | 1 May 1957 |
| Springburn | Mt Somers - Springburn | 29 Mar 1957 |
| Moutohora | Makaraka - Moutohora | 15 Mar 1959 |
| Oxford | Rangora West - Oxford | 19 April 1959 |
| Waikaia | Riversdale - Waikaia | 16 May 1959 |
| Ngapara | Taylor's - Ngapara | 12 July 1959 |
| Kaihu | Dargaville - Donnellys Crossing | 19 July 1959 |
| Foxton | Longburn - Foxton | 19 July 1959 |
| Whitecliffs | Darfield - Whitecliffs | 31 Mar 1962 |
| Southbridge | Lincoln - Southbridge | 30 June 1962 |
| Little River | Lincoln - Little River | 30 June 1962 |
| Waikaka | McNab - Waikaka | 9 Sept 1962 |
| Wyndham | Edendale - Wyndham | 9 Sept 1962 |
| Blackball | Ngahere - Blackball | 21 Feb 1966 |
| Waimate | Studholme - Waimate | 1 April 1966 |
| Seaward Bush | Invercargill - Tokanui | 1 April 1966 |
| Conns Creek | Waimangaroa - Conns Ck | 6 Aug 1967 |
| Lincoln | Prebbelton - Lincoln | 1 Dec 1967 |
| Mt Somers | Frasers Rd - Mt Somers | 1 Jan 1968 |
| Browns | Winton - Browns | 1 Jan 1968 |
| Dunback | Inch Valley - Dunback | 1 Jan 1968 |
| Heriot | Heriot - Edivale | 1 Jan 1968 |
| Waiuku | Glenbrook - Waiuku | 1 Jan 1968 |
| Raetihi | Ohakune - Raetihi | 1 Jan 1968 |
The branch closures up till now had been the small insignificant branches which carried little traffic. The 40 mile (70km) limit was now raised to 60 miles (100km). The branches to close from now on had carried reasonable amounts of traffic which was now cheaper to be transported by road.
| Farlie | Washdyke - Farlie | 1 Mar 1968 |
| Roxburgh | Clarksville - Roxburgh | 1 June 1968 |
| Orawia | Tuatapere - Orawia | 1 Oct 1970 |
| Catlins River | Finegand - Takahopa | 28 Feb 1971 |
| Waimea Plains | Gore - Balfour | 31 Mar 1971 |
| Mokihinui Mine | Seddonville - Mokihihui Mine | 10 Feb 1974 |
| Balfour Spur | Lumsden - Balfour | 15 Jan 1978 |
| Opunake | Kapuni - Opunake | 31 July 1976 |
| Methven | Rakaia - Methven | 31 July 1976 |
In 1977 the 100 km limit was rasied to 150 km. In 1984 the limit was abolished altogether. Most of the branches which had survived closure up until now closed during the final years of the 70s.
| Waiau | Waipara - Waiau | 15 Jan 1978 |
| Tuatapere | Thornbury - Tuatapere | 15 Jan 1978 |
| Old East Coast Main Trunk (Paeroa - Waikino & Waihi - Apata) | Paeroa - Waikino and Waihi - Apata | 13 Sep 1978 |
| Tapanui | Waipahi - Heriot | Dec 1978 |
In 1980 the 150 km limit was abolished altogether. The railways now had to compete for traffic in a completely deregulated enviroment. Few branches remained now and almost everything was closed by 1989.
| Geddes | Burnside - Geddes | 1 Jan 1980 |
| Cromwell Section | Clyde - Cromwell | 13 April 1980 |
| Ross Branch | Hokitika - Ross | 24 Nov 1980 |
| Seddonville | Ngakawau - Seddonville | 3 May 1981 |
| NIMT - Mangaweka | Mangaweka - Utiku | 18 Nov 1981 |
| Kurow | Pukeuri - Kurow | 7 June 1983 |
| Mossburn | Mararoa - Mossburn | 13 Dec 1983 |
| Kingston | Makarewa - Mararoa | 13 Dec 1983 |
| Rewanui | Runanga - Rewanui | 19 Aug 1985 |
| Kaikohe | Otiria - Okaihau | 1 Nov 1987 |
| Makareao | Palmerston - Makareao | 1 July 1989 |
By now the only major remaining branch was the famous Otago Central. The only other branches which still existed (all serving large industries) were small.
| Otago Central | Middlemarch - Clyde | 30 April 1990 |
| Thames | Waitoa - Thames | 21 May 1995 |
| Taylors Siding | Waiareka - Taylor's | 1997 |
| Waitara | Lepperton Jnc - Waitara | 1999 |
| Part of Cambridge Branch | Hautapu - Cambridge | 1999 |
In 1999 (when this page was written) only a handful of branches exist. Click here for a list of them
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This page last updated on : Saturday, 02 October 1999