Napier Express
Encyclopedia
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.
opened between Napier and Hastings
. Over the following 17 years the line steadily extended into the Hawkes Bay interior, and on 9 March 1891 it opened through the Manawatu Gorge
to Palmerston North. Construction of the Wairarapa Line
from Wellington was steadily advancing towards its junction with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line at Woodville
, at the eastern, Hawkes Bay, end of the Manawatu Gorge, but the only rail access to Wellington at the time was via the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company's line (WMR) up the west coast between Wellington and Longburn
, just south of Palmerston North. The Railways Department introduced the Napier Express as a dedicated passenger service between Napier and Palmerston North, with connections to the WMR for passengers to Horowhenua, the Kapiti Coast
, and Wellington. This was a significant upgrade for passengers on the Napier line, as services had previously just been slow mixed train
s, carrying both passengers and freight.
steam locomotive
. Despite its 'express' name and superiority over mixed services, it was quite slow by modern standards. The southbound service left Napier at 10.45am and the WMR connection arrived in Wellington at 9.50pm. Today the same journey takes less than half the time.
The service was soon to take longer, although the need to change trains was eliminated. On 11 December 1897 the Wairarapa Line reached Woodville, creating a Railways Department line between Wellington and Napier. The Napier Express then was diverted from Palmerston North, running to Wellington via the Wairarapa
. This route included the Rimutaka Incline, which caused the journey time to increase by an hour, a move unpopular with passengers. Two Rogers K class
locomotives were transferred from the South Island
to operate the trains, and in 1899 they were joined by two more South Island locomotives, of the N class
, allowing the timetable to be accelerated to 10.5 hours. N class engines were sometimes assisted by M class tank locomotive
s, and this combination was referred to as the en and chicken.
In 1908, the WMR was purchased by the government and incorporated into the national network
. In 1909 the Napier Express was diverted from the Wairarapa Line, through the Manawatu Gorge to Palmerston North, and then to Wellington over the former WMR. This allowed a substantial improvement in running time, and when track improvements in 1914 allowed the speed limit in some places to be raised to 73 km/h and the more powerful A class
locomotives were introduced, the timetable was cut to nine hours. By 1925, it was down to 7 hours 45 minutes, at least in part due to the new AB class
locomotives, and further improvements to the schedule came when the Tawa
Flat Deviation eliminated the torturous, winding route via Johnsonville
into Wellington and the K class
began operating the expresses. This permitted a travel time of seven hours between Wellington and Napier in 1949.
s for provincial and rural services since 1912, and in the 1930s they started to become successful. In the 1940s they proved popular on other Hawkes Bay services, and due to their greater efficiency and lower running costs the Railways Department began considering replacing the Napier Express with a railcar service. In 1954 the Express it was withdrawn, replaced by an RM class
Standard railcar
service. The railcars were a considerable improvement over the Express, operating twice daily in each direction and covering the journey in just 5.5 hours. The Standard railcars were augmented and replaced by the new, higher capacity RM 88-seater railcars
in the following years. Carriage expresses returned to the route in 1972 with the introduction of the Endeavour
, which was upgraded into the Bay Express in 1989.
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
operated by the 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...
initially between Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
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...
and later between Napier and 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...
. It ran from 1891 until 1954.
Introduction
On 13 October 1874, the first section of the Palmerston North - Gisborne LinePalmerston 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...
opened between Napier and Hastings
Hastings, New Zealand
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District...
. Over the following 17 years the line steadily extended into the Hawkes Bay interior, and on 9 March 1891 it opened 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...
to Palmerston North. Construction of the Wairarapa Line
Wairarapa Line
The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city of Wellington with the Wairarapa region. The line ends at Woodville, where it joins the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line...
from Wellington was steadily advancing towards its junction with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line 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...
, at the eastern, Hawkes Bay, end of the Manawatu Gorge, but the only rail access to Wellington at the time was via the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company's line (WMR) up the west coast between Wellington and 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...
, just south of Palmerston North. The Railways Department introduced the Napier Express as a dedicated passenger service between Napier and Palmerston North, with connections to the WMR for passengers to Horowhenua, the Kapiti Coast
Kapiti Coast
The Kapiti Coast is the name of the section of the coast of the south-western North Island of New Zealand that is north of Wellington and opposite Kapiti Island. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Regional Council...
, and Wellington. This was a significant upgrade for passengers on the Napier line, as services had previously just been slow 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, carrying both passengers and freight.
Operation
The Napier Express commenced just after the railway opened to Palmerston North and ran once each way daily, typically hauled by a J classNZR J class (1874)
The J class were steam locomotives with the wheel arrangement of 2-6-0 that were built in 1874 to operate on the railway network of New Zealand. They should not be confused with the more famous J class of 1939...
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...
. Despite its 'express' name and superiority over mixed services, it was quite slow by modern standards. The southbound service left Napier at 10.45am and the WMR connection arrived in Wellington at 9.50pm. Today the same journey takes less than half the time.
The service was soon to take longer, although the need to change trains was eliminated. On 11 December 1897 the Wairarapa Line reached Woodville, creating a Railways Department line between Wellington and Napier. The Napier Express then was diverted from Palmerston North, running to Wellington via 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...
. This route included the Rimutaka Incline, which caused the journey time to increase by an hour, a move unpopular with passengers. Two Rogers 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:...
locomotives 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 operate the trains, and in 1899 they were joined by two more South Island locomotives, of the N class
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...
, allowing the timetable to be accelerated to 10.5 hours. N class engines were sometimes assisted by M class tank locomotive
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s, and this combination was referred to as the en and chicken.
In 1908, the WMR was purchased by the government and incorporated into the national network
Rail transport in New Zealand
Rail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge railway lines in both the North and South Islands. Rail services are focused primarily on freight, particularly bulk freight, with limited passenger services on some lines...
. In 1909 the Napier Express was diverted from the Wairarapa Line, through the Manawatu Gorge to Palmerston North, and then to Wellington over the former WMR. This allowed a substantial improvement in running time, and when track improvements in 1914 allowed the speed limit in some places to be raised to 73 km/h and the more powerful A class
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...
locomotives were introduced, the timetable was cut to nine hours. By 1925, it was down to 7 hours 45 minutes, at least in part due to the new AB class
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...
locomotives, and further improvements to the schedule came when the Tawa
Tawa, New Zealand
Tawa is the northernmost suburb of Wellington located between Churton Park and Porirua in the North Island of New Zealand. It takes its name from the broadleaf tree, which was once prolific throughout the area, although its most famous tree is the Bucket Tree, a group of large macrocarpa with the...
Flat Deviation eliminated the torturous, winding route via 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...
into Wellington and the K class
NZR K class (1932)
The NZR K class of 1932 was a class of mixed traffic 4-8-4 steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's railway network. The locomotives were developed following the failure of the G class Garratts...
began operating the expresses. This permitted a travel time of seven hours between Wellington and Napier in 1949.
Replacement
The Railways Department had been experimenting with railcarRailcar
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 for provincial and rural services since 1912, and in the 1930s they started to become successful. In the 1940s they proved popular on other Hawkes Bay services, and due to their greater efficiency and lower running costs the Railways Department began considering replacing the Napier Express with a railcar service. In 1954 the Express it was withdrawn, replaced by an 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...
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...
service. The railcars were a considerable improvement over the Express, operating twice daily in each direction and covering the journey in just 5.5 hours. The Standard railcars were augmented and replaced by the new, higher capacity RM 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...
in the following years. Carriage expresses returned to the route in 1972 with the introduction of the Endeavour
Endeavour (train)
The Endeavour was a long-distance passenger train service between Wellington and Napier in the North Island of New Zealand...
, which was upgraded into the Bay Express in 1989.