Nelson Railway Proposals
Encyclopedia
There have been various proposals to link the city of Nelson
to New Zealand
’s South Island rail network, but none have come to fruition.
Nelson was served by the Dun Mountain Railway
, a mineral tramway that was also used by a horse tram between the city and its port, and by the Nelson Section
, an isolated part of the government-owned railway between Nelson and Glenhope, which served several existing and developing communities in between.
Despite this, work on the survey for the route continued and was completed as far as Blue Glen by March 1881. Rumours persisted that work on the next 16 km of the route would soon commence, and were enough of an incentive for many unemployed people to seek work at Belgrove. In 1883, a contract was let for work to begin on the next 4 km of the formation, a job that was completed by early 1885, at which point the work stopped. By the time work on the Nelson Section resumed in 1890, the route had changed with the new objective being the Spooner’s Range tunnel, and the 4 km of formation already built beyond Belgrove was abandoned, costing the taxpayer £10,700. It is now partly a forestry access road.
There were various other proposals for connections from Tophouse to the isolated Picton section and the Waiau Branch
line. There was also a proposal to connect to the West Coast via Kawatiri and Inangahua, but this was rejected in favour of the line passing through existing rural communities to the south-west of Nelson.
, having been selected to continue construction of the line beyond Belgrove, chose a route that passed through the Spooner Range by a summit tunnel. The intention was that the line would continue westwards via Murchison and the Buller River gorge to the nearest railhead, at Inangahua Junction.
The Railways Authorization Act 1924 (No 36) authorised several lines; No 9 was an extension of the Midland Line. The Schedule specified:
Though the terminus of the Nelson Line for most of its existence was at Glenhope, the Glenhope to Kawatiri section was opened on 21 June 1926 and by 1930 trains could be run beyond Kawatiri to Gowanbridge. Formation work continued beyond Gowanbridge to the Mangles River, some 24 km beyond Gowanbridge and just 6 km shy of Murchison.
In January 1931 the government ordered an immediate halt to all work on the line, ostensibly due to economic conditions. It was estimated that at the time the work stopped it would have required only a further six months to finish all the formation work to the 82 mile peg and ballasting and platelaying work could have started within months and been completed without interruption all the way to Murchison. The goal of a connection at Inangahua fell short by 42 miles, a failure that eventually contributed to the demise of the section.
Despite a trial line survey done in 1939 and promises made during the 1949 election campaign by both major political parties to restore the section of line between Glenhope and Gowanbridge and to continue it on to Murchison, no further work was undertaken beyond Glenhope.
. Such a route would have departed from the planned route for the Nelson Section at Owen Junction and joined the railhead at Seddonville
. This option was discarded as it would have required a tunnel at least as long as the Otira Tunnel
, which could not have been contemplated at the time.
was to look into the possibility of constructing a line between Nelson and Blenheim. This proposal was based on an idea from 1874 for a rail connection between Nelson and Blenheim . On 19 March 1958, a report was released by the Minister of Railways
that examined two possible routes, and on 8 April 1959 the Minister of Works proposed a third route. The routes were:
In April 1960, the acting Prime Minister announced that the government had selected the cheapest option, with prices ranging from £10,300,000 to £16,500,000. Prime Minister Walter Nash
officially opened the project on 1 March 1960 at a ceremony attended by 3,000 people, at which a plaque to commemorate the occasion was unveiled.
Work was halted when the Auditor-General declared the project to be illegal under the Public Works Act 1928 until an authorising act was passed. Accordingly, on 29 July 1960, the Nelson Railway Authorisation No 3 Act 1960 was passed, with the government having a majority of one for each vote. The Schedule (Railway Authorised) of the Act provided that:
Work had included reclamation for the new Nelson railway station and yards, and an embankment across mudflats to the main road was under construction. The Railways Department had already determined that the line would initially be uneconomic, but later the operating costs would be covered by revenue from timber traffic alone, without counting all the other industrial freight that could also be expected.
In the 1960 general election
campaign, the National Party had a policy of stopping the line. When they won the election, Keith Holyoake
, the new Prime Minister, announced on 14 December 1960 that all work was to stop forthwith and that the authorisation legislation would be repealed in the first session of parliament. The Act was repealed in 1961. The plaque remains in an open field outside the city as a reminder of what might have been.
When it became clear that the threat to the future of the Nelson Section was serious, a Nelson – Blenheim link was suggested as an extension of the Nelson Section and an alternate route by which it could be connected to the South Island network to hopefully improve its fortunes.
Since the aborted 1960 Labour Government proposal to construct a line between Nelson and Blenheim, there have been no serious further proposals to provide Nelson with a rail connection to the South Island network. In 2008 as Oil prices soared and the economic crisis began to take hold, the then Labour Government briefly mentioned a resurrected Nelson to Blenhiem 3rd option Proposal. However a change of government and the Global Depression begain to take hold in 2009. The idea was placed low on the National government's priorities to use public works projects to keep the economy stimulated. Today, Nelson remains as one of two major urban areas in New Zealand without a rail connection - the other being Queenstown
.
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
’s South Island rail network, but none have come to fruition.
Nelson was served by the Dun Mountain Railway
Dun Mountain Railway
The Dun Mountain Railway was a privately owned and operated gauge, 21½ km long horse-drawn tramway from chromite mines in the vicinity of Duppa Lode on the eastern slopes of Wooded Peak to Nelson port in the Tasman District of New Zealand's South Island...
, a mineral tramway that was also used by a horse tram between the city and its port, and by the Nelson Section
Nelson Section
The Nelson Section was an isolated, gauge, government-owned railway line between Nelson and Glenhope in the Tasman district of New Zealand's South Island. It operated for years between 1876 and 1955...
, an isolated part of the government-owned railway between Nelson and Glenhope, which served several existing and developing communities in between.
Proposals
Proposals to connect Nelson to the South Island network have involved extensions and different routes for the isolated Nelson Section, and proposals for completely new lines that did not connect with the Nelson Section.Belgrove – Tophouse route
On 26 July 1880 a government-appointed commission made recommendations on the future of several lines under construction or consideration, including those to serve Nelson. It reported that the then under-construction Foxhill – Belgrove extension of the Nelson Section should be completed immediately, but the Belgrove – Roundell section was on the postponed list.Despite this, work on the survey for the route continued and was completed as far as Blue Glen by March 1881. Rumours persisted that work on the next 16 km of the route would soon commence, and were enough of an incentive for many unemployed people to seek work at Belgrove. In 1883, a contract was let for work to begin on the next 4 km of the formation, a job that was completed by early 1885, at which point the work stopped. By the time work on the Nelson Section resumed in 1890, the route had changed with the new objective being the Spooner’s Range tunnel, and the 4 km of formation already built beyond Belgrove was abandoned, costing the taxpayer £10,700. It is now partly a forestry access road.
There were various other proposals for connections from Tophouse to the isolated Picton section and the Waiau Branch
Waiau Branch
The Waiau Branch was a branch line railway in the northern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. Known as the Great Northern Railway for its first few decades of life, the Waiau Branch was seen as part of a main line north but was ultimately superseded by a coastal route...
line. There was also a proposal to connect to the West Coast via Kawatiri and Inangahua, but this was rejected in favour of the line passing through existing rural communities to the south-west of Nelson.
Inangahua extension
After an abortive attempt to start work on a Belgrove to Tophouse route in the 1880s, the Midland Railway CompanyNew Zealand Midland Railway Company
The New Zealand Midland Railway Company partially constructed the Midland line between Christchurch and Greymouth and the Nelson railway in the South Island...
, having been selected to continue construction of the line beyond Belgrove, chose a route that passed through the Spooner Range by a summit tunnel. The intention was that the line would continue westwards via Murchison and the Buller River gorge to the nearest railhead, at Inangahua Junction.
The Railways Authorization Act 1924 (No 36) authorised several lines; No 9 was an extension of the Midland Line. The Schedule specified:
- Name of Railway: Midland
- Extent Authorized: "An extension of the authorized line from near the confluence of the Owen and Buller Rivers to Murchison. Length about 12 miles." (19.3 km)
Though the terminus of the Nelson Line for most of its existence was at Glenhope, the Glenhope to Kawatiri section was opened on 21 June 1926 and by 1930 trains could be run beyond Kawatiri to Gowanbridge. Formation work continued beyond Gowanbridge to the Mangles River, some 24 km beyond Gowanbridge and just 6 km shy of Murchison.
In January 1931 the government ordered an immediate halt to all work on the line, ostensibly due to economic conditions. It was estimated that at the time the work stopped it would have required only a further six months to finish all the formation work to the 82 mile peg and ballasting and platelaying work could have started within months and been completed without interruption all the way to Murchison. The goal of a connection at Inangahua fell short by 42 miles, a failure that eventually contributed to the demise of the section.
Despite a trial line survey done in 1939 and promises made during the 1949 election campaign by both major political parties to restore the section of line between Glenhope and Gowanbridge and to continue it on to Murchison, no further work was undertaken beyond Glenhope.
Seddonville extension
In 1926 the engineer in charge of the survey party planning the route of the Nelson Section through the Buller Gorge had doubts about the viability of the route for a railway. As a theoretical exercise, he investigated a route to connect the Nelson Section to the Seddonville BranchSeddonville Branch
The Seddonville Branch, now truncated and operating as the Ngakawau Branch, is a branch line railway in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. Construction of the line began in 1874 and it reached its final terminus at the Mokihinui Mine just beyond Seddonville in 1895...
. Such a route would have departed from the planned route for the Nelson Section at Owen Junction and joined the railhead at Seddonville
Seddonville
Seddonville is a lightly populated locality on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is most famous for the historical role it played in New Zealand's coal mining industry.-Geography:...
. This option was discarded as it would have required a tunnel at least as long as the Otira Tunnel
Otira Tunnel
The Otira Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Midland Line in the South Island of New Zealand between Otira and Arthur's Pass. It runs under the Southern Alps from Arthur's Pass to Otira - a length of over . The gradient is mainly 1 in 33, and the Otira end of the tunnel is over lower than the...
, which could not have been contemplated at the time.
Larry’s Creek extension
Similar to the Inangahua extension, and also because of concerns about the feasibility of a railway through the Buller Gorge, the engineer in charge of the survey party also considered a route up the Maruia River valley, which would have joined the Stillwater – Westport line between Reefton and Inangahua Junction, at or near Larry’s Creek.Nelson – Blenheim Line
An election promise of the 1957–1960 Labour GovernmentSecond Labour Government of New Zealand
The Second Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1957 to 1960. It was most notable for raising taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and petrol, a move which was probably responsible for the government lasting for only one term....
was to look into the possibility of constructing a line between Nelson and Blenheim. This proposal was based on an idea from 1874 for a rail connection between Nelson and Blenheim . On 19 March 1958, a report was released by the Minister of Railways
Minister of Railways (New Zealand)
The Minister of Railways was the minister in the government responsible for the New Zealand Railways Department 1895–1981, the New Zealand Railways Corporation 1981–1993, and New Zealand Rail Limited 1990–1993...
that examined two possible routes, and on 8 April 1959 the Minister of Works proposed a third route. The routes were:
- Nelson-Wakapuaka-Havelock-Grovetown/Blenheim: 91½ km via the Tinline and Pelorus valleys, including 9½ km of tunnelling and 2.6 km of bridging.
- Nelson-Brightwater-Blenheim: 120 km via the Wairoa River, Goulter River and Wairau River valleys, including 5.6 km of tunnelling.
- Nelson-Pelorus Bridge-Havelock-Blenheim: 101.8 km via the Whangamoa and Rai valleys, a more favourable route that required only 4.8 km of tunnelling and 2.3 km of bridging. This route was reported in the news media as being the most likely.
In April 1960, the acting Prime Minister announced that the government had selected the cheapest option, with prices ranging from £10,300,000 to £16,500,000. Prime Minister Walter Nash
Walter Nash
Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...
officially opened the project on 1 March 1960 at a ceremony attended by 3,000 people, at which a plaque to commemorate the occasion was unveiled.
Work was halted when the Auditor-General declared the project to be illegal under the Public Works Act 1928 until an authorising act was passed. Accordingly, on 29 July 1960, the Nelson Railway Authorisation No 3 Act 1960 was passed, with the government having a majority of one for each vote. The Schedule (Railway Authorised) of the Act provided that:
- Name of Railway: Nelson - South Island Main Trunk
- Extent Authorised: "A line from Nelson via Pelorus Bridge and Havelock to a junction with the South Island Main Trunk Railway in the vicinity of Grovetown. Length about 65 miles." (104.6 km)
Work had included reclamation for the new Nelson railway station and yards, and an embankment across mudflats to the main road was under construction. The Railways Department had already determined that the line would initially be uneconomic, but later the operating costs would be covered by revenue from timber traffic alone, without counting all the other industrial freight that could also be expected.
In the 1960 general election
New Zealand general election, 1960
The 1960 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 33rd term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the National Party, putting an end to the short second Labour government.-Background:...
campaign, the National Party had a policy of stopping the line. When they won the election, Keith Holyoake
Keith Holyoake
Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, KG, GCMG, CH, QSO, KStJ was a New Zealand politician. The only person to have been both Prime Minister and Governor-General of New Zealand, Holyoake was National Party Prime Minister from 20 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, then again from 12 December 1960 to 7...
, the new Prime Minister, announced on 14 December 1960 that all work was to stop forthwith and that the authorisation legislation would be repealed in the first session of parliament. The Act was repealed in 1961. The plaque remains in an open field outside the city as a reminder of what might have been.
When it became clear that the threat to the future of the Nelson Section was serious, a Nelson – Blenheim link was suggested as an extension of the Nelson Section and an alternate route by which it could be connected to the South Island network to hopefully improve its fortunes.
Today
The only sign of rail activity in Nelson is a short heritage operation run by the Nelson Railway Society from Founders Historical Park using their own line between Wakefield Quay Station and Grove Station. The society has proposed future extensions of their line, possibly into or near the city centre. (the old yards now completely developed over.)Since the aborted 1960 Labour Government proposal to construct a line between Nelson and Blenheim, there have been no serious further proposals to provide Nelson with a rail connection to the South Island network. In 2008 as Oil prices soared and the economic crisis began to take hold, the then Labour Government briefly mentioned a resurrected Nelson to Blenhiem 3rd option Proposal. However a change of government and the Global Depression begain to take hold in 2009. The idea was placed low on the National government's priorities to use public works projects to keep the economy stimulated. Today, Nelson remains as one of two major urban areas in New Zealand without a rail connection - the other being Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
.