Taupo railway proposals
Encyclopedia
There have been a number of proposals to build a Taupo Line as a branch railway linking the township of Taupo
in the central North Island
of New Zealand
to New Zealand's rail network
. One proposal proceeded as far as the construction stage before being stopped.
, Queenstown
and Taupo. Taupo is one of New Zealand's biggest forestry centres and is a very popular tourist destination.
to Wellington
were being explored and surveyed. One of the proposed routes was from just south of Te Awamutu following the course of the Puniu River inland through to Taupo, and onwards east to link at Hastings with the proposed Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
. This route did not eventuate and the present route via Taumarunui
was chosen.
line (NZR) at Putaruru
. The line was built over the former Lichfield Branch
line, which was originally built by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company to be part of the line to Rotorua
. The TTT Co line then went onwards south of Lichfield through what are now Tokoroa
and Kinleith and crossed the Waikato River
at Ongaroto.
At Ongaroto the company built a large timber bridge of locally-sourced totara, designed by PWD engineer F. W. Furkert
. In later years this timber bridge deteriorated and was condemned, but the company could not afford to replace it immediately because its sawmill had burned down in 1928. In the last few years of service, trains arriving at the bridge would stop and the passengers and fireman would walk across while the driver gently opened the throttle and then jumped off. The train would slowly ease across the bridge before being stopped on the other side by the fireman, where everyone would reboard the train. This bridge was replaced in 1931 by a steel truss bridge with a central pier.
In general the TTT Co line was constructed to a fairly high standard for a bush tramway, with 1 in 30 grades and 30 metre radius curves. This reflected the company's ultimate intention to sell the line to NZR.
In 1911 the TTT Co put forward a proposal to extend their line from Mokai into Taupo township via Oruanui. The station, and terminus of the line, was to be on Spa Road where Taupo-Nui-a-Tia College now stands. This would have required another bridge across the Waikato River.
The proposal was quickly endorsed and praised by many in Taupo, and to support the extension the Taupo District Railway League was formed with powers to support the scheme and ensure it succeeded. The TTT Co proposed running the railway as a private trust-owned company.
However, considerable objection was made to this proposal by the people of Rotorua, in particular the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce. They believed that the railway should be from the railhead at Rotorua, running south to Taupo via Waiotapu and Wairakei. The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce lodged a complaint to Parliament regarding the proposal. The Taupo District Railway League consequently lodged a complaint to the Member of Parliament for the district, Mr MacDonald, protesting the opposition being made by the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce.
As time passed the proposal for the TTT Co scheme was eventually shelved, largely due to the outbreak of World War I
and due to the considerable objections being made by the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce. The line would have required considerable improvements to bring it up to NZR standard as it was only built to carry timber and it consequently had very tight curves, narrow cuttings and light rails. It was not a fast railway line at all and the passengers that the TTT Co trains carried were noted to be able to climb off the train and walk alongside the train as it slowly crawled along.
The TTT Co line eventually closed on 26 October 1944. However the Government saw that the line had greater potential and in September 1946 acquired the first 29 km between Putaruru and Kinleith. This section of line opened again on 9 June 1947 under the control of the Public Works Department
using steam locomotives purchased from the TTT Co.
Around the same time plans were being made for a large pulp and paper mill to be constructed at Kinleith. The line with its sharp curves, steep grades and light rails, needed to be significantly upgraded to enable heavy traffic. Reconstruction of the line began in 1949, reducing grades from 1 in 44 to 1 in 70 and curves from 201 metre radius to 322 metre radius. The rebuilt line was handed over to NZR on 12 June 1950.
Around this time there was a proposal to rebuild the line and extend it to Taupo. Nothing further was heard of this proposal after the 1949 election
. This proposal has been brought up many times since.
with a railway date back to 1911. It had long been intended that the Rotorua Branch
would be extended into the Bay of Plenty to connect with the line being built from Gisborne
. A railway into the Bay of Plenty would link Rotorua and surrounding regions to the Port of Tauranga
. Rotorua interests at the time were consequently lobbying very hard to have a line built between Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty, claiming the considerable amounts of land which would be opened up and linked to the port, particularly if the line were to be extended to Taupo.
When the TTT Co announced a proposal in 1911 to extend its line running from Putaruru to Mokai into Taupo, this caused much upset in Rotorua, as it weakened Rotorua's case to have a line built to link Rotorua with the Port of Tauranga. The Rotorua Chamber of Commence consequently voiced strong opposition to the TTT Co proposal, and said that "any railway connection to Taupo should be from the Government railway at Rotorua".
The Government however was more focused on completing the East Coast Main Trunk Railway linking Tauranga and Gisborne, and would not consider linking Rotorua to the Bay of Plenty until that line was completed. The outbreak of World War I temporarily put a stop to the Rotorua proposal but once the war was over, enthusiasm for a line to link Rotorua and Taupo with the Port of Tauranga was renewed.
In 1920 a Royal Commission was set up to investigate the viability of the government purchasing either the entire TTT Co or just the TTT Co tramway and options for building a railway into Taupo. The commission consisted of H.J.H. Blow, chief engineer of the Public Works Department, as chairman; Mr. F.W. Furkert, chief engineer of the TTT Co; Mr. H. Buxton of NZR; and Mr. G.H.M. McClure, Commissioner of Crown Lands for Wellington, with Mr. H.H. Sterling as secretary. In 1921 the commission brought forward a unanimous finding "There is urgent necessity in order to avoid great national waste, for an extension of the Rotorua Government Railway to Waiotapu with as little delay as possible". Despite this finding no further action was taken by the government, however the Rotorua Taupo Railway League, led by Edward Earle Vaile
, continued to vigorously campaign for the Rotorua–Taupo railway to be built.
In May 1922 a Royal Commission was set up to investigate the construction and working of a Rotorua–Taupo railway, with five members: H. Buxton, G. T. Murray, L.M. Ellis, J.D. Ritchie and H. Munro. Its terms of reference were to access anticipated traffic and profitability and assess the area's settlement potential and a possible route. A favourable report was returned by the commission; however despite this, no further action was taken by the government.
Much lobbying continued by Rotorua interests and by the Rotorua Taupo Railway League, which comprised the settlers living between Taupo
and Rotorua
. By 1928 support for the Rotorua–Taupo line was very strong.
approved the construction of the Rotorua–Taupo railway. The line was to be constructed initially as far as Waiotapu, and then onwards to Taupo via Reporoa and Wairakei. Work began almost immediately with teams of construction workers transferred from the Taneatua–Opotiki line, which had been stopped. In Rotorua it had been hoped that work on the line would go to Rotorua people, as unemployment was very high in the town. Work on the line started almost immediately and for approximately one year from the date of approval by cabinet, men worked on constructing embankments and cuttings along the proposed route a short distance out of Rotorua between Waipa and Waiotapu.
However in 1929, as a result of the depression and a downturn in economic activity, cabinet announced that work on the Rotorua–Taupo railway would cease as soon as jobs could be found in other parts of the country for the men working on this scheme. This was a real blow to the supporters of the railway, and did not help Rotorua at a time of high unemployment. There was much vocal opposition in Rotorua at the line being stopped and calls for the work to be resumed. The work did not resume and the formation and cuttings were abandoned. Some of this work can still be seen between Rotorua and Taupo along State Highway 5, on the western side of the road, a short distance out of Rotorua.
From 1929 onwards there were various calls for the railway between Rotorua and Taupo to be restarted but nothing of any great significance until 1968 when NZR announced a proposal to construct a new line to Rotorua from Paengaroa on the East Coast Main Trunk, with an extension to the Waipa State Mill. An extension to Taupo was also seen by NZR "as being very attractive".
The proposal created much attention both in support and against the idea. NZR wanted a better link into the Rotorua region to tap into and serve the central North Island pine forests with the Port of Tauranga and a line with easier grades than the steep line over the Mamaku ranges.
The route of the proposed new line and in particular, the proposed siting of new marshaling yards at Rotorua was the reason for much of the objections. NZR wanted to extend the existing Rotorua branch line from the central city station, across Fenton Street to Ngapuna where they proposed having a large marshaling yard, along with a spur line running south to the Waipa State Mill. Many people in Rotorua objected to having a railway crossing Fenton Street and wanted the railway marshaling yards located at Waipa instead of Ngapuna. NZR objected to shifting the marshaling yards, as it would significantly increase the cost of the project.
However an equally great number of people in Rotorua supported the railway proposal and consequently it became a hot political debate. By 1973 NZR started to back down on the proposal and stated that the scheme would only proceed if the people of Rotorua agreed upon where the marshaling yards would be located. This of course was never likely to occur and consequently the scheme fell though shortly after. This was the last time serious consideration was given for a railway to Taupo from Rotorua.
In 1989 the central city station and railway yard at Rotorua closed, and along with the last 2 km of the line, were lifted and relocated to Koutu.
iwi (tribe); Lawrence Grace, who was closely related through marriage to the tribe; and Tudor Atkinson, the founder of the TTT Co.
The three set up a company called the Tongariro Timber Company Limited with the intention to construct the railway and to have branch lines heading into the bush at various points along the route to harvest the native timber along the way. The railway was intended to be paid for using some of the large sums of money expected to be earned from the timber to be harvested. It was agreed that the land would remain in Maori ownership and that the Tongariro Timber Company Limited would operate the railway. Once the railway was built the company would carry freight other than timber, such as dressed flax and grain, and passengers at Government rates. The railway would connect with a ferry service on Lake Taupo.
In January 1908 an Order in Council was made allowing the Maori owners to sell land for the construction of the railway. Work began immediately on surveying the proposed railway line. Tudor Atkinson tried locally to raise the necessary capital to build the railway. His efforts proved unsuccessful, and in 1916 he went to London where he formed a separate company to finance the railway. However World War I intervened and the company ended up being dissolved with all money being returned to the prospective shareholders.
In 1913 the Egmont Box Company Limited arrived at Kakahi in search of white pine (Kahikatea) for constructing boxes for dairy products. The company found suitable quantities of white pine on land next to which the Tongariro Timber Company held cutting rights to. The company obtained the cutting rights to this land, however it was found that the Egmont Box Company would need to construct a light railway to haul the logs out on. With the Tongariro Timber Company already having plans to build such a railway, it was proposed that the railway be constructed jointly by the two companies.
It was agreed that the Egmont Box Company would construct the railway as far as the land that they were to harvest logs from, and then the Tongariro Timber Company would construct the rest of the line to Pukawa. Work started immediately and soon various cuttings, bridging, and track had been laid. However with World War I by now claiming many of the necessary fit and able men needed to do the job, work began to slow and it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain materials.
In 1916 progress was further hindered with the New Zealand Government Railways (NZR) changing its mind on how the line was to connect with their line at Kakahi station. This meant that the Egmont Box Company would need to spend a very large amount of money to change the route to that now required to join up with the NZR line at Kakahi. This was money the company did not have and nor did the Tongariro Timber Company. Tudor Atkinson tried very hard to obtain the necessary capital but from this time onwards it was to be the end of the scheme as far as the Tongariro Timber Company and Egmont Box Company were concerned.
Other parties tried to carry out and construct the railway, but all failed to do so with either not being able to obtain the necessary capital or the economic viability of the scheme prevented them making any progress. One group in the 1920s however did raise the necessary capital and gained the support from the Maori landowners but not the Government. Consequently this lack of support from the Government was why their scheme did not eventuate.
The forest between Kakahi and Lake Taupo remained standing until after World War II when it was felled. By then the railway proposal had given way to road transport. Today all that can be seen of this scheme is the rail formation and large cutting built from Kakahi to the Whakapapa River.
found that if a railway were to constructed into the Taupo region, it would be very beneficial in transporting logs and sawn timber out of the region to the Pulp and Paper Mill at Kawerau and for export through the Port of Tauranga. It was also found that such a line would break even with revenue made from it covering the costs of constructing it.
The line was to be constructed from the present railhead at Murupara, across the Kaingaroa plains where it would sweep around the southern flank of Mt Tauhara in an arc like shape and then head north towards the Taupo industrial area before sweeping around in another arc in the Broadlands Road area and terminating at the Taupo Mill on Centennial Drive. It was also suggested that there be a second stage to construct a line from the first stage line, near the State Highway 5 Napier - Taupo road through to Rangipo, so as to tap into forests in the Turangi area.
, Bob Henare, stated that the proposed line would be a "no frills" style of railway with sharper curves and steeper grades so as to keep costs down. The line was to be a forestry style railway similar to the Murupara Branch, with its key role being to transport timber. Predicted increases in the number of logging trucks on public roads would also become a major problem when logging commenced in the region. He also said that the line would need to be constructed quickly as the rapidly maturing forests would not wait while people argued over whether or not to build the line. It was also intended for the line to be electrified from Taupo through to Mt Maunganui, once men who were at the time working on the electrification of the North Island Main Trunk, could be transferred on completion of the project.
The 1985 proposal did not eventuate, but proposals to have the line extended to Taupo have been raised since that time, the last being in 1998.
and Tranz Rail
Limited were published to evaluate the various proposals to deal with transporting forestry products out of the Taupo region. The report stated that railheads could be accessed at Waiouru, National Park, Kinleith, and Murupara. The report said that it would be unlikely that rail connections would be made at National Park or Waiouru as the distance to forestry ports and processing plants would increase. A connection from Kinleith was a possibility but it would need to traverse difficult terrain and two crossings of the Waikato River may be needed. The report recommended an extension of the Murupara Branch line as being the best rail option.
The route recommended was similar to the 1985 proposal. The line would have traveled across the Kaingaroa Plains and followed the route more or less presently taken by the private forestry road, High Level Road. Stage one of the proposal would terminate at the junction between the two private forestry roads, High Level Road and the Off-Highway road leading from the Taupo Mill, near the State Highway 5 Napier - Taupo road. A recommendation was made that a log-processing yard be built at the junction of these two roads in conjunction with the rail line extension from Murupara.
The second stage of the proposal was to extend the line into the Taupo industrial area. The line would extend from the proposed log-processing yard around the southern flank of Mt Tauhara and head north towards Broadlands Road before completing a horseshoe like curve into the Taupo Mill on Centennial Drive. The report said the line would be used for transporting sawn timber from the processing yard to the mill on Centennial Drive. Forest industry people did not express an interest in this option, as they did not believe it would bring any new opportunities to them.
The report concluded in respect to the rail options that Tranz Rail (now KiwiRail
) and Fletcher Forests
(now Tenon) would need to check the opportunities in extending a line south from the Murupara railhead.
A roading option was consequently chosen and the rail proposal did not eventuate. The road was built to rail grades, however.
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
in the central 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...
to New Zealand's rail 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...
. One proposal proceeded as far as the construction stage before being stopped.
Background
By 1952, nearly every main centre in New Zealand was served by a railway, the exceptions being KaitaiaKaitaia
Kaitaia is a town in the far north region of New Zealand, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula which is about 160 km northwest of Whangarei. It is the last major settlement on the main road north to the capes and bays on the peninsula...
, 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....
and Taupo. Taupo is one of New Zealand's biggest forestry centres and is a very popular tourist destination.
North Island Main Trunk line
The first time that consideration was made to link Taupo with a railway was in 1884 when routes for extending the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) railway south from Te AwamutuTe Awamutu
Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipa District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it...
to 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...
were being explored and surveyed. One of the proposed routes was from just south of Te Awamutu following the course of the Puniu River inland through to Taupo, and onwards east to link at Hastings with the proposed 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...
. This route did not eventuate and the present route via Taumarunui
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on State Highway 4 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway....
was chosen.
Mokai Tramway
In 1903 the Taupo Totara Timber Company (TTT Co) constructed an 82 km tramway to link their milling centre at Mokai with the New Zealand Government RailwaysNew 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...
line (NZR) at Putaruru
Putaruru
Putaruru is a small town in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is on the Oraka River 65 kilometres south-east of Hamilton....
. The line was built over the former Lichfield Branch
Kinleith Branch
The Kinleith Branch railway line is located in the Waikato region of New Zealand. The line was constructed by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company, Taupo Totara Timber Company and rebuilt by the Public Works Department primarily to serve the Kinleith Mill in 1952...
line, which was originally built by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company to be part of the line to Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
. The TTT Co line then went onwards south of Lichfield through what are now Tokoroa
Tokoroa
Tokoroa is the third-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato district. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the Mamaku Ranges, it is mid-way between Taupo and Hamilton on State Highway One...
and Kinleith and crossed the Waikato River
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
at Ongaroto.
At Ongaroto the company built a large timber bridge of locally-sourced totara, designed by PWD engineer F. W. Furkert
F. W. Furkert
Frederick William Furkert was a New Zealand engineer. He joined the Public Works Department in 1894, and was engineer-in-chief of the PWD for twelve years from 1920 until he retired in 1933....
. In later years this timber bridge deteriorated and was condemned, but the company could not afford to replace it immediately because its sawmill had burned down in 1928. In the last few years of service, trains arriving at the bridge would stop and the passengers and fireman would walk across while the driver gently opened the throttle and then jumped off. The train would slowly ease across the bridge before being stopped on the other side by the fireman, where everyone would reboard the train. This bridge was replaced in 1931 by a steel truss bridge with a central pier.
In general the TTT Co line was constructed to a fairly high standard for a bush tramway, with 1 in 30 grades and 30 metre radius curves. This reflected the company's ultimate intention to sell the line to NZR.
In 1911 the TTT Co put forward a proposal to extend their line from Mokai into Taupo township via Oruanui. The station, and terminus of the line, was to be on Spa Road where Taupo-Nui-a-Tia College now stands. This would have required another bridge across the Waikato River.
The proposal was quickly endorsed and praised by many in Taupo, and to support the extension the Taupo District Railway League was formed with powers to support the scheme and ensure it succeeded. The TTT Co proposed running the railway as a private trust-owned company.
However, considerable objection was made to this proposal by the people of Rotorua, in particular the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce. They believed that the railway should be from the railhead at Rotorua, running south to Taupo via Waiotapu and Wairakei. The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce lodged a complaint to Parliament regarding the proposal. The Taupo District Railway League consequently lodged a complaint to the Member of Parliament for the district, Mr MacDonald, protesting the opposition being made by the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce.
As time passed the proposal for the TTT Co scheme was eventually shelved, largely due to the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and due to the considerable objections being made by the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce. The line would have required considerable improvements to bring it up to NZR standard as it was only built to carry timber and it consequently had very tight curves, narrow cuttings and light rails. It was not a fast railway line at all and the passengers that the TTT Co trains carried were noted to be able to climb off the train and walk alongside the train as it slowly crawled along.
The TTT Co line eventually closed on 26 October 1944. However the Government saw that the line had greater potential and in September 1946 acquired the first 29 km between Putaruru and Kinleith. This section of line opened again on 9 June 1947 under the control of 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...
using steam locomotives purchased from the TTT Co.
Around the same time plans were being made for a large pulp and paper mill to be constructed at Kinleith. The line with its sharp curves, steep grades and light rails, needed to be significantly upgraded to enable heavy traffic. Reconstruction of the line began in 1949, reducing grades from 1 in 44 to 1 in 70 and curves from 201 metre radius to 322 metre radius. The rebuilt line was handed over to NZR on 12 June 1950.
Around this time there was a proposal to rebuild the line and extend it to Taupo. Nothing further was heard of this proposal after the 1949 election
New Zealand general election, 1949
The 1949 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 29th term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the opposition National Party...
. This proposal has been brought up many times since.
Rotorua–Taupo line
Proposals to link Taupo with Rotorua and the greater Bay of PlentyBay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
with a railway date back to 1911. It had long been intended that the Rotorua Branch
Rotorua Branch
The Rotorua Branch is a railway line from Putaruru to Rotorua, in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Construction of the line was commenced by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company and finished by the Public Works Department...
would be extended into the Bay of Plenty to connect with the line being built from Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
. A railway into the Bay of Plenty would link Rotorua and surrounding regions to the Port of Tauranga
Port of Tauranga
Port of Tauranga is the port of Tauranga, New Zealand, the largest port in the country in terms of total cargo volume, and the second largest in terms of container throughput. with Port of Tauranga Ltd being the company operating it...
. Rotorua interests at the time were consequently lobbying very hard to have a line built between Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty, claiming the considerable amounts of land which would be opened up and linked to the port, particularly if the line were to be extended to Taupo.
When the TTT Co announced a proposal in 1911 to extend its line running from Putaruru to Mokai into Taupo, this caused much upset in Rotorua, as it weakened Rotorua's case to have a line built to link Rotorua with the Port of Tauranga. The Rotorua Chamber of Commence consequently voiced strong opposition to the TTT Co proposal, and said that "any railway connection to Taupo should be from the Government railway at Rotorua".
The Government however was more focused on completing the East Coast Main Trunk Railway linking Tauranga and Gisborne, and would not consider linking Rotorua to the Bay of Plenty until that line was completed. The outbreak of World War I temporarily put a stop to the Rotorua proposal but once the war was over, enthusiasm for a line to link Rotorua and Taupo with the Port of Tauranga was renewed.
In 1920 a Royal Commission was set up to investigate the viability of the government purchasing either the entire TTT Co or just the TTT Co tramway and options for building a railway into Taupo. The commission consisted of H.J.H. Blow, chief engineer of the Public Works Department, as chairman; Mr. F.W. Furkert, chief engineer of the TTT Co; Mr. H. Buxton of NZR; and Mr. G.H.M. McClure, Commissioner of Crown Lands for Wellington, with Mr. H.H. Sterling as secretary. In 1921 the commission brought forward a unanimous finding "There is urgent necessity in order to avoid great national waste, for an extension of the Rotorua Government Railway to Waiotapu with as little delay as possible". Despite this finding no further action was taken by the government, however the Rotorua Taupo Railway League, led by Edward Earle Vaile
Edward Earle Vaile
Edward Earle Vaile was a real estate agent, farmer, philanthropist, author, railway campaigner and a pioneer of the pumice country - Broadlands, North Island, New Zealand....
, continued to vigorously campaign for the Rotorua–Taupo railway to be built.
In May 1922 a Royal Commission was set up to investigate the construction and working of a Rotorua–Taupo railway, with five members: H. Buxton, G. T. Murray, L.M. Ellis, J.D. Ritchie and H. Munro. Its terms of reference were to access anticipated traffic and profitability and assess the area's settlement potential and a possible route. A favourable report was returned by the commission; however despite this, no further action was taken by the government.
Much lobbying continued by Rotorua interests and by the Rotorua Taupo Railway League, which comprised the settlers living between Taupo
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
and Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
. By 1928 support for the Rotorua–Taupo line was very strong.
Cabinet approval
In July 1928 the CabinetNew Zealand Cabinet
The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...
approved the construction of the Rotorua–Taupo railway. The line was to be constructed initially as far as Waiotapu, and then onwards to Taupo via Reporoa and Wairakei. Work began almost immediately with teams of construction workers transferred from the Taneatua–Opotiki line, which had been stopped. In Rotorua it had been hoped that work on the line would go to Rotorua people, as unemployment was very high in the town. Work on the line started almost immediately and for approximately one year from the date of approval by cabinet, men worked on constructing embankments and cuttings along the proposed route a short distance out of Rotorua between Waipa and Waiotapu.
However in 1929, as a result of the depression and a downturn in economic activity, cabinet announced that work on the Rotorua–Taupo railway would cease as soon as jobs could be found in other parts of the country for the men working on this scheme. This was a real blow to the supporters of the railway, and did not help Rotorua at a time of high unemployment. There was much vocal opposition in Rotorua at the line being stopped and calls for the work to be resumed. The work did not resume and the formation and cuttings were abandoned. Some of this work can still be seen between Rotorua and Taupo along State Highway 5, on the western side of the road, a short distance out of Rotorua.
From 1929 onwards there were various calls for the railway between Rotorua and Taupo to be restarted but nothing of any great significance until 1968 when NZR announced a proposal to construct a new line to Rotorua from Paengaroa on the East Coast Main Trunk, with an extension to the Waipa State Mill. An extension to Taupo was also seen by NZR "as being very attractive".
The proposal created much attention both in support and against the idea. NZR wanted a better link into the Rotorua region to tap into and serve the central North Island pine forests with the Port of Tauranga and a line with easier grades than the steep line over the Mamaku ranges.
The route of the proposed new line and in particular, the proposed siting of new marshaling yards at Rotorua was the reason for much of the objections. NZR wanted to extend the existing Rotorua branch line from the central city station, across Fenton Street to Ngapuna where they proposed having a large marshaling yard, along with a spur line running south to the Waipa State Mill. Many people in Rotorua objected to having a railway crossing Fenton Street and wanted the railway marshaling yards located at Waipa instead of Ngapuna. NZR objected to shifting the marshaling yards, as it would significantly increase the cost of the project.
However an equally great number of people in Rotorua supported the railway proposal and consequently it became a hot political debate. By 1973 NZR started to back down on the proposal and stated that the scheme would only proceed if the people of Rotorua agreed upon where the marshaling yards would be located. This of course was never likely to occur and consequently the scheme fell though shortly after. This was the last time serious consideration was given for a railway to Taupo from Rotorua.
In 1989 the central city station and railway yard at Rotorua closed, and along with the last 2 km of the line, were lifted and relocated to Koutu.
Kakahi - Pukawa line
A proposal to construct a railway between Kakahi on the North Island Main Trunk and Pukawa on the shores of Lake Taupo, near Tokaanu, was made by a group of three people - Te Heuheu Tukino, Paramount chief of the Ngati TuwharetoaNgati Tuwharetoa
Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa canoe to New Zealand. The Tūwharetoa region extends from Te Awa o te Atua at Matata across the central plateau of the North Island to the lands around Mount Tongariro and Lake Taupo.The iwi is identified...
iwi (tribe); Lawrence Grace, who was closely related through marriage to the tribe; and Tudor Atkinson, the founder of the TTT Co.
The three set up a company called the Tongariro Timber Company Limited with the intention to construct the railway and to have branch lines heading into the bush at various points along the route to harvest the native timber along the way. The railway was intended to be paid for using some of the large sums of money expected to be earned from the timber to be harvested. It was agreed that the land would remain in Maori ownership and that the Tongariro Timber Company Limited would operate the railway. Once the railway was built the company would carry freight other than timber, such as dressed flax and grain, and passengers at Government rates. The railway would connect with a ferry service on Lake Taupo.
In January 1908 an Order in Council was made allowing the Maori owners to sell land for the construction of the railway. Work began immediately on surveying the proposed railway line. Tudor Atkinson tried locally to raise the necessary capital to build the railway. His efforts proved unsuccessful, and in 1916 he went to London where he formed a separate company to finance the railway. However World War I intervened and the company ended up being dissolved with all money being returned to the prospective shareholders.
In 1913 the Egmont Box Company Limited arrived at Kakahi in search of white pine (Kahikatea) for constructing boxes for dairy products. The company found suitable quantities of white pine on land next to which the Tongariro Timber Company held cutting rights to. The company obtained the cutting rights to this land, however it was found that the Egmont Box Company would need to construct a light railway to haul the logs out on. With the Tongariro Timber Company already having plans to build such a railway, it was proposed that the railway be constructed jointly by the two companies.
It was agreed that the Egmont Box Company would construct the railway as far as the land that they were to harvest logs from, and then the Tongariro Timber Company would construct the rest of the line to Pukawa. Work started immediately and soon various cuttings, bridging, and track had been laid. However with World War I by now claiming many of the necessary fit and able men needed to do the job, work began to slow and it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain materials.
In 1916 progress was further hindered with the New Zealand Government Railways (NZR) changing its mind on how the line was to connect with their line at Kakahi station. This meant that the Egmont Box Company would need to spend a very large amount of money to change the route to that now required to join up with the NZR line at Kakahi. This was money the company did not have and nor did the Tongariro Timber Company. Tudor Atkinson tried very hard to obtain the necessary capital but from this time onwards it was to be the end of the scheme as far as the Tongariro Timber Company and Egmont Box Company were concerned.
Other parties tried to carry out and construct the railway, but all failed to do so with either not being able to obtain the necessary capital or the economic viability of the scheme prevented them making any progress. One group in the 1920s however did raise the necessary capital and gained the support from the Maori landowners but not the Government. Consequently this lack of support from the Government was why their scheme did not eventuate.
The forest between Kakahi and Lake Taupo remained standing until after World War II when it was felled. By then the railway proposal had given way to road transport. Today all that can be seen of this scheme is the rail formation and large cutting built from Kakahi to the Whakapapa River.
Murupara Branch line
Since 1983 there have been proposals to extend the Murupara Branch line to Taupo. The principal reason for extending this line has been to tap into the plantation pine forests in the central North Island and in particular those in the Taupo region.1983 proposal
In 1983 a study by town and country planners of the Ministry of WorksNew 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...
found that if a railway were to constructed into the Taupo region, it would be very beneficial in transporting logs and sawn timber out of the region to the Pulp and Paper Mill at Kawerau and for export through the Port of Tauranga. It was also found that such a line would break even with revenue made from it covering the costs of constructing it.
The line was to be constructed from the present railhead at Murupara, across the Kaingaroa plains where it would sweep around the southern flank of Mt Tauhara in an arc like shape and then head north towards the Taupo industrial area before sweeping around in another arc in the Broadlands Road area and terminating at the Taupo Mill on Centennial Drive. It was also suggested that there be a second stage to construct a line from the first stage line, near the State Highway 5 Napier - Taupo road through to Rangipo, so as to tap into forests in the Turangi area.
1985 proposal
In 1985 Deputy General Manager of the New Zealand Railways CorporationNew Zealand Railways Corporation
KiwiRail Network, formerly ONTRACK , is the infrastructure arm of KiwiRail. The ONTRACK trading name was introduced in 2004 after the government repurchased all of New Zealand's rail infrastructure from Toll NZ. It does not operate revenue rolling stock...
, Bob Henare, stated that the proposed line would be a "no frills" style of railway with sharper curves and steeper grades so as to keep costs down. The line was to be a forestry style railway similar to the Murupara Branch, with its key role being to transport timber. Predicted increases in the number of logging trucks on public roads would also become a major problem when logging commenced in the region. He also said that the line would need to be constructed quickly as the rapidly maturing forests would not wait while people argued over whether or not to build the line. It was also intended for the line to be electrified from Taupo through to Mt Maunganui, once men who were at the time working on the electrification of the North Island Main Trunk, could be transferred on completion of the project.
The 1985 proposal did not eventuate, but proposals to have the line extended to Taupo have been raised since that time, the last being in 1998.
1998 proposal
In 1998 the findings of a study by consultants Woodward-Clyde for Environment Bay of Plenty, Environment Waikato, the Taupo District CouncilTaupo District Council
The Taupo District Council is a local council located in the Central North Island of New Zealand.-Area:The district stretches from the small town of Mangakino in the northwest to the Tongariro National Park in the south, and east into the Kaingaroa Forest, covering 6,970 km2...
and Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :...
Limited were published to evaluate the various proposals to deal with transporting forestry products out of the Taupo region. The report stated that railheads could be accessed at Waiouru, National Park, Kinleith, and Murupara. The report said that it would be unlikely that rail connections would be made at National Park or Waiouru as the distance to forestry ports and processing plants would increase. A connection from Kinleith was a possibility but it would need to traverse difficult terrain and two crossings of the Waikato River may be needed. The report recommended an extension of the Murupara Branch line as being the best rail option.
The route recommended was similar to the 1985 proposal. The line would have traveled across the Kaingaroa Plains and followed the route more or less presently taken by the private forestry road, High Level Road. Stage one of the proposal would terminate at the junction between the two private forestry roads, High Level Road and the Off-Highway road leading from the Taupo Mill, near the State Highway 5 Napier - Taupo road. A recommendation was made that a log-processing yard be built at the junction of these two roads in conjunction with the rail line extension from Murupara.
The second stage of the proposal was to extend the line into the Taupo industrial area. The line would extend from the proposed log-processing yard around the southern flank of Mt Tauhara and head north towards Broadlands Road before completing a horseshoe like curve into the Taupo Mill on Centennial Drive. The report said the line would be used for transporting sawn timber from the processing yard to the mill on Centennial Drive. Forest industry people did not express an interest in this option, as they did not believe it would bring any new opportunities to them.
The report concluded in respect to the rail options that Tranz Rail (now KiwiRail
KiwiRail
KiwiRail Holdings Limited is the rail operations subsidiary of the New Zealand Railways Corporation, which trades as KiwiRail. Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail transport operator in New Zealand. Since July 2010 John Spencer has been the Chairman...
) and Fletcher Forests
Tenon Limited
Tenon Limited is a New Zealand based publicly traded company producing timber products. It was formerly known as Fletcher Forests which was split from the Fletcher Challenge group...
(now Tenon) would need to check the opportunities in extending a line south from the Murupara railhead.
A roading option was consequently chosen and the rail proposal did not eventuate. The road was built to rail grades, however.