Te Huia Day Trip: Chasing Trains, Coffee, and a Bit of Nostalgia from Auckland to Hamilton

DFB 7335 ready to depart The Strand with the southbound 9:45 Te Huia service to Hamilton. 4 April 2025.

In early March, we spent a long weekend in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. While it boasts a fast-growing suburban rail network and the highly anticipated City Rail Link - set to open in 2026 - we had a very specific goal: to ride the Te Huia train from Auckland to Hamilton, a trip long on my railfanning bucket list.

Departing from The Strand on a Rainy Friday Morning

The 9:45am Auckland to Hamilton Te Huia Service waits for departure time at The Strand Railway Station. An Auckland Transport AM Class Electric Multiple Unit rests in the storage yard. 4 April 2025. 

The weather was classic Auckland: heavy rain as we walked down Queen Street for breakfast. From there, we grabbed an Uber to The Strand Railway Station, the current terminus for Te Huia and the Northern Explorer.

We boarded quickly to escape the downpour, but not before I braved the rain for a snapshot of the train.

Te Huia Train: Connecting Auckland and Hamilton by Rail

Te Huia offers a good alternative to the traffic-heavy drive between Hamilton and Auckland, running six days a week with stops at Rotokauri, Huntly, Pukekohe, and Puhinui. It’s a long-distance commuter train that provides a comfortable way to avoid the traffic.

An information board about the native Huia bird, sadly extinct, in the cafe car. 4 April 2025.  

Before departure, I made my way to the café car to purchase our Bee Cards—used across several New Zealand transport networks but not on Auckland network, which uses HOP cards. For around $90, we had return travel covered. The café was well-stocked with hot and cold snacks, quality barista coffee, and even Te Huia merchandise. I bought a cup and playing cards to help with the trip.

Rolling Stock: Nostalgia with a Modern Twist

The Te Huia consists of refurbished British Rail Mark 2 carriages. They were originally built in the UK in the 1970s and imported to New Zealand in the 1990s. These once served Auckland's commuter network as SA and SD cars before being overhauled for Te Huia and reclassified as:

• SR (Scenic Regional) – passenger seating
• SRC (Scenic Regional Catering) – café car
• SRV (Scenic Regional Vehicle) – cab-equipped cars with onboard generators

SR 3285 just after arriving at Frankton Station. 4 April 2025.

SR 3285 waits at Frankton for its next service to Auckland. 4 April 2025.

Te Huia SRV 5893 ready to depart Frankton. 4 April 2025.

Inside, the carriages now feature Wi-Fi and upgraded seating and tables better suited to the approximately 2.5-hour journey. Hauling us along was a DFB diesel-electric locomotive, a dependable workhorse on many of New Zealand’s regional passenger rail routes.

New seating and table arrangement in an Te Huia SR carriage. 4 April 2025.

Internal layout of a Te Huia SR carriage. 4 April 2025.

Door layout on a Te Huia SR carriage. 4 April 2025.

Auckland to Hamilton by Train: The Journey South

We pulled out of The Strand at 9:45 a.m. sharp, cruising through the eastern suburbs along the North Island Main Trunk Line. The ride was smooth, and I noticed major upgrades across Auckland’s rail corridor since my last visit.

Passing Westfield, I saw the pedestrian bridge that once spanned the yard was gone which was a bittersweet moment, as I recalled the many hours spent on the bridge spotting DH working the yard, DX, DFT, and DC locomotives arriving and departing with freight trains, DBR locomotives on the port shunts and DC's and DMU's working MAXX suburban trains on the main line.

Further south, I spotted the new (to me anyway) EMU depot and work on the third main line, both examples of the large investment in the network over the last decade.

Before long, we arrived at Pukekohe, the new southern terminus of Auckland’s electrified rail network. Although Te Huia isn’t electric, the surrounding infrastructure is rapidly modernising with a new station and track layout at Pukekohe and new stations being constructed between here and Papakura.

After descending the Tuakau bank and passing through Pokeno, we sped alongside State Highway 1, sipping coffee and playing cards while watching the countryside slip by. After brief stops at Huntly and the impressive new Rotokauri Station (near The Base Shopping Centre), we passed Te Rapa Yard and arrived on time at Frankton Station just after noon.

DFB 7335 and the 9:45am southbound Te Huia service after arriving at Frankton. 4 April 2025.

Exploring Hamilton and a Minor Delay

With a few hours before our return, we Ubered into Hamilton city for lunch and some shopping. Our driver was amused we’d come to Hamilton just for a day trip.

Back at the station, I took more photos while my partner chatted with one of the train crew. Just as we were ready to depart, a minor mechanical issue—a faulty solenoid switch on a bogie—held us up. The train staff were outstanding, updating us via intercom and personally checking on passengers throughout the delay.

The northbound Te Huia service waits at Frankton station for its 2:05pm departure. 4 April 2025.

A Smooth Return

After a 45-minute wait, a maintainer from Te Rapa had fixed the problem, and we were off. The Locomotive Engineer was determined to make up for lost time. Despite hitting a few signal checks as we followed and EMU back into Auckland, we were soon back at The Strand— about 30 minutes behind schedule. 

Te Huia at the Strand Station after arriving with a northbound service. 4 April 2025. 

DFB 7335 readies for its 5:45pm departure to Hamilton with the evening southbound Te Huia service. 4 April 2025.  

Final Thoughts: A Must-Do for Railfans

Our Te Huia train journey from Auckland to Hamilton was an absolute highlight. The refurbished carriages rode well, the staff were friendly and communicative, and the coffee was genuinely excellent. Mechanical hiccups happen, but they were handled professionally. 

It was a shame the waiting room wasn't open at Frankton. Passengers had to wait under the platform awning for the train crew to open up the train. A dry and warm waiting room would have been a great asset on the wet and bleak day we traveled. 

For rail enthusiasts and casual travelers alike, Te Huia is a scenic, relaxed, and rewarding way to travel between two of New Zealand’s key city centres.

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🚆 Know Before You Go: Tips for Riding Te Huia

Timetable & Booking
Te Huia operates Monday to Saturday between Hamilton (Frankton) and Auckland (The Strand), with intermediate stops at Rotokauri, Huntly, Pukekohe, and Puhinui. Check Te Huia’s official website for the most up-to-date timetable and service notices.

Bee Card Required
Te Huia doesn’t accept Auckland’s HOP card—passengers need a Bee Card, which can be purchased onboard at the café car or online. Load it with enough credit for a return journey (about $90 for two adults at the time of writing).

Onboard Amenities
There’s a café car onboard offering barista coffee, light snacks, and Te Huia merchandise. Seating includes tables and generous legroom - a nice touch for a longer-haul regional service.

Departure from The Strand
The Strand Station is located near the bottom of Parnell Rise - accessible via Uber, bus, or a 10–15 minute walk from Britomart. Signage is minimal, so plan to arrive a little early if it’s your first visit.

Railfan Highlights
The refurbished British Rail Mark 2 carriages are a treat for enthusiasts, especially in SRV or SRC configuration. Expect to see DFT diesel-electric locomotives in action, and keep an eye out for infrastructure upgrades along the route like the third main, electrification around Pukekohe, and the EMU depot.

Service Interruptions
While generally reliable, occasional mechanical delays can happen - as I experienced with a solenoid issue on our return trip. Staff were excellent about communication, so just bring a bit of patience and enjoy the journey.

And that's about it.

Melbourne's Forgotten Railway - The Kew Line

Barker Railway Station on the former Kew Railway Line. 18 May 1957. Photo by Keith Atkinson.

Those that know me, know that I have an unhealthy interest in the Melbourne suburban railway network. Melbourne is one of my favourite cities and I find the electrified railway that serves this amazing city fascinating, so much so I'm even building a HO scale model railway layout depicting a suburban terminus station somewhere in greater Melbourne. It was while doing some research online that I stumbled upon an interesting former railway line that has almost been forgotten.

The Kew railway line was a short suburban line that ran from Hawthorne to Kew. The line opened on the 19th of August 1887, the last scheduled passenger train ran on the 18 August 1952 and the line was officially closed on the 13th of May 1957.

Kew has always been an affluent part of Melbourne, and there was a strong want from the local community for a railway line to serve the suburb. The Kew Railway League was formed and pushed for the construction of the line. The league promoted a railway that branched off the Lilydale line from just west of Hawthorne station. The proposed line would then curve away alongside the then Bulleen Road, before passing through vacant land and arriving at Kew. 

Bowing to local pressure, the Victorian Railway decided to construct a single track branch line the Kew. A contract for the 2.4 kilometre line was let to the Noonan Brothers at a cost of £18,086. 

The route of the new line was criticised by the local council and residents as it was not built on the most direct route to Kew. Victorian Railways planners could feel a bit hard done by as the route was almost identical to the line originally proposed by the Kew Railway League.

Construction was relatively straight forward and the new line officially opened with little fanfare on the 19th of December 1887. The first train left Princes Bridge station (Princes Bridge Station was originally isolated from Flinders Street Station which is on the opposite side of Swanston Street) at 5:40 am, and arrived at Kew to be greeted by the Kew Station Master, a ticket seller and the signalman. 

Plan of the Kew Railway Line. Image courtesy of onlymelbourne.com.au. 

The line departed the western side of Hawthorne station and ran parallel to the Lilydale line for several hundred metres before curving to the north and passing between Lynch Gardens and the Hawthorne Cricket Ground at Glenferrie Oval.

A Victorian Railways drawing of the track layout at Hawthorn railway station. Drawing courtesy of the Victorian Railways.Net website. 

The line then entered a curved cutting, where it passed under three road bridges at Chrystobel Crescent, Mary Street, and Kinkora Road. 

The Kew Line curving to the north before passing under the Chrystobel Cresent overbridge. Image taken by Frank Stamford and courtesy of the Lost Melbourne Facebook page. www.facebook.com/Lost Melbourne . 

Beneath the Chrystobel Cresent overbridge. Image taken by Frank Stamford and courtesy of the Lost Melbourne Facebook page. www.facebook.com/Lost Melbourne . 

After passing under Kinkora Road, the cutting ended and the line passed over a level crossing at Hawthorn Grove, before arriving at Barker Station. 

During the 1940s, the Hawthorn Grove level crossing gates were permanently closed to road traffic during train running times. Outside of train running times the interlocked gates would be left open by station staff.

The Kew line approaching the Hawthorn Grove level crossing with Barker Station in the background. Image taken by Frank Stamford and courtesy of the Lost Melbourne Facebook page. www.facebook.com/Lost Melbourne . 

Barker Station was the only intermediate station on the line and consisted of the single tracked railway line and a rather substantial brick station building for its status and location.

Barker Railway Station. Taken on the day of the last scheduled train,18 August 1952. Image courtesy of the Victorian Collections website. www.victoriancollections.net.au 

The line then crossed Barkers Road before arriving at the terminus, Kew Station which was reached by a cutting to the south of Wellington Street.

The track layout at Kew was fairly simple and consisted of the main, a loop, a goods siding with back shunt and a siding for a low level goods platform.

A Victorian Railways drawing of the track layouts at Barker and Kew railway stations. Drawing courtesy of the Victorian Railways.Net website. 

The Kew and Barker stations were of a standard Victorian Railways design for a suburban station in Melbourne. The stations were substantial brick buildings with good amenities for the station staff.

The Denmark Street side of Kew railway station. Image courtesy of the Facebook page Past 2 Present. 

Kew railway station was served by an access way off Denmark Street. From its opening in 1887 to the 1920's horses and carriages could be seen at the station dropping off and picking up passengers and parcels. 

A postcard showing Kew Station in the early 1900's. Image courtesy of the Victorians Collection website. www.victoriancollections.net.au

The access way leading down to Kew Station from Denmark Street sometime in the early 1920's. Image courtesy of the Victorians Collection website. www.victoriancollections.net.au

An image of the platform side of the Kew railway station. Image taken by Frank Stamford and courtesy of the Lost Melbourne Facebook page. www.facebook.com/Lost Melbourne . 

An image showing the station building and platform, the main and loop and goods siding in 1952. Taken by Lachlan Richardson. Image courtesy of the Victorians Collection website. www.victoriancollections.net.au 

The end of the line. An image taken at the end of the Kew railway line looking back towards the Kew railway station on the 22nd of April 1951. Taken by Lachlan Richardson. Image courtesy of the Victorians Collection website. www.victoriancollections.net.au 

To ensure safe working and prevent accidents, the line operated under the train staff safe working system.

When operating the shuttle up and down the line, the guard of the train would collect the train staff for the line from the signaler at Hawthorn, and pass it to the driver who maintained possession of staff throughout the return journey to Kew. On arrival back at Hawthorn on the Up train, the guard was required to sight the train staff before departing back to Kew. After the last Up train, the train staff had to be returned to the Hawthorn signaler. When a goods train worked on the line, the yard porter at Hawthorne was required to get the train staff from the signaler and pass it to the driver. For through trains the Officer in Charge of Hawthorn station was responsible for passing the train staff to the driver of Kew trains.

Electric train staff machine. Image courtesy of the Victorian Railways.Net website. 

From its opening, a steam hauled passenger service operated between Hawthorn and Kew at 20 to 25 minute intervals with through trains to the city operating in the morning and afternoon peaks.

Electrification was introduced to the Kew line on the 17th of December 1922, and Tait electric multiple units began to operate passenger trains on the line.  After the electrification of the line, a 20 minute through service from the city was provided. From the 15th of April 1923 trains became through trains with the Fawkner line, known today as the Upfield Line at the same 20 minute interval. In December 1924, services increased to every 15 minutes.

On the 24th of November 1930 off peak shuttle services ran between Hawthorn and Kew using a single Tait motor car every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on Sundays. This badly effected patronage as passengers found changing trains at Hawthorn inconvenient. On 29 November 1937 through services were eliminated during afternoon peak with only the single car shuttle services operating on the line.

A single car Tait electric motor car at Kew Station in 1952. Taken by Lachlan Richardson. Image courtesy of the Victorians Collection website. www.victoriancollections.net.au 

Buses began to run off peak services from the 5th of June 1939 due to still falling patronage, with a local shuttle train operating from Hawthorn during peak hours and on Sunday mornings. By October 1939 the Sunday morning trains were also cut.

In 1941, there was only a peak hour train service to and from Kew, with 13 return trips, in the morning and 12 trips in the afternoon and evening. Buses ran the remainder of services at 15 minute intervals. On Monday, the 18th of August 1952 all regular passenger train services were withdrawn. Bus services struggled on for another four years until they too were withdrawn in 1956.

The last scheduled passenger train at Kew Station. 18 August 1952.

Even though the line had no scheduled trains from 1952 onwards, it was still used occasionally for testing locomotives including the then new L class electrics and for railfan specials. The line was officially closed on the 13th of May 1957 and the line including the two stations was taken up and demolished over the next few years.

The March 2021 edition of Newsrail magazine showing a steam locomotive working on the Kew line during dismantling.

Demolition of Kew railway station in 1959. Taken by Eva Grant. Image courtesy of the Victorians Collection website. www.victoriancollections.net.au

Very little of this short suburban line remains today. The site of Kew Station is now the site of the former head office of VicRoads which was once the roading and traffic authority in Victoria but now looks after driver licensing and vehicle registrations. Most of the old railway formation between Wellington Street and Barkers Road is used by VicRoads as a carpark and private access road.

A 1961 photo of the former VicRoads head office built on the site of the Kew railway station. Image courtesy of the Victorians Collection website. www.victoriancollections.net.au

The California Motor Inn was built on the site of the former Barker station but has since closed. the site is awaiting redevelopment.

A 1961 photo of the California Motor Inn on Barker Road. Taken by Ron Setford. Image courtesy of the Victorians Collection website. www.victoriancollections.net.au

The remaining railway formation between Hawthorn Grove and Chrstobel Cresent is now packland and a shared walking / cycling path. The portion of the former line from Chrstobel Cresent to the main line is now a carpark for Glenferrie Oval.

Information for this post came from a variety of sources including Wikipedia, Facebook, Victorian Collections, and the Victorian Railways.Net website.

And that's about it. 

 

Oamaru's Weighbridge - A holdover from the past

The Oamaru weighbridge and cabin. 24/09/2024.

Oamaru has a good number of railway buildings that have escaped the bulldozers and excavators of past railway companies, the district council and from being torched by bored locals. One of these is the old weighbridge cabin located in the former goods yard. While the goods shed has gone on to bigger and brighter things as the home of Scotts Brewery, the old weighbridge cabin stands forlornly as the Oamaru Steam and Rail trains travel past nearby.

The location of the weighbridge in the old Oamaru goods yard.

Apart from the track, much of the old Oamaru goods yard infrastructure remains with the old weighbridge cabin located between the former goods shed and container gantry crane. 

The New Zealand Railways installed weighbridges at most of their medium and large stations. The railways used the scales to find the weight of the load in a wagon so they could charge the right amount for transport. The weighbridges were also used to ensure wagons weren't overloaded, and to determine the weight of the wagon and its load so that trains could be put together that didn't exceed the tonnage limits of the locomotives hauling the trains.

To help staff work out the weight of the load, every wagon had the tare weight of the wagon and what it was capable of carrying called the distributed load stenciled on the side. 

LA24158 with its tare and distributed weight stenciled on its side. This wagon is preserved and looked after by the Fielding and District Steam Rail Society. 

The weighbridge is made up of three parts, the weighbridge, the pit and the cabin.

The weighbridge and cabin in the old Oamaru goods yard. 14/09/2024.

Wagons were weighed using a mechanical system of levers. The weighbridge consisted of the rails which sat on two steel I beams that rested on the main levers located in the pit directly below. A transverse lever off the main lever connected to a rod that went up to either a sliding weigh beam or dial which showed the weight of the wagon and whatever it was carrying. Steel plates protected the levers from the elements and stopped people from falling into the pit. The weighbridge was only big enough for four wheel wagons.

The weighbridge and pit.

Weighbridge cabins were built to protect the scales and railway staff from the elements. The cabins came with large windows so that staff had a good view of the weighbridge and along the weighbridge siding. 

The cabin is a standard NZR design that was used across the network. There were two versions of this type of weighbridge cabin. The first version was rectangular with windows at the front and two sides. The second version had windows at the front which angled to the sides like the one we have in Oamaru. 

Front of the weighbridge cabin. 

The south side of the weighbridge cabin. In the background can be seen the former Oamaru goods shed and yard area.

The rear of the weighbridge cabin.

The north side of the weighbridge cabin.

With the closure of the Oamaru goods yard and redevelopment of the land it is remarkable that the cabin and weighbridge still remain in situ. Hopefully the cabin continues as a reminder of the industrial and transport history of Oamaru and North Otago.

And that's about it.

Bridge 194 - The finished product

An aerial view of the new bridge over the Pleasant River at Goodwood. Photo courtesy of KiwiRail April 2024.

Earlier this year, HEB Construction and KiwiRail completed the new bridge over the Pleasant River. The Pleasant River is just south of Palmerston and directly north of the old Goodwood station site on the Main South Line between Christchurch and Invercargill. 

As part of the Rail Network Investment Programme, the old bridge which was a 12 span timber beam bridge that had very much reached the end of its working life was replaced with a four span concrete ballast bridge. The replacement bridge is the first of KiwiRail's ballast bridge designs to be constructed.

With a bit of spare time one cold and clear Saturday morning I was able to get out and see the finished product, the new Bridge 194 over the Pleasant River.

The eastern side of Bridge 194 crossing the Pleasant River and Brooklands Road. 

The beautiful winter sun stayed low in the sky which made getting a good shot of the whole bridge difficult. From the western side I was looking into the sun and from the eastern side there were plenty of shadows. I decided to work from the eastern side even though the shadows played havoc with photography.

The four concrete spans of the new bridge.

The bridge is a great example of good engineering. Throughout the construction process, the bridge remained open to trains except for some weekend block of lines for critical work. 

A temporary bridge was built alongside the existing bridge to provide crane access. Pile casings were first driven into the ground before being filled with concrete. On the top of the casings, concrete cross beams were cast in place. This work was done with the old bridge still in place. Over an extended block of line, the old timber bridge was removed and the new spans which had been assembled onsite from precast concrete beams were placed on the piers. Much of the construction material including the casings and beams were brought in by rail.

Precast concrete bridge beams and wingwalls were brought in by special work train in January 2024. Photo courtesy of HEB Construction from their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HEBConstruction.

HEB and KiwiRail used a work train to bring in over 250 tons of precast concrete bridge components including eight 15 metre bridge beams, four precast wingwalls and a container of crane lifting equipment. The train used standard container wagons with special bolsters and  eliminated approximately 8,400 km's of heavy haulage transport would have been required to transport the concrete components from the factory in Hornby in Christchurch to the Pleasant River site.

One of the the bogie container wagons, IK 16140 which was used to transport the precast concrete bridge beams using special bolsters seen here in the Palmerston yard.

A close up of one of the bolsters on bogie container wagon IK 16140.

With time to spare I had a good look around the new bridge.

Another view of the four spans and three piers looking northwards.

The first pier and northern bridge abutment.

A side on view of the third pier.

A view of the underneath of the new bridge taking in the first and second piers.

Piers two and three and the southern bridge abutment.

The third concrete bridge span

Rubber pads between the bridge pier and concrete span.

The southern bridge abutment.

A side on view of the southern bridge abutment.

A close up of the rubber pads between the fourth concrete span and the southern bridge abutment.

A view of the southern brigade abutment from track height.

Ballasted concrete span bridges, while common in other countries, are relatively new in New Zealand. Some of the advantages of a ballasted bridge include lower maintenance costs compared to traditional timber bridges, the ease of keeping track level while the bridge supports settle and the ease of track maintenance as its essentially a continuation of the normal ballasted track.  

The ballasted track across the bridge.

As well as the construction of the bridge, KiwiRail also upgraded the approaches on both sides of the bridge including new concrete sleepers, rail and ballast..

The approach to the new bridge looking south towards the former Goodwood Station site.

It is obvious the HEB Construction and KiwiRail took great care to rehabilitate the former construction yard and return the ground and the river back to its previous condition. 

The former construction yard area.

It has been fascinating watching HEB Construction and KiwiRail go about building this new bridge. Everyone involved should be congratulated and be proud of their mahi in upgrading infrastructure on the MSL so it can keep doing what it does best, moving freight and hopefully people long into the future.

And that's about it.