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.

The Clock is Ticking

DFB7239 and EFI DXC5212 lead 920 Dunedin to Middleton Freight through the old Bushey station site. 11/10/22.

Late last year KiwiRail signed an agreement with Swiss locomotive manufacturer Stadler for 57 mainline low emission diesel locomotives. These locomotives are expected to enter service between early 2024 and 2026.

With the introduction of the new DM class locomotives, the current fleet of DC's, DFT's and DX's will be withdrawn from service. While I understand the economics and the need for improvements in reliability, power and emissions in KiwiRail's South Island locomotive fleet, it'll be sad to see the older diesel locomotives disappear. They've given between 40 and almost 70 years of good service on New Zealand's railways and have been with me since I started railfanning in the mid 1990's.

With only a few years of service left, if you want to get some shots of good ole 1970's GE and EMD motive power now is the time to start. The clock is ticking.

Accidentally Creative

DFT 7036 leads 934 Dunedin - Middleton Freight our of Herbert. 2/12/21.

 

While heading back to Oamaru I managed grab a quick and dirty shot of DFT 7036 leading 934 Dunedin - Middleton freight out of Herbert at the Irvine Road railway crossing.

In my rush I went to change the settings on my camera from auto to sports mode and instead ended up with creative but overall it didn't turn out to bad.

And that's about it. 

Good Riddence 2020... Welcome 2021

 

 DXC 5304 and DFT 7051 lead Dunedin to Middleton Freight 934 through Goodwood on         Christmas Eve 2020. 24/12/2020.

2020... What a year and not in a good way. Bush fires in Australia, a pandemic and no end of other disasters around the world. I'm not sad to see 2020 disappear in the rear view mirror. 

Hopefully as the covid-19 vaccines are rolled out the world will begin its long journey back to some sort of normality but I doubt it will be the same 'normal' we were all used to pre-covid.

I have been fortunate to have a little time off over the festive season and with the recent flooding in Otago a chance to have some quiet time at home. The rainy weather give me a chance to go back through the different pages of my blog. On thing I've realised is that I have really enjoyed sharing my average train photos with the world even though I don't have a big audience. There is nothing better than flicking through historic train photos on a rainy day. By posting these photos online I hope future railfans will be able to do the same and through my photos see what was going on in Otago during the 2010's and now 2020's.

As a new years resolution I have set myself the goal of doing a post every month. 12 posts a year seems like a good target. Unfortunately I don't get the time to chase trains like I used to but I have a few other projects on the go that might be of interest to those visiting the blog. 

So to every one I wish you all the best for 2021.

2020.... Yeah Nah.

DFT 7008 with DFT's 7132 and 7051 and a short 920 Dunedin - Middleton freight hold the loop at Merton after crossing a southbound freight service. DFT 7008 had not long returned to South Island rails after a few years working in the North Island. 11/01/19.

Hello blog. Long time no see! 

While driving past a train the other day I got thinking about my southern rails blog. Between family and work commitments and a health issue the blog had been long forgotten and I wasn't even sure that it was still 'live'. So logging on this morning I was pleased to find it was still around but with very little recent content! Considering the how 2020 has gone so far I'm not surprised. 

Between pandemics, lockdowns, travel restrictions and natural disasters 2020 has been a bit average. As I've been telling my kids, look around and take note of what you're living through. Your kids and grandchildren will be asking you about 2020, probably as part of class projects and history lessons. 

All these things have also made railfanning difficult so there haven't been a lot of photos of Kiwi Rails finest taken recently. Below is a few I have managed to get over the last year or two.

Enjoy!

DFT 7036 and DC 4755 departing Palmerston with train 937, a Middleton - Dunedin freight. 11/01/19.

 DFT 7008 and DFB 7239 crest the Tumai Bank with a Saturday morning 920 Dunedin - Middleton freight on a frosty winters morning in East Otago. This is a good catch for me with DFB 7008 being one of my favourite locomotives. 29/06/2019.                               

DXC 5229 and DFT 7036 climb  the grade to the former Hampden railway station site with northbound Dunedin to Middleton freight service 920. 21/08/2019. 

A very average shot of DI 1102 passing south through the site of the former of Hampden Station on its delivery trip to Dunedin Railways. DI 1102 had been leased to Dunedin Railways by the Christchurch based Diesel Traction Group as a back up for their DJ locomotives in what was forecasted to be a bumper 2019 / 2020 cruise ship year. 2020 and the corona virus had different ideas. Septermber 2019.

DXR 8022 leads DFT 7051 and DC 4801 through Herbert on 934 Dunedin - Middleton freight.

DXR's are extremely rare visitors to the lower South Island and only travel down to Dunedin for maintenance at Kiwi Rails heavy lift facility at Hillside. 03/12/2019.                                 

DI 1102 with a DJ and two Dunedin Railway carriages heads north along South Island Main Truck at Katiki with a service to Christchurch to return DI 1102 to the Diesel Traction Group at Ferrymead. This is a bitter sweet photo as it was one of the last Dunedin Railway trains before they went into 'hibernation' in March due to the downturn in tourism due to Covid. Staff have been laid off, rolling stock laid up or returned and the Taieri Gorge railway mothballed. June 2020.

 And that's about it.

A few shots from my travels

Hi all.

Here are some shots from my recent travels through the South Island. I even managed to get my first shot of a train on the Midland Line. Even if it was light engines and within a kilometre or two of the Midland Lines junction with the Main South Line it still counts. Enjoy!

DXC 5483 and a DC helper accelerate past Rolleston's Westland Diary sidings on the Midland Line. 13/10/13.

One of my favourite locomotives DFT 7023 soaks up the sun in Timaru. 13/10/13.

KiwiRail's exhibition express train at Dunedin Railway Station. This train traveled thoughout New Zealand as part of the 150th annerversary of railways in New Zealand. Each container housed a different display. The train also had two passenger carriages and an observation carriage from its KiwiRail Scenic passenger fleet. 19/10/13.

Two for the price of one.

Thursday 25th August 2013.

After finishing the night shift I had some time to kill before the family got to town so I thought I'd head out and see what I could find. Thursday morning was beautiful and I was lucky to catch one of Holcim's cement ships making its way up Otago harbour. Its not a train but I couldn't resist.

The Milburn Carrier II passes close to shore as it makes its way up the Otago harbour channel after departing the Dunedin wharves. 

From my posse I could see a headlight in the distance and after a fairly long wait the DSG with its port train finally passed by. Not being able to cross the track I had to do the best I could with what I had and grabbed a shot from the wrong side. Luckily the clouds had rolled which helped with the sun.

DSG 3170 with a Port Chalmers shunt crosses a causeway just south of Sawyers Bay as it returns to Dunedin. 

With the clock ticking I had to put the camera away and head back to town.

Friday 26th August 2013.

With a day off and some time to kill I decided to head out and chase the usual suspects, 922 and 923. I managed to catch up with 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight just outside Waikouaiti. 922 wasn't messing around. The double DXC's made light work of its train of containers.

DXC's 5039 and 5293 approach Waikouaiti with 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight. 

With a few sunday drivers and 50 km speed limit through Waikouaiti to contend with, 923 was approaching Merton by the time we caught up with it. Slowing to a stop on the main for a crew change I was able to grab a shot of 5039 and 5293 before heading to my next spot. Most of the locomotives in Kiwirail livery have a vertical separation between the red and grey. The early repaints had a horizontal separation. To get two loco's in this early version of the Kiwirail livery was a good catch. I still think Kiwirail should have kept going with this version.

DXC's 5039 and 5293 hold the main at Merton.

Before long DFT's 7049 and 7023 could be seen heading down the grade into Merton. Using a safe spot that normally nets good results I was able to grab a shot of 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight. I was pretty happy to catch the DFT's in action. The word going around railfan circles is that a number of DFT loco's will be written off as more and more of the Chinese built DL locomotives come on line in the North Island and DXB locomotives transfer south.

DFT's 7049 and DFT 7023 round the curve into Merton with 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight.

Once the LE's had changed over, 922 continued its trip north. I quick shot at the northern end of the Merton loop and it was time to head north.

922 makes its way slowly up the loop at Merton.

The work carried out around the area by the track gangs must be paying off because I had trouble keeping up with 922 as it made its way north through East Otago. I wanted a shot of 922 cresting the Tumai grade but the two DFT's were making light work of their train and I had to settle for a shot from the wrong side. Shot taken it was time to head north again.

922 crests the Tumai bank.

Playing it safe was the order of the day and I choose a tried and true spot for my next shot.

With horn blasting and ditch lights flashing 922 approaches Palmerston.

With 922 picking up empty 'goldies' at Palmerston I had chance to fuel up the car. Chasing trains isn't a cheap hobby anymore! With time to spare I headed to my final spot of the day just north of the Shag river bridge. With the sun stuck behind cloud I was able to get a nice shot of the DFT's with Mt Pukutapu in the background.

Now with empty 'goldies' 922 continues its trip north in the shadows.

On Monday I begin my new role at work. I'm looking forward to working Monday to Friday with no more night shifts. While it will be nice to spend my nights at home, the opportunities to get out and chase trains will be fairly limited. Hopefully I will still be able to bring you the sights of Kiwirail in action as they continue to haul freight through Otago.

Just when I thought I'd seen it all.

With some spare time and nice weather I decided to get out and try and catch my normal targets 922 and / or 923. The fuel gauge wasn't looking to good so I headed down to the local garage to fill up. Getting out of the car I could hear a loud idling noise and it definitely coming from the garage. WIth gas in the tank I headed over to the Palmerston yard and found DFT 7199 and 7049 idling on the middle siding. The middle siding doesn't get much use apart from Taieri Gorge Railway DJ's running around the 'seasider' passenger trains and as a staging point for the tamper gang when they are working in the area. Seeing two mainline loco's on the middle siding is pretty rare.

With the loco's looking pretty in the sun I snapped a few shots.

Roster shot of DFT 7199 at Palmerston. 10/07/2013.

After the DFT's had coupled up to the empty 'goldies' I headed north to try and catch 923 as it made its way south to Dunedin. I set myself up at one of my favourite spots just to the north of Bushey TWC loop and grabbed a nice shot of DXC 5500 with a good sized 923.

DXC 5500 leads 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight into Bushey. With a decent load on the drawgear DXC 5500 has a good workout ahead of it as it grinds its way over the grades into Dunedin.

I was expecting 922 and 923 to cross at Bushey but the DXC just kept on going. Heading back into town I quickly caught up with a slowing 923. Parking up I was able to catch the Dunedin and Timaru LE's swap services so they could head back home. On this part of the Main South Line, the locomotive crews normally change over at Merton or sometimes a Bushey. In over five years of following the action on this part of the MSL I have never seen a crew change in Palmerston. Luckily I was able to grab a few shots of this very rare event.

The locomotive engineers from 922 and 923 change over at Palmerston. This is the first time in over five years of living here that I've seen this happen.

I headed north again to a spot just north of the Stour St crossing to grab a shot of 922 departing Palmerston.

DFT 7199 and 7049 with a train of empty 'goldies' cross the recently upgraded Stour St railway crossing.

Up close and personal shot of DFT 7199.

I expected a fairly normal chase today but it was anything but normal. Not sure why the DFT's were in town so early or why the crew change was carried out in Palmerston. My best guess was that with a lot of work being carried out on the MSL between Waitati and Sawyers Bay, the morning service 937 dropped off its 'goldies' at Palmerston and then the loco's parked up at Palmerston for a few hours before coupling up to the now empty 'goldies' and then heading north as 922. With 937 being cancelled south of Palmerston and 922 starting at Palmerston, the gangers had a good chunk of daylight to work on the slips and areas of subsidence that are still causing trouble on the MSL.

Until next time stay safe and keep chasing.

Weathering the storm

Over the last few weeks New Zealand has been hammered by winter storms that have caused flooding and significant snow falls across the country. The East Otago area didn't miss out on its share of the bad weather. Significant damage to the Opihi bridge south of Temuka and several slips between Dunedin and Waitati caused the closure of the main south line between Dunedin and Christchurch. Kiwi Rail had to rely on road bridging to get priority traffic through.
I didn't get the chance to get out and foam too much due to the weather. Wouldn't have mattered anyway, nothing was running around here. 
I did grab a few shots of a Taieri Gorge Railway passenger service at Waitati. I have no idea what it was doing here but it was there for a few days. If you know why it was stuck at Waitati please let me know.

DJ 1240 holding the loop at Waitati with a TGR train. On the siding is ETM 513 with its support wagon. 26/06/13.

Another shot of DJ 1240 with its train.

On the tailend was DJ 3107. This DJ has retained the orginal front and side windows.

On Thursday as I headed down to the local school to pick up my son I saw a massive 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight picking some empty 'golidies' that had been stuck in Palmerston for the last week. To my amazement it was still holding on the main when were heading home. I had the camera in the car so it would have been rude not to grab a shot or two. A quick trip to Bushey and a short wait was all it took before 922 showed up. 

DFT 7295 leads a huge 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight through Bushey.

A going away shot of the five loco's on the point of 922. Normal practice in other parts of the country but anymore than two loco's on the front of a train is pretty exciting down here. A sad looking DFT 7023 is the last of the loco's.

Travelling through East Otago, 922 is normally made up of two loco's and maybe a few wagons plus the 'goldies' it picks up in Palmerston. To see a long 922 with five loco's on point was pretty exciting. A personal favourite DFT 7023 was included up front. From what I hear it was damaged earlier in the week after hitting a slip. With the recent news that the DC and DFT locomotive fleet is likely to be reduced due to the introduction of the DL's I'm hoping the damage to 7023 isn't too bad and they repair it.

I have some leave from work coming up so I'm hoping to get out a bit more - weather dependant - and bring you some more posts.

And thats about it.

A few shots from the archives

The weather here in Otago has been awful the last few days. Constant rain and cool temperatures has been the norm. Not good conditions for train chasing. So instead of some new photos I've delved into my rather limited archives to bring you some random shots of the past.

DJ 3096 and DFT 7239 on shed at Whangarei. The DJ was transferred to Northland to work the Dargaville branch. The DJ returned to South Island and currently powers passenger services for the Taieri Gorge Railway. 16/09/06. 

Another photo taken on one of my trips to Northland. Hitachi rail tractor TR 822 sits in the empty Maungaturoto yard. On my first visit to Maungaturoto the yard was full of container wagons loaded with dairy products from the nearby Fonterra factory. Later visits found the yard empty. I guess Fonterra got a better deal from a trucking firm. Not long after taking this photo TR 822 was transferred to Westfield. 14/11/05.

Hillside built rail tractor TR 897 rests in the late evening sun at the Canterbury Malting Company at Marton. 24/06/06. The TR shunts CG grain and container wagons within the plant complex. 24/06/06. 

DFT 7117 and an unknown DC bring a train of milk powder through Burnside as it approaches its destination of Dunedin. 11/12/09. 

And that's about it...