Roaming in Matangi's

 

DFB7282 awaits departure time with the Capital Connection service to Palmerston North. A Matangi train arrives on platform 9.

I've been fortunate to travel to Wellington for work several times this year where I've managed to get down to the impressive Wellington Railway Station in the evenings to watch the evening rush hour. It was good fun watching Metlink move large amounts of commuters so efficently and the new track layout working with many trains arriving and departing; not just the 'Matangi' (Matangi is Te Reo for wind or breeze - a great name for trains in windy Wellingon) but also the DFB hauled Capital Connection to Palmerston North and the Wairarapa Connection passenger trains. 

For my last trip to Wellington, I was able to get to Wellington a day early and managed to get a day off to explore the Wellington suburban rail network. 

I arrived at the station just after the morning rush hour. Matangi units were being shunted into sidings for the afternoon rush hour while staff prepared for the off peak schedule. 

This included the Wairarapa Connection trains that had also arrived. These trains are shunted into the Wellington yard for the day before being shunted back into the platforms for the evening services to Masterton. One of these services was in Platform 8 and I grabbed a quick photo of the two DFB's on the front. These locomotives are not far away from being sent to South Africa so it was good to get a shot of them even though it was a poor photo.

DFB's 7348 and 7049 rest at Platform 8 with a recently arrived Wairarapa Connection passenger train.

After tagging on using my snapper card I caught my first train of the day to Upper Hutt. After leaving Wellington station the Hutt Line passes the Wellington freight yard, electric multiple unit depot and the diesel locomotive depot before skirting along the edge of Wellington Harbour and passing through the Hutt Valley suburbs.

Matangi EMU Trailer car FT4299 at Upper Hutt Station. 

Upper Hutt is the northern terminus on the electrified Hutt Line and sits 32 kilometers from Wellington. Diesel locomotive hauled Wairarapa Connection trains stop here on their way to and from Masterton and the Wairarapa to the north. The station is a massive upgrade from the one I last visited in the late 90's. The old station was replaced with the current building in 2015 and includes a nice waiting room and amentities for Metlink staff. 

After grabbing an excellent flat white from the coffee cart outside I boarded the next southbound service to Wellington.

On the return to Wellington I stopped off at the fantastic railway station at Taita. 

Taita Railway Station.

Opened in 1947 when the railway was constructed as part of the then Governmerns new state housing project in the Hutt Valley it was upgraded in the 1950's for electric passenger trains. Taita is one of my favourite railway stations in New Zealand because its one of the last remaining timber suburban stations. I love the post war design and the part it played in the development of the hutt. After spending a long time taking a lot of photos and admiring the station building I caught another train headed to Wellington.

Powered car FP5125 departs Taita with a Matangi EMU for Upper Hutt.

One of the things I've enjoyed exploring Wellingtons rail network is seeing the 'Ride like your aunty is watching' posters on the trains and at stations. This advertising campaign is to promote good etiquette on public transport. The drawings are by Mary Guo and the campaign was launched in 2023. You can find Marys work here. This is a great initative and hats off to Metlink for running it.

Ride like aunty is watching!

After getting back to Wellington I grabbed some quick shots of Matangi units before boarding my next train to Waikanae.

Matangi Units rest in the short time between services at Wellington Railway Station.

The Kapiti Line runs along the North Island Main Trunk. After departing Wellington and  passing through two tunnels that were built as part of the Tawa Deviation, the line runs through the coastal suburbs along Porirua Harbour and the Kapiti Coast to Waikanae. Riding along this line you get some amazing ocean views but the best would have to be the view to Kapiti Island as you decend down into Paekakariki.

Kapiti Island in the distance.

I had been on the Kapiti Line before but only to the old terminus of Paraparaumu. The extension of the suburban electrification and double tracking to Waikanae was offically opened in Feburary 2011. For a train running in the afternoon on a weekday I was surprised by the number of passengers. It was good to see a large number of people using this form of public transport.

A Matangi Unit at Waikanae

It was not long before I was back on the train and returning to Wellington. By the time I arrived the afternoon and evening rush was starting to begin. Matangi units were leaving the nearby sidings and were soon lining up at the platforms to get commuters back home.

The Capital Connection was already on Platform 8 with DFB 7282 ready to race this passenger train north to Palmerston North. 

DFB 7282 at Platform 7 getting ready to depart with the northbound Capital Connection for Palmerston North.

With the sun starting to set, I watched as Matangi units came and went and the longer distance passenger trains departed for destinations north. Before heading to the hotel I got one last photo of DFB7145 with a northbound service for the Masterton and the Wairarapa.

DFB7145 puts on a light show as it departs Platform 6 with a Wairarapa Connection service to Masterton. 

With my last photos taken, I decided to leave the station to find some food, very happy after a good day of roaming on Matangi's around the Wellington electrified suburban network.

And thats about it.

From Dead-End to Departure: My New Project Levendale

An image taken by Warren Banfield in July 1983 showing a Melbourne bound Harris EMU waiting to depart and T383 in the yard with a suburban goods train at Lilydale. Image courtesy of the Victorian Railways.Net website which can be found here.

Early in 2024, I set out to build a medium-sized HO scale layout based on a busy suburban terminus in outer Melbourne. I made good progress at first. I built the benchwork, laid the track, and worked on the hard bits like the wiring and installing the point motors. After a good period of troubleshooting, I finally had an operating layout.

And that’s when the momentum stopped.

Between my hectic work schedule and a major decision we've made to move back to the North Island in a few years' time to be closer to family, the inspiration to work on the layout disappeared. My layout was built to be permanent. Every hour of additional work felt like effort that would eventually be torn up, stored, or binned. I was left with a layout that was too big, a move in the future, and a deep sense of "what’s the point?" It felt defeatist because I knew many modellers would enjoy having that space, but for me, it wasn’t working anymore. The inspiration was gone.

The turning point came in 2025 while I was writing a post about the history of the Kew railway line. Though the real-world branch closed in 1957, the more I researched, the more I realised what a great little layout it would make. It had everything I was looking for: character, a manageable footprint, electric suburban operations, and enough operational potential to keep me entertained for a quick 30 minute operating session at the end of a busy workday.

One night, I began to explore the idea of a Kew-inspired layout, and that’s where Levendale came from. Levendale is a play on my street name, Leven, and "dale" is a homage to one of my favourite railway photographs of a Harris electric multiple unit and a T-class hauled suburban goods train at Lilydale.

While Kew provided the initial spark, photo's from the excellent website, Victorian Railways.Net provided the inspiration I needed to get the project started.

This April 1985 photo of 4CM at Victoria Park by Steve Bucton. Photo courtesy of the Victorian Railways.Net website which can be found here.  

I also found inspiration for the new layout in a few other places; Corey Green’s Victorian East ‘Metclafe Station and Workshops’, Jason Wood’s NSW based ‘The Escarpment’ and Alex Malijevic’s ‘Carlingford’. I also took a lot of inspiration from Phil Overton’s books which provided lots of tips for building a good layout. 

The priority for this new project is to make the layout simple to build and to get trains running quickly without too many hassles. To ensure portability, I have decided to build it across three modules, each measuring 480 mm by 1200 mm. These modules will bolt together and have removable legs, making the entire setup semi-permanent and easy to move. 

Two modules will contain the station, yard, and a street scene with an overbridge to disguise the entry into the three-track staging yard on the third module. To maximize staging and fit the upcoming Auscision four-car Harris electric multiple unit, the first point for the staging yard will be hidden under the overbridge. The yard layout itself is based off the original Kew station yard with a main line, a runaround loop and a dead-end goods siding with a backshunt. A crossover provides access to the loop, which will also feature its own short backshunt for parking a guards van during shunting.

A diagram of the Kew Line from the excellent Victorian Railways.net website which you can find here.

Another similar plan from the Free Track Plans website which you find here. 

For the trackwork, I am sticking with Peco Code 100 with Electrofrog medium radius points. I know Code 83 would look more prototypical, but since this is a semi-permanent layout, I want the track to be bombproof. Electrofrog points are harder to wire than Insulfrogs, but since I use DCC and want to run short-wheelbase shunting locomotives in the future, they're a no-brainer for reliable operation.

The electrical side of the hobby can be frustrating when locomotives stutter or point motors fail to work properly, so my goal is to make the wiring as robust and accessible as possible. I want a tidy installation that doesn't require me working beneath the layout at weird angles to fix wiring issues. The layout will use the NCE Power Cab DCC system I already own; since there will only be a maximum of three trains on the layout at once, it has more than enough power. To control the points, I will use Peco point motors and accessory switches to change the frog polarity. While I have some Tortoise motors on hand, I want to mimic a lever frame on the station platform using Peco lever switches. These switches simulate the movement of a real lever and provide a satisfyingly loud click as the points flick over. To increase playability, the points will only be operable after unlocking a switch or possessing a train staff.

While the scenery is still under consideration, the station area and street scene with the overbridge are already locked in. I imagine a path leading down from the street to the platform and station, complete with a grassy bank, a fence at the top, and some low-relief structures depicting the rear of buildings. The backscene will incorporate city backdrops to create a sense of depth. Finally, a kit of Kew station, which I already have, will take pride of place on the platform. 

This project has truly excited me, and I am looking forward to beginning construction shortly.

Frankton Junction - A KiwiRail Hotspot

 

The northern end of the Frankton station platforms where just beyond is the junction between the North Island Main Trunk and the East Coast Main Trunk. 

Earlier this month I travelled up to Hamilton while a family member was in Waikato Hospital. While this is a railway and industrial history blog, I want to acknowledge the surgeons, doctors, nurses, assistants, and all the staff at Waikato Hospital. They were absolutely fantastic, and we felt so much better knowing our family member was in the best possible hands. After a few days post-surgery, we knew the worst was behind us and that recovery was well underway.

We had chosen a hotel close to the hospital to make travelling back and forth as easy as possible. In between hospital visits, I tried to get down to Frankton Junction whenever I could, to experience one of New Zealand’s railway hot spots firsthand. It just so happened that the hotel was only a five minute drive away.

Frankton, located near downtown Hamilton, is the junction between the electrified North Island Main Trunk and the East Coast Main Trunk. 

An aerial view of Frankton Junction. The North Island Main Trunk enters from the lower centre of the image, curving to the left before heading northwest towards Te Rapa. The East Coast Main Trunk approaches from the upper right, sweeping around before joining the NIMT.

Hamilton forms one corner of the famed KiwiRail 'golden triangle' between Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga. This route is the busiest freight corridor in New Zealand, connecting the Port of Tauranga with Auckland. The Waikato is also a significant producer of freight, with major Fonterra sites and inland port facilities across the region.

Alongside the steady procession of freights and local shunting movements on the NIMT and ECMT, Hamilton is also served by the Te Huia Auckland–Hamilton commuter service and the Northern Explorer, the long-distance passenger train between Auckland and Wellington. Unfortunately, these passenger services and some freight services were not operating at the time due to a shutdown of the Auckland rail network for major works over the holiday period.

Some freight services between Tauranga and Auckland instead terminated at a temporary container terminal at Frankton, where containers were transferred to road transport for road bridging between Hamilton and Auckland.

On the evening of Sunday the 11th of January, I left the hotel to get some dinner. Having picked up some food I headed to Frankton Junction to enjoy the warm evening, a hamburger and hopefully a train or two. I didn't need to wait long before a steel train from Tauranga headed by DL9279 arrived. As someone who lives in the South Island, seeing a DL and a steel train are both fairly new experiences for me and I enjoyed watching this short but heavy train cruise by. Unfortunately no more trains were in the offering and I headed back to the hotel tired but happy.

DL 9279 eases off the East Coast Main Trunk with a steel train from Tauranga to Mission Bush. 11/01/2026.

Railfans in the North Island of New Zealand have a bit of a love / hate relationship with the DL class. Manufactured by CRRC Dalian, the first batch of DL's were introduced in 2009. Several more batches of the powerful diesel electric locomotives have been delivered, with a total of 73 of the locomotives operating exclusively in the North Island. These locomotives revolutionised the North Island rail network and allowed all the remaining North Island based DX class and most of the DFT class to be sent to the South Island. They also allowed KiwiRail to withdraw a number of DC and all the remaining DBR class locomotives. The reallocation of the old EMD and GM locomotives to the south and the withdrawal of numerous DC's and the DBR's created a lot of despair amongst North Island railfans. 

The next morning, excited by catching the steel train I once again headed down to Frankton to see what I could see. Shortly after arriving I spotted headlights in the distance. After uncoupling from a rake of container wagons at the temporary container terminal north of the station, DC 4951 and DC 4790 approached and came to a stand still next to me. On receiving a signal to proceed onto the main line, they quickly left again headed back north to Te Rapa yard. 

DC's 4951 and 4790 wait for a signal to enter the main line and head back to Te Rapa. 12/01/2026.

I returned between hospital visits and did not have to wait long before a green departure signal came up and DL9498 passed by the ECMT platform with a long train of container wagons for the Port of Tauranga. 

DL9498 leads a freight service to the Port of Tauranga off the NIMT and onto the ECMT. 12/01/2026.

Shortly after, DL 9302 led a shunt service from Te Awamutu back along the NIMT towards Te Rapa. This train serves the large Fonterra dairy factory and associated cool stores at Te Awamutu. Separated from DL 9302 by a single wagon, DSG 3236 was also in the consist.

A shunting locomotive is taken south on the morning train and used to work the multiple sidings in and around the factory, being far better suited to this task than the DL class. The shunting loco then returns to Te Rapa on the afternoon working.

DL 9302 with shunting locomotive DSG 3236 sweep past Frankton station on the NIMT with the northbound Te Awamutu shunting service. 12/01/2026.

After the Te Awamutu shunt passed through, the ECMT signals at the junction cleared, announcing the imminent arrival of another train. I didn’t have to wait long before DL 9734 rumbled around the curve with another steel train bound for Mission Bush.

DL 9734 leads a steel train along the ECMT and into the junction at Frankton 12/01/2026.

With the steel train clear of the junction, headlights in the distance signaled another arrival. This time DLs 9636 and 9469 glided through the junction points, travelling light engine to the inland port at Ruakura.

              DL's 9636 and 9469 head onto the ECMT with a light engine move to the inland port at Ruakura.12/01/2026.

The Ruakura Inland Port is a relatively new facility, opening in August 2023 to serve importers and exporters across the Waikato. It is a joint venture between Tainui Group Holdings and the Port of Tauranga, and represents another growing source of traffic for KiwiRail.

After grabbing another fast-food dinner, I returned to Frankton Junction in the twilight and was rewarded with another eastbound ECMT freight, this time led by DL 9319.

DL 9319 cruises onto the ECMT in the Waikato twilight with another freight for the Port of Tauranga. 12/01/2026.

I was lucky enough to pick up some local railfan information and was told that an overnight NIMT freight hauled by EF electric locomotives was due to arrive at the junction around 8 a.m. the following morning. The EFs hold a special place for me, as I grew up watching them haul Main Trunk freights and the Auckland–Wellington Overlander through Marton in the mid to late 1990s.

The EFs were once the undisputed kings of the North Island Main Trunk. However, as the fleet aged, reliability began to decline. Rising electricity prices and the arrival of the DL class appeared to seal their fate, and for a time the writing was firmly on the wall for the EF class.

In recent years though, the EFs have enjoyed a revival, with a much-needed overhaul and upgrade programme returning several units to service. While they no longer dominate the NIMT like they once did, they continue to play a valuable role in hauling freight across the central North Island.

I arrived at the station early, keen to catch some EFs in action. After almost an hour and a half of waiting, I decided they must of already arrived at Te Rapa and headed off. Crossing the Killarney Road railway crossing, I spotted headlights in the distance and was able to pull over and park before grabbing a very rushed shot of EF 30134 and EF 30203 as they thundered past with their late-running train.

While the locomotives look good in the new blue KiwiRail livery, I still think they looked better in the original “fruit salad” scheme of orange-red, yellow, and grey, complete with the large white numbers along their sides.

EFs 30134 and 30203 head a northbound overnight freight into Frankton on the NIMT. 13/01/2026.

After returning from the hospital, I made my way to the Route 9 overbridge just north of the station to get a clear view of the junction itself. From the bridge, you can see the full layout of Frankton Junction  below, with the converging main lines, trackwork, and signals all visible. 

My timing couldn’t have been better. Just as I reached the middle of the bridge , the Te Awamutu shunt appeared around the curve, easing its way toward the yard at Te Rapa. 

DC's 4790 and 4058 with DSG 3236 lead the Te Awamutu shunt back to Te Rapa. 13/01/2026.

Heading back toward the station, I was hoping to catch a few more trains before it was time to leave. Once again, I wasn’t disappointed, as another northbound freight arrived on the ECMT behind DL 9636.

Rather than continuing through to Te Rapa, the train came to a stop. After about ten minutes, a low-speed light appeared on the signals and the DL carefully worked its train through the junction and into the sidings serving the temporary container terminal at Frankton.

DL 9636 arrives at Frankton Junction with ECMT freight service from Tauranga. 13/01/2026.

My last train of the trip were two DC's moving light engine. DC's 4058 and DC 4790 were headed to the Fonterra factory at Hautapu to pick up container wagons of dairy products. 

DC's 4058 and 4790 depart Frankton for the Fonterra factory at Waitoa. 13/01/2026.

Frankton Junction is truly one of New Zealand Railways’ hot spots. Over the space of just a few hours spread across several days, I saw a steady procession of trains on both the NIMT and the ECMT. There would have been even more had it not been for the shutdown of the Auckland suburban network.

One thing that quickly became apparent to may as I stood on the platforms was that, with the exception of the DCs and EFs, the vast majority of trains I saw were hauled by the DL class. As someone living in the South Island, these locomotives are still something of a novelty for me, and I was more than happy to watch them pass by. Saying that, I can easily see how it might begin to feel a little repetitive over time.

We are very lucky in the south, where we're witnessing the final years of the DX and DFT diesels in New Zealand service but it won' be long before we're in the same situation with most trains hauled by the new DM class.

If you find yourself in or around Hamilton with an hour or two to spare, I would highly recommend a visit to Frankton Junction, an absolute mecca for New Zealand railfans.

And that's about it.

Marton Locomotive Depot

Marton Diesel and Wagon Depot in the late 1990's. The depot is boarded up and is starting to show signs of vandalism. 

Marton has long been a railway town, serving as a key junction on the New Zealand Railways network where the the Marton–New Plymouth Line (MNPL) diverged from the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT). This strategic location made Marton an important hub for the NZR.

During the 1960s, New Zealand Railways transitioned from steam to diesel locomotives. This  change motive power was accompanied by significant upgrades in infrastructure, signaling, and rolling stock. Marton was among the towns to benefit from these improvements.

On 1 April 1965, a modern brick and steel railway station opened replacing the old wooden structure. The station reflected a radical shift in railway building design and construction on the NZR.

The 'new' Marton Railway Station in the mid 1990's. The station is starting to show signs of vandalism with some of the glass windows in the closed waiting room smashed. 

The old steam era engine shed at Marton. The new depot was built in the same area.

In 1966, the old steam-era engine shed was demolished and replaced with a new diesel and wagon depot. Constructed by W M Angus Ltd of Whanganui, the building was built to a new standard NZR design. The depot measured 62 feet (19 metres) long by 33 feet (10 metres) wide and featured a steel frame, concrete end walls, and corrugated aluminium sheeting on the sides and roof, with a single track running through the building. The Taihape depot was built to a very similar design, but it included two tracks instead of one. 

Plan of the Marton Wagon and Diesel Depot.

The depot was located south of Marton's east yard and was accessed off the siding to the grain silos and future malt works. To the north of the depot was a small diesel tank for refuelling locomotives and to the south of the depot stood a 70-foot turntable, a key piece of infrastructure used for turning locomotives.

Whites Aviation photo showing the southern end of the Marton railway yard. The relatively new depot can be seen near the middle of the photo. 3 Mar 1970. Photo courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand. 

Whites Aviation photo showing Marton railway station and yard in 1975. The depot can be seen at the upper left of the photo. Photo courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand. 

The depot included a service pit, storeroom, oil store, locker room, ablutions, and a lunchroom for the fitters assigned to the depot. It was used for minor repairs and servicing of diesel locomotives and rolling stock. Locomotives and rolling stock requiring more extensive work were sent to larger facilities at Palmerston North or Whanganui depots, or to the Hutt, East Town, or Otahuhu workshops.

A 1991 photo of Marton depot showing the depot and small diesel tank. Photo courtesy of Darryl Palmer.

Photo of the depot taken from the east loop. Photo courtesy of Darryl Palmer.

During the mid to late 1980s, the depot lost its fitters and servicing and repair functions as part of a wider reorganisation of New Zealand Railways. The depot was then used to provide shelter for the TR shunting tractor assigned to Marton. Locomotive and wagon repairs and servicing in the lower North Island were consolidated to Palmerston North and the Hutt Workshops near Wellington.

By the mid 1990s, the depot had fallen into disrepair and was suffering from vandalism. The Marton based shunting locomotive no longer used the depot and was instead parked in the east yard or the malting sidings.

With no further use for the building, Tranz Rail demolished the depot in the early 2000's.

All that remains. 

Even though the depot was demolished its memory lives on in model form. Darryl Palmer built a superb model for his S scale New Zealand railways layout. 

And that's about it.

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.

---

🚆 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.