Rapahoe Branch
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The Rapahoe Branch is a branch line railway that forms part of New Zealand's national rail network and is located on the West Coast of the South Island. It has been operational since 1923 and is referred to by current operator Toll Rail as the Rapahoe Industrial Line.
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[edit] Construction
The line was built as a sub-branch of the now-closed Rewanui Branch, with the junction in Runanga. Approximately four kilometres in length, it was opened on 3 September 1923 to serve the Strongman State Mine.[1] When the Rewanui Branch closed on 19 August 1985, the Rapahoe Branch gained the six kilometres from Greymouth to Runanga that was opened 1 December 1904.[2]
[edit] Stations
The only station on the line from Runanga is the terminus at Rapahoe.[3] The Rapahoe station was situated 3.72 km from the junction, with the end of rails at the 4.09 km peg.[1]
[edit] Operation
In the era of steam locomotives, the line was typically worked by members of the A, B, and BA classes. In 1969, the line was dieselised and members of the DJ and DSC classes became the typical motive power.[2]
The line was slightly abbreviated in the first years of the 21st century. The mines served at the terminus had closed, so the Rapahoe terminus was moved to Rocky Creek, closer to its current source of business.[4]
The only traffic on the line is coal. It was originally exported via coastal shipping from Greymouth's wharf, but it is now exported via the deepwater port of Lyttelton, near Christchurch on the opposite coast of the South Island. Services were temporarily suspended during the second half of 2007 as the coal mine served ceased production while a programme of upgrades was undertaken. Trains operated twice daily between Rapahoe and Lyttelton[5] until early June 2007, when they were adjusted to run only when required.[6] Later that month, services were fully cancelled and the line was not in use by any regularly scheduled trains for approximately six months.[7] In mid-December, the resumption of services was announced as the coal mine resumed operation. The initial schedule provided for two trains each way, one in the early morning and one in the early afternoon. Each carries 1,500 tonnes of coal in 30 wagons and takes two hours to load.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b John Yonge (editor), New Zealand Tramway and Railway Atlas, fourth edition (Essex: Quail Map Company, 1993), 22.
- ^ a b Geoffrey B. Churchman and Tony Hurst, The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey Through History (Auckland: HarperCollins, 1991), 197.
- ^ Patrick Dunford, "Rapahoe Branch", accessed 4 November 2007.
- ^ The Power Report, 29 March 2004, Rapahoe Depot to Close.
- ^ New Zealand Train Timetable Guide, based on data from 6 October 2006 and 5 May 2007 updates.
- ^ New Zealand Train Timetable Guide, based on data from the 7 June 2007 update.
- ^ New Zealand Train Timetable Guide, effective 17 June 2007, accessed 4 November 2007.
- ^ "Motorists Get Coal Train Caution", Greymouth Evening Star (11 December 2007), accessed 12 December 2007.
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