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== INTRODUCTION ==
== INTRODUCTION ==
Tunnels and railways are to many people synonymous in that the early railway design philosophy in England called for near-level railways to reduce the load on the engines. In contrast, they then also introduced the 'inclined plane', it being the other extreme, where by railway wagons were hauled up steep grades by rope in order to reach a different level of railway. These too were often through tunnels.
Tunnels and railways are to many people synonymous, in that the early railway design principles in England called for near-level railways to reduce the load on the engines, which invariably led to the need for tunnels. In contrast, they then also introduced the 'inclined plane', it being the other extreme, where by railway wagons were hauled up steep grades by rope in order to reach a railway on a different 'level'. These too were often through tunnels.


New Zealand being a very young country when railways were first introduced, had to tackle the issue of mountains from the very start. The options were to go round them or through them, and the engineers of the day usually took the middle ground, bu climbing up as far as practical and then piercing the ridge with a tunnel. The tunnel to Lyttelton, completed in 1863 was built very much along traditional English designs but the options of creating a shorter tunnel by climbing higher were extremely constrained due to the location of the port. Its construction proved what could be done on the other side of the world.
New Zealand being a very young country when railways were first introduced, had to tackle the issue of mountains from the very start. The options were to go round them or through them, and the engineers of the day usually took the middle ground, by climbing up as far as reasonable grades could take them, and then piercing the ridge with as short a tunnel as possible. The tunnel to Lyttelton (1863) was built very much along traditional English designs but the options of creating a shorter tunnel by climbing higher were extremely constrained due to the location of the port. Its construction proved what could be done by determined immigrants on the other side of the world.


The Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway (1872) was much more conservative in its approach to obstacles it could not climb over or go round. Two short tunnels met their needs but one of those has since been replaced by a much longer tunnel on a much better alignment. That is typical of much of New Zealand, the need for a tunnel will often result in a difficult track alignment up to the  the tunnel making significant improvements to the alignment very expensive. North of Dunedin the mainline climbs over a significant hill with virtually continuous curves for some 15km. Along the way there were four tunnels the longest one 1.3km is currently the most restrictive tunnels on the KiwiRail network having been constructed in 1874. Several times investigations have looked at alternative routes, but even with halving the track distance and  eliminating all the steep grades, it was not economic as it required a new 7 - 8km long tunnel. Similar cases would exist throughout the country with an emphasis on eliminating tunnels wherever possible due to their loading gauge constraints and challenging work environments. Recent legislation (following the Pyke River coal mine disaster) has required KiwiRail to adopt work-practices designed for mines, when working in tunnels greatly increasing the cost of all types of tunnel work.
The Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway (1872) was much more conservative in its approach to obstacles it could not climb over or go round. Two short tunnels met their needs but one of those has since been replaced by a much longer tunnel on a much better alignment. That is typical of much of New Zealand, the need for a tunnel will often result in a difficult track alignment up to the  the tunnel making significant improvements to the alignment very expensive. North of Dunedin the mainline climbs over a significant hill with virtually continuous curves for some 15km. Along the way there were four tunnels the longest one 1.3km is currently the most restrictive tunnels on the KiwiRail network having been constructed in 1874. Several times investigations have looked at alternative routes, but even with halving the track distance and  eliminating all the steep grades, it was not economic as it required a new 7 - 8km long tunnel. Similar cases would exist throughout the country. With tunnels imposing severe restrictions on the loading gauge, there is now a focus on eliminating tunnels wherever possible. Tunnels also create an extremely challenging work environment, particularly since recent legislation (following the Pyke River coal mine disaster) has required KiwiRail to adopt work-practices designed for mines, whenever work in tunnels is planned, greatly increasing the cost of any work done in tunnel.


From a peak of 130 tunnels, KiwiRail still has 100 tunnels on its network, though a significant number are on mothballed lines. The following tables give a summary of all tunnels constructed on railway lines operated by the Government railways at some point in its life. This is an interim way of presenting this dataprior to getting it all working through the Cargo database. The tables are arranged with the Line name as part of the page headings so individual Lines can be accessed more easily. They can be selected from the 'Table of Contents' at the top of the page.
From a peak of 130 tunnels, KiwiRail still has about 100 tunnels on its network, though a significant number are on mothballed lines. The following tables give a summary of all tunnels constructed on railway lines operated by the Government railways at some point in its life. This is an interim way of presenting this data prior to getting it all working through the Cargo database. The tables are arranged with the Line name as part of the page headings so individual Lines can be accessed more easily. They can be selected from the 'Table of Contents' at the top of the page.


Most tunnels received names, many just their location, but a good number had far more creative names, with their true origins long lost as time has gone by. There is plenty of scope to debate these origins in the discussion pages associated with each tunnels home page.
Most tunnels received names, many just their location, but a good number had far more creative names, with their true origins long lost as time has gone by. There is plenty of scope to debate these origins in the discussion pages associated with each tunnels home page.
Line 16: Line 16:
=== North Island Main Trunk ===
=== North Island Main Trunk ===


Construction of the [[North Island Main Trunk]] line was commenced from either end long before it could be envisaged that a continuous route linking Wellington and Auckland was even possible. Because of this, non of the tunnels were built for the line they are now on. In simple terms, Wellington to Palmerston North was built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, Palmerston North to Marton was constructed as part of the line to New Plymouth Line , Marton to Ohakune was constructed for the NIMT but known as the Marton Branch until the track was linked up north of Ohakune. From the North, Auckland to Penrose was built as part of the line to Onehunga, Penrose to Te Kuiti was built as the Waikato Line and Te Kuiti to Ohakune was built for the NIMT but operated as the Auckland Section Until the line was completed. At that point in time, Auckland to Marton was the NIMT with the mileage starting at Auckland, and Wellington to Marton was part of the New Plymouth  Line with the mileage starting from Wellington. In 1974, when New Zealand adopted the metric system of weights and measures, all lines were remeasured and the NIMT was changed to start at Wellington (0km) and end at Auckland  (681km). From that quick summary, you can see that reference to a tunnel can be quite confusing and using names will have been a convenient way of avoiding confusion. Because the km posts (the [[linear referencing]] system) start at Wellington, the data table will be presented in that order with a separate column to note the original Line name. For completeness, and as an aid to cross referencing with old documents, the original Line names will all get their own tables as well. In this way the first 12 tunnels will also be listed on the [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]] table.
Construction of the [[North Island Main Trunk]] line was commenced from either end long before it could be envisaged that a continuous route linking Wellington and Auckland was even possible. Because of this, non of the tunnels were built for the line they are now on. In simple terms, Wellington to Palmerston North was built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, Palmerston North to Marton was constructed as part of the line to New Plymouth Line , Marton to Ohakune was constructed for the NIMT but known as the Marton Branch until the track was linked up north of Ohakune. From the North, Auckland to Penrose was built as part of the line to Onehunga, Penrose to Te Kuiti was built as the Waikato Line and Te Kuiti to Ohakune was built for the NIMT but operated as the Auckland Section Until the line was completed. At that point in time, The line from Auckland to Wellington was operated as a complete route from Auckland, however the mileage from Auckland only ran as far as Marton, and the mileage from Wellington went all the way to New Plymouth. In 1974, when New Zealand adopted the metric system of weights and measures, all lines were remeasured and the opportunity was taken to make the NIMT a complete line in its own right with its start at Wellington (0km) and end at Auckland  (681km). From that quick summary, you can see that reference to a tunnel can be quite confusing and using names will have been a convenient way of avoiding confusion. Because the km posts (the [[linear referencing]] system) start at Wellington, the data table will be presented in that order with a separate column to note the original Line name. For completeness, and as an aid to cross referencing with old documents, the original Line names will all get their own tables as well. In this way the first 12 tunnels will also be listed on the [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]] table. Tunnel numbers in brackets indicates that tunnel is no longer used, refer to the comments column for details.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+  Tunnels on the [[North Island Main Trunk]] Past and Present
! Line Name
! Tunnel No
! Original Line Name
! Original No
! Opened
! Tunnel Name
! Station Prior
! Station After
! Length
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(1)
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|1
|1885
| [[Outlet Tunnel|Outlet]]
| [[Thorndon]]
| [[Ngaio]]
|126
|To [[Johnsonville Line]] 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(2)
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|2
|1885
| [[Kaiwarra Tunnel|Kaiwarra]]
| [[Thorndon]]
| [[Ngaio]]
|98
|To [[Johnsonville Line]] 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(3)
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|3
|1885
| [[Gorge Tunnel|Gorge]]
| [[Thorndon]]
| [[Ngaio]]
|151
|To [[Johnsonville Line]] 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(4)
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|4
|1885
| [[Lizard Tunnel|Lizard]]
| [[Thorndon]]
| [[Ngaio]]
|199
|To [[Johnsonville Line]] 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(5)
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|5
|1885
| [[Ngaio Tunnel|Ngaio]]
| [[Thorndon]]
| [[Ngaio]]
|127
|To [[Johnsonville Line]] 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(6)
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|6
|1885
| [[Kaka Tunnel|Kaka]]
| [[Khandallah]]
| [[Raroa]]
|104
|To [[Johnsonville Line]] 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(7)
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|7
|1885
| [[Tui Tunnel|Tui]]
| [[Raroa]]
| [[Johnsonville]]
|119
|To [[Johnsonville Line]] 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|1
|
|
|1937
| [[Tawa No 1  Tunnel|Tawa No 1 ]]
| [[Kaiwharawhara]]
| [[Takapu Road]]
|1238
|Double track opened 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|2
|
|
|1937
| [[Tawa No 2 Tunnel|Tawa No 2]]
| [[Kaiwharawhara]]
| [[Takapu Road]]
|4325
|Double track opened 1937
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|3
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|8
|1886
| [[Pukerua Tunnel|Pukerua]]
| [[Pukerua Bay]]
| [[Paekakariki]]
|153
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|4
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|9
|1886
| [[St Kilda Tunnel|St Kilda]]
| [[Pukerua Bay]]
| [[Paekakariki]]
|290
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|5
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|10
|1886
| [[Seaview Tunnel|Seaview]]
| [[Pukerua Bay]]
| [[Paekakariki]]
|187
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|6
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|11
|1886
| [[Brighton Tunnel|Brighton]]
| [[Pukerua Bay]]
| [[Paekakariki]]
|244
|
|-
|
|
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|12
|1886
| [[Tunnel 12 Tunnel|Tunnel 12]]
| [[Pukerua Bay]]
| [[Paekakariki]]
|271
|bypassed in 1900 due to instability
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|7
| [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway]]
|13
|1886
| [[Neptune Tunnel|Neptune]]
| [[Pukerua Bay]]
| [[Paekakariki]]
|59
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(8)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|20
|1893
| [[Moa Tunnel|Moa]]
| [[Kaikarangi]]
| [[Mangaonoho]]
|83
|bypassed  as part of 4km deviation in 1985
|-
|
|
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|19
|1893
| [[Kiwi Tunnel|Kiwi]]
| [[Kaikarangi]]
| [[Mangaonoho]]
|76
|daylighted 1972, site bypassed 1985
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(9)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|18
|1902
| [[Makohine Tunnel|Makohine]]
| [[Mangaonoho]]
| [[Ohingaiti]]
|180
|daylighted 1984
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|10
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|17
|1902
| [[Powhakaroa Tunnel|Powhakaroa]]
| [[Ohingaiti]]
| [[Mangaweka]]
|549
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(10a)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|16
|1904
| [[Kowhai Tunnel|Kowhai]]
| [[Mangaweka]]
| [[Utiku]]
|111
|bypassed 1981
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(10b)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|15
|1904
| [[Moose Tunnel|Moose]]
| [[Mangaweka]]
| [[Utiku]]
|77
|bypassed 1981
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(10c)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|14
|1904
| [[Elk Tunnel|Elk]]
| [[Mangaweka]]
| [[Utiku]]
|174
|bypassed 1981
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(10d)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|13
|1904
| [[Deer Tunnel|Deer]]
| [[Mangaweka]]
| [[Utiku]]
|214
|bypassed 1981
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(10e)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|12
|1904
| [[Possum Tunnel|Possum]]
| [[Mangaweka]]
| [[Utiku]]
|542
|bypassed 1981
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(10f)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|11
|1904
| [[Black Tunnel|Black]]
| [[Mangaweka]]
| [[Utiku]]
|423
|bypassed 1981
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(11)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|10
|1904
| [[Beaver Tunnel|Beaver]]
| [[Utiku]]
| [[Taihape]]
|420
|bypassed 1985
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(12)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|9
|1907
| [[Hedgehog Tunnel|Hedgehog]]
| [[Taihape]]
| [[Mataroa]]
|115
|bypassed 1985
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|13
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|8
|1907
| [[Pit Tunnel|Pit]]
| [[Taihape]]
| [[Mataroa]]
|609
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|14
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|7
|1908
| [[Rabbit Tunnel|Rabbit]]
| [[Ngaurukehu]]
| [[Turangariri]]
|113
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(15)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|6
|1908
| [[Mole Tunnel|Mole]]
| [[Ohakune]]
| [[Horopito]]
|208
|bypassed 1987
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|16
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|5
|1908
| [[Upper Spiral Tunnel|Upper Spiral]]
| [[National Park]]
| [[Raurimu]]
|384
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|17
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|4
|1908
| [[Lower Spiral Tunnel|Lower Spiral]]
| [[National Park]]
| [[Raurimu]]
|95
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(18)
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|3
|1908
| [[Porootarao Tunnel|Porootarao]]
| [[Porootarau]]
| [[Waimiha]]
|1071
|replaced by new tunnel 1980
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|18
| [[Main Trunk Line]]
|2
|1980
| [[Porootarao Tunnel|Porootarao]]
| [[Porootarau]]
| [[Waimiha]]
|1272
|
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(2)
| [[Waikato Railway]]
|2
|1875
| [[Mercer Tunnel|Mercer]]
| [[Mercer]]
| [[Whangamarino]]
|30
|daylighted 1956
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(1)
| [[Onehunga Railway]]
|1
|1873
| [[Parnell Tunnel|Parnell]]
| [[Auckland]]
| [[New Market]]
|336
|Replaced with new tunnel 1909
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|(1)
|
|1
|1915
| [[Parnell Tunnel|Parnell]]
| [[Auckland]]
| [[New Market]]
|343
|Double track. To [[Newmarket Branch]] 1930
|-
| [[North Island Main Trunk]]
|19
| [[Westfield Deviation]]
|1
|1930
| [[Purewa Tunnel|Purewa]]
| [[Glenn Innes]]
| [[Purewa]]
|596
|Double track opened Nov 1930
|}


=== North Auckland Line ===
=== North Auckland Line ===
Line 22: Line 453:


== SOUTH ISLAND ==
== SOUTH ISLAND ==
===Main North Line===
The Main North Line was the last of the main lines to be completed and this did not happen until 1945. With the subsequent introduction of the rail ferries between Wellington and Picton, it enabled all New Zealand railways (except for the soon to close Nelson Section) to be truly called a network.
{| class="wikitable"
|+  Tunnels on the [[Main North Line]] Past and Present
! Line Name
! Tunnel No
! Original Line Name
! Original No
! Opened
! Tunnel Name
! Prior Station
! Next Station
! Length
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|1
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No1 Tunnel|No1]]
| [[Claverley]]
| [[Oaro]]
|76
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|2
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No2 Tunnel|No2]]
| [[Claverley]]
| [[Oaro]]
|51
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|3
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[Amuri Bluff Tunnel|Amuri Bluff]]
| [[Claverley]]
| [[Oaro]]
|975
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|(4)
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No4 Tunnel|No4]]
| [[Claverley]]
| [[Oaro]]
|188
|bypassed due to unstable ground 1956?
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|5
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No5 Tunnel|No5]]
| [[Oaro]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
|208
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|6
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No6 Tunnel|No6]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|126
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|7
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[Raramai Tunnel|Raramai]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|114
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|8
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No8 Tunnel|No8]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|154
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|9
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No9 Tunnel|No9]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|253
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|10
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No10 Tunnel|No10]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|100
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|11
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[Kowhai Tunnel|Kowhai]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|393
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|12
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[Paratitahi Tunnel|Paratitahi]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|897
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|13
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[No13 Tunnel|No13]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|116
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|14
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1945
| [[Rileys Hill (Kahutara) Tunnel|Rileys Hill (Kahutara)]]
| [[Goose Bay]]
| [[Puketa]]
|452
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|15
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1944
| [[No15 Tunnel|No15]]
| [[Maungamanu]]
| [[Rakautara]]
|217
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|16
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1944
| [[No16 Tunnel|No16]]
| [[Maungamanu]]
| [[Rakautara]]
|123
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|17
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1944
| [[No17 Tunnel|No17]]
| [[Maungamanu]]
| [[Rakautara]]
|187
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|18
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1944
| [[Shands Tunnel|Shands]]
| [[Rakautara]]
| [[Pines]]
|209
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|19
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1944
| [[No19 Tunnel|No19]]
| [[Rakautara]]
| [[Pines]]
|642
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|20
| [[South Island Main Trunk]]
|
|1944
| [[No20 Tunnel|No20]]
| [[Rakautara]]
| [[Pines]]
|130
|
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|21
|
|
|2021
| [[No 21 Tunnel|No 21]]
| [[Wharanui]]
| [[Mirza]]
|100
|Road Overpass
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|(21)
| [[Picton Section]]
|3
|1911
| [[Tar Barrel  Tunnel|Tar Barrel ]]
| [[Wharanui]]
| [[Mirza]]
|164
|Bypassed 2021
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|(22)
| [[Picton Section]]
|2
|1902
| [[No22 Tunnel|No22]]
| [[Dashwood]]
| [[Vernon]]
|70
|Daylighted 1981
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|(23)
| [[Picton Section]]
|1
|1902
| [[No23 Tunnel|No23]]
| [[Dashwood]]
| [[Vernon]]
|50
|Daylighted 1979
|-
| [[Main North Line]]
|(24)
|
|
|1950
| [[No24 Tunnel|No24]]
| [[Tuamarina]]
| [[Para]]
|48
|Road Overpass
|}


=== Main South Line ===
=== Main South Line ===
The Main South Line was the first line to link main centres in New Zealand by 1878 it linked Christchurch with Dunedin and Invercargill, a total distance of nearly 600km. There was also the Lyttelton Line linking Christchurch with its port at Lyttelton and this was incorporated in the Main South Line very early on. The line passes through extremely varied county with long stretches of very easy going, to a number of very difficult sections, particularly around Dunedin. A total of 11 tunnels were required, one to access the port at lyttelton, the longest tunnel in the British empire at the time, one just south of Oamaru, and the other 9 all close to Dunedin. Three of those  were replaced by double track tunnels early in the 20th century, one was bypassed due to unstable ground, and one short one was daylighted rather than enlarged to accommodate shipping containers. The remaining four all had extensive work carried out to enable container traffic to pass on standard wagons. Mihiwaka tunnel, the longest of those was constructed in 1874 and is now the narrowest tunnel still in use by KiwiRail. The following table lists all the Main South Line tunnels with their important details.
{| class="wikitable"
|+  Tunnels on the [[Main South Line]] Past and Present
! Line Name
! Tunnel No
! Original Line Name
! Original No
! Opened
! Tunnel Name
! Prior Station
! Next Station
! Length
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|1
| [[Canterbury Railways]]
|1
|1867
| [[Lyttelton Tunnel|Lyttelton]]
| [[Lyttelton]]
| [[Heathcote]]
|2595
|Built for broad gauge (1600mm)
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|2
| [[Waitaki - Moeraki Railway]]
|1
|1876
| [[Otepopo Tunnel|Otepopo]]
| [[Herbert]]
| [[Waianakarua]]
|262
|
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|(3)
|
|3
|1878
| [[Puketeraki Tunnel|Puketeraki]]
| [[Puketeraki]]
| [[Seacliff]]
|157
|bypassed 1936 due to unstable hill
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|4
|
|
|1891
| [[Cliffs Tunnel|Cliffs]]
| [[Waitati]]
| [[Osbourne]]
|277
|built to bypass unstable cliff
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|5
|
|4
|1877
| [[Mihiwaka Tunnel|Mihiwaka]]
| [[Mihiwaka]]
| [[Port Chalmers Upper]]
|1408
|floor lowered 1970-71
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|(6)
|
|5
|1877
| [[Macgregor Tunnel|Macgregor]]
| [[Mihiwaka]]
| [[Port Chalmers Upper]]
|68
|daylighted 1971
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|7
|
|6
|1877
| [[Mansford Tunnel|Mansford]]
| [[Mihiwaka]]
| [[Port Chalmers Upper]]
|187
|floor lowered 1970
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|(8)
| [[Dunedin & Port Chalmers Railway]]
|1
|1872
| [[Roseneath Tunnel|Roseneath]]
| [[Sawyers Bay]]
| [[Burkes]]
|101
|bypassed 1948
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|8
|
|
|1948
| [[Blanket Bay Tunnel|Blanket Bay]]
| [[Sawyers Bay]]
| [[Burkes]]
|303
|double track
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|(9)
| [[Clutha Railway]]
|1
|1874
| [[Caversham  Tunnel|Caversham ]]
| [[Caversham]]
| [[Burnside]]
|865
|bypassed 1910
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|9
|
|
|1910
| [[Caversham  Tunnel|Caversham ]]
| [[Caversham]]
| [[Burnside]]
|1407
|double track, single tracked c1988
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|(10)
| [[Clutha Railway]]
|2
|1875
| [[Chain Hills  Tunnel|Chain Hills ]]
| [[Abbotsford]]
| [[Wingatui]]
|453
|bypassed 1914
|-
| [[Main South Line]]
|10
|
|10
|1914
| [[Chain Hills  Tunnel|Chain Hills ]]
| [[Abbotsford]]
| [[Wingatui]]
|889
|double track, single tracked c1988
|}

Latest revision as of 02:46, 24 September 2024

INTRODUCTION

Tunnels and railways are to many people synonymous, in that the early railway design principles in England called for near-level railways to reduce the load on the engines, which invariably led to the need for tunnels. In contrast, they then also introduced the 'inclined plane', it being the other extreme, where by railway wagons were hauled up steep grades by rope in order to reach a railway on a different 'level'. These too were often through tunnels.

New Zealand being a very young country when railways were first introduced, had to tackle the issue of mountains from the very start. The options were to go round them or through them, and the engineers of the day usually took the middle ground, by climbing up as far as reasonable grades could take them, and then piercing the ridge with as short a tunnel as possible. The tunnel to Lyttelton (1863) was built very much along traditional English designs but the options of creating a shorter tunnel by climbing higher were extremely constrained due to the location of the port. Its construction proved what could be done by determined immigrants on the other side of the world.

The Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway (1872) was much more conservative in its approach to obstacles it could not climb over or go round. Two short tunnels met their needs but one of those has since been replaced by a much longer tunnel on a much better alignment. That is typical of much of New Zealand, the need for a tunnel will often result in a difficult track alignment up to the the tunnel making significant improvements to the alignment very expensive. North of Dunedin the mainline climbs over a significant hill with virtually continuous curves for some 15km. Along the way there were four tunnels the longest one 1.3km is currently the most restrictive tunnels on the KiwiRail network having been constructed in 1874. Several times investigations have looked at alternative routes, but even with halving the track distance and eliminating all the steep grades, it was not economic as it required a new 7 - 8km long tunnel. Similar cases would exist throughout the country. With tunnels imposing severe restrictions on the loading gauge, there is now a focus on eliminating tunnels wherever possible. Tunnels also create an extremely challenging work environment, particularly since recent legislation (following the Pyke River coal mine disaster) has required KiwiRail to adopt work-practices designed for mines, whenever work in tunnels is planned, greatly increasing the cost of any work done in tunnel.

From a peak of 130 tunnels, KiwiRail still has about 100 tunnels on its network, though a significant number are on mothballed lines. The following tables give a summary of all tunnels constructed on railway lines operated by the Government railways at some point in its life. This is an interim way of presenting this data prior to getting it all working through the Cargo database. The tables are arranged with the Line name as part of the page headings so individual Lines can be accessed more easily. They can be selected from the 'Table of Contents' at the top of the page.

Most tunnels received names, many just their location, but a good number had far more creative names, with their true origins long lost as time has gone by. There is plenty of scope to debate these origins in the discussion pages associated with each tunnels home page.

The data for the tunnel tables is currently being collated and will be added here progressively from 11/06/2024

NORTH ISLAND

North Island Main Trunk

Construction of the North Island Main Trunk line was commenced from either end long before it could be envisaged that a continuous route linking Wellington and Auckland was even possible. Because of this, non of the tunnels were built for the line they are now on. In simple terms, Wellington to Palmerston North was built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, Palmerston North to Marton was constructed as part of the line to New Plymouth Line , Marton to Ohakune was constructed for the NIMT but known as the Marton Branch until the track was linked up north of Ohakune. From the North, Auckland to Penrose was built as part of the line to Onehunga, Penrose to Te Kuiti was built as the Waikato Line and Te Kuiti to Ohakune was built for the NIMT but operated as the Auckland Section Until the line was completed. At that point in time, The line from Auckland to Wellington was operated as a complete route from Auckland, however the mileage from Auckland only ran as far as Marton, and the mileage from Wellington went all the way to New Plymouth. In 1974, when New Zealand adopted the metric system of weights and measures, all lines were remeasured and the opportunity was taken to make the NIMT a complete line in its own right with its start at Wellington (0km) and end at Auckland (681km). From that quick summary, you can see that reference to a tunnel can be quite confusing and using names will have been a convenient way of avoiding confusion. Because the km posts (the linear referencing system) start at Wellington, the data table will be presented in that order with a separate column to note the original Line name. For completeness, and as an aid to cross referencing with old documents, the original Line names will all get their own tables as well. In this way the first 12 tunnels will also be listed on the Wellington and Manawatu Railway table. Tunnel numbers in brackets indicates that tunnel is no longer used, refer to the comments column for details.

Tunnels on the North Island Main Trunk Past and Present
Line Name Tunnel No Original Line Name Original No Opened Tunnel Name Station Prior Station After Length
North Island Main Trunk (1) Wellington and Manawatu Railway 1 1885 Outlet Thorndon Ngaio 126 To Johnsonville Line 1937
North Island Main Trunk (2) Wellington and Manawatu Railway 2 1885 Kaiwarra Thorndon Ngaio 98 To Johnsonville Line 1937
North Island Main Trunk (3) Wellington and Manawatu Railway 3 1885 Gorge Thorndon Ngaio 151 To Johnsonville Line 1937
North Island Main Trunk (4) Wellington and Manawatu Railway 4 1885 Lizard Thorndon Ngaio 199 To Johnsonville Line 1937
North Island Main Trunk (5) Wellington and Manawatu Railway 5 1885 Ngaio Thorndon Ngaio 127 To Johnsonville Line 1937
North Island Main Trunk (6) Wellington and Manawatu Railway 6 1885 Kaka Khandallah Raroa 104 To Johnsonville Line 1937
North Island Main Trunk (7) Wellington and Manawatu Railway 7 1885 Tui Raroa Johnsonville 119 To Johnsonville Line 1937
North Island Main Trunk 1 1937 Tawa No 1 Kaiwharawhara Takapu Road 1238 Double track opened 1937
North Island Main Trunk 2 1937 Tawa No 2 Kaiwharawhara Takapu Road 4325 Double track opened 1937
North Island Main Trunk 3 Wellington and Manawatu Railway 8 1886 Pukerua Pukerua Bay Paekakariki 153
North Island Main Trunk 4 Wellington and Manawatu Railway 9 1886 St Kilda Pukerua Bay Paekakariki 290
North Island Main Trunk 5 Wellington and Manawatu Railway 10 1886 Seaview Pukerua Bay Paekakariki 187
North Island Main Trunk 6 Wellington and Manawatu Railway 11 1886 Brighton Pukerua Bay Paekakariki 244
Wellington and Manawatu Railway 12 1886 Tunnel 12 Pukerua Bay Paekakariki 271 bypassed in 1900 due to instability
North Island Main Trunk 7 Wellington and Manawatu Railway 13 1886 Neptune Pukerua Bay Paekakariki 59
North Island Main Trunk (8) Main Trunk Line 20 1893 Moa Kaikarangi Mangaonoho 83 bypassed as part of 4km deviation in 1985
Main Trunk Line 19 1893 Kiwi Kaikarangi Mangaonoho 76 daylighted 1972, site bypassed 1985
North Island Main Trunk (9) Main Trunk Line 18 1902 Makohine Mangaonoho Ohingaiti 180 daylighted 1984
North Island Main Trunk 10 Main Trunk Line 17 1902 Powhakaroa Ohingaiti Mangaweka 549
North Island Main Trunk (10a) Main Trunk Line 16 1904 Kowhai Mangaweka Utiku 111 bypassed 1981
North Island Main Trunk (10b) Main Trunk Line 15 1904 Moose Mangaweka Utiku 77 bypassed 1981
North Island Main Trunk (10c) Main Trunk Line 14 1904 Elk Mangaweka Utiku 174 bypassed 1981
North Island Main Trunk (10d) Main Trunk Line 13 1904 Deer Mangaweka Utiku 214 bypassed 1981
North Island Main Trunk (10e) Main Trunk Line 12 1904 Possum Mangaweka Utiku 542 bypassed 1981
North Island Main Trunk (10f) Main Trunk Line 11 1904 Black Mangaweka Utiku 423 bypassed 1981
North Island Main Trunk (11) Main Trunk Line 10 1904 Beaver Utiku Taihape 420 bypassed 1985
North Island Main Trunk (12) Main Trunk Line 9 1907 Hedgehog Taihape Mataroa 115 bypassed 1985
North Island Main Trunk 13 Main Trunk Line 8 1907 Pit Taihape Mataroa 609
North Island Main Trunk 14 Main Trunk Line 7 1908 Rabbit Ngaurukehu Turangariri 113
North Island Main Trunk (15) Main Trunk Line 6 1908 Mole Ohakune Horopito 208 bypassed 1987
North Island Main Trunk 16 Main Trunk Line 5 1908 Upper Spiral National Park Raurimu 384
North Island Main Trunk 17 Main Trunk Line 4 1908 Lower Spiral National Park Raurimu 95
North Island Main Trunk (18) Main Trunk Line 3 1908 Porootarao Porootarau Waimiha 1071 replaced by new tunnel 1980
North Island Main Trunk 18 Main Trunk Line 2 1980 Porootarao Porootarau Waimiha 1272
North Island Main Trunk (2) Waikato Railway 2 1875 Mercer Mercer Whangamarino 30 daylighted 1956
North Island Main Trunk (1) Onehunga Railway 1 1873 Parnell Auckland New Market 336 Replaced with new tunnel 1909
North Island Main Trunk (1) 1 1915 Parnell Auckland New Market 343 Double track. To Newmarket Branch 1930
North Island Main Trunk 19 Westfield Deviation 1 1930 Purewa Glenn Innes Purewa 596 Double track opened Nov 1930

North Auckland Line

SOUTH ISLAND

Main North Line

The Main North Line was the last of the main lines to be completed and this did not happen until 1945. With the subsequent introduction of the rail ferries between Wellington and Picton, it enabled all New Zealand railways (except for the soon to close Nelson Section) to be truly called a network.

Tunnels on the Main North Line Past and Present
Line Name Tunnel No Original Line Name Original No Opened Tunnel Name Prior Station Next Station Length
Main North Line 1 South Island Main Trunk 1945 No1 Claverley Oaro 76
Main North Line 2 South Island Main Trunk 1945 No2 Claverley Oaro 51
Main North Line 3 South Island Main Trunk 1945 Amuri Bluff Claverley Oaro 975
Main North Line (4) South Island Main Trunk 1945 No4 Claverley Oaro 188 bypassed due to unstable ground 1956?
Main North Line 5 South Island Main Trunk 1945 No5 Oaro Goose Bay 208
Main North Line 6 South Island Main Trunk 1945 No6 Goose Bay Puketa 126
Main North Line 7 South Island Main Trunk 1945 Raramai Goose Bay Puketa 114
Main North Line 8 South Island Main Trunk 1945 No8 Goose Bay Puketa 154
Main North Line 9 South Island Main Trunk 1945 No9 Goose Bay Puketa 253
Main North Line 10 South Island Main Trunk 1945 No10 Goose Bay Puketa 100
Main North Line 11 South Island Main Trunk 1945 Kowhai Goose Bay Puketa 393
Main North Line 12 South Island Main Trunk 1945 Paratitahi Goose Bay Puketa 897
Main North Line 13 South Island Main Trunk 1945 No13 Goose Bay Puketa 116
Main North Line 14 South Island Main Trunk 1945 Rileys Hill (Kahutara) Goose Bay Puketa 452
Main North Line 15 South Island Main Trunk 1944 No15 Maungamanu Rakautara 217
Main North Line 16 South Island Main Trunk 1944 No16 Maungamanu Rakautara 123
Main North Line 17 South Island Main Trunk 1944 No17 Maungamanu Rakautara 187
Main North Line 18 South Island Main Trunk 1944 Shands Rakautara Pines 209
Main North Line 19 South Island Main Trunk 1944 No19 Rakautara Pines 642
Main North Line 20 South Island Main Trunk 1944 No20 Rakautara Pines 130
Main North Line 21 2021 No 21 Wharanui Mirza 100 Road Overpass
Main North Line (21) Picton Section 3 1911 Tar Barrel Wharanui Mirza 164 Bypassed 2021
Main North Line (22) Picton Section 2 1902 No22 Dashwood Vernon 70 Daylighted 1981
Main North Line (23) Picton Section 1 1902 No23 Dashwood Vernon 50 Daylighted 1979
Main North Line (24) 1950 No24 Tuamarina Para 48 Road Overpass

Main South Line

The Main South Line was the first line to link main centres in New Zealand by 1878 it linked Christchurch with Dunedin and Invercargill, a total distance of nearly 600km. There was also the Lyttelton Line linking Christchurch with its port at Lyttelton and this was incorporated in the Main South Line very early on. The line passes through extremely varied county with long stretches of very easy going, to a number of very difficult sections, particularly around Dunedin. A total of 11 tunnels were required, one to access the port at lyttelton, the longest tunnel in the British empire at the time, one just south of Oamaru, and the other 9 all close to Dunedin. Three of those were replaced by double track tunnels early in the 20th century, one was bypassed due to unstable ground, and one short one was daylighted rather than enlarged to accommodate shipping containers. The remaining four all had extensive work carried out to enable container traffic to pass on standard wagons. Mihiwaka tunnel, the longest of those was constructed in 1874 and is now the narrowest tunnel still in use by KiwiRail. The following table lists all the Main South Line tunnels with their important details.

Tunnels on the Main South Line Past and Present
Line Name Tunnel No Original Line Name Original No Opened Tunnel Name Prior Station Next Station Length
Main South Line 1 Canterbury Railways 1 1867 Lyttelton Lyttelton Heathcote 2595 Built for broad gauge (1600mm)
Main South Line 2 Waitaki - Moeraki Railway 1 1876 Otepopo Herbert Waianakarua 262
Main South Line (3) 3 1878 Puketeraki Puketeraki Seacliff 157 bypassed 1936 due to unstable hill
Main South Line 4 1891 Cliffs Waitati Osbourne 277 built to bypass unstable cliff
Main South Line 5 4 1877 Mihiwaka Mihiwaka Port Chalmers Upper 1408 floor lowered 1970-71
Main South Line (6) 5 1877 Macgregor Mihiwaka Port Chalmers Upper 68 daylighted 1971
Main South Line 7 6 1877 Mansford Mihiwaka Port Chalmers Upper 187 floor lowered 1970
Main South Line (8) Dunedin & Port Chalmers Railway 1 1872 Roseneath Sawyers Bay Burkes 101 bypassed 1948
Main South Line 8 1948 Blanket Bay Sawyers Bay Burkes 303 double track
Main South Line (9) Clutha Railway 1 1874 Caversham Caversham Burnside 865 bypassed 1910
Main South Line 9 1910 Caversham Caversham Burnside 1407 double track, single tracked c1988
Main South Line (10) Clutha Railway 2 1875 Chain Hills Abbotsford Wingatui 453 bypassed 1914
Main South Line 10 10 1914 Chain Hills Abbotsford Wingatui 889 double track, single tracked c1988
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