Eyreton Branch

Eyreton Branch
Overview
Other name(s)	Wetheral Branch
Status	Closed
Owner	Railways Department
Locale	Canterbury, New Zealand
Termini	Kaiapoi Bennetts Junction
Stations	10
Service
Type	Heavy Rail
System	New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR)
Operator(s)	Railways Department
History
Opened	17 December 1875 (1875-12-17)
Extended to Bennetts Junction	1 February 1878 (1878-02-01)
Closed beyond Horrelville	3 February 1931 (1931-02-03)
Closed beyond Wetheral	26 May 1954 (1954-05-26)
Closed	April 1965 (1965-04)
Technical
Line length	32.41 km (20.14 mi)
Number of tracks	Single
Character	Rural
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Route map Legend km 0.00 Main North Line Waverley Wilson's Siding Wetheral Ohoka Mandeville North Swannanoa 23.05 West Eyreton School Road 27.88 Horrelville 32.41 Bennetts Junction Oxford Branch This diagram: view talk edit

Map

The Eyreton Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealand's national rail network. Located in the Canterbury region of the South Island, it left the Main North Line in Kaiapoi and was built a mere ten kilometres south of the Oxford Branch. It opened in 1875 and operated until 1954, except for the first portion, which remained open until 1965.^[1]

Despite the implication of the branch's name, it passed north of Eyreton, though its original terminus was located in West Eyreton.