Main North Line, New Zealand

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Main North Line
Start of the Main North Line, heading north under the old Blenheim Road overpass in the distance, and to the left under the new Blenheim Road overpass to Christchurch railway station. The original route of the line was just to the right of the photographer.
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	South Island, New Zealand
Termini	Addington, Christchurch Picton, Marlborough
Stations	65 (total) 18 (operational)
Service
Type	Regional rail
System	KiwiRail
Operator(s)	KiwiRail
History
Opened	1872-04-29
Technical
Line length	348.04 km
Number of tracks	Single
Character	Main Line
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Route map Legend km0 length in m Interisland Ferry Picton Wharf 347.98 Picton Waitohi Viaduct 129 × 16 m high 344.87 Elevation 341.85 Mount Pleasant 338.66 Koromiko 336.18 Para No. 24 Tunnel (cut and cover) 328.57 Tuamarina 293.00 Wairau River new bridge 1974 325.41 Spring Creek Blenheim Freight Centre 322.83 Grovetown (Grove Town) 319.50 Blenheim Riverlands Vernon loop No. 23 Tunnel daylighted 1979 50 No. 22 Tunnel daylighted 1981 70 298.00 Dashwood Awatere River 294.40 Seddon 287.94 Blind River 284.21 Lake Grassmere (Kaparu) 281.00 Hauwai 276.82 Taimate 270.95 Ward 263.39 Mirza No. 21 Tunnel (Tar Barrel) deviated 2021 164 Waima River 256.17 Wharanui 246.92 Kekerengu 236.82 Parikawa 226.34 Clarence Papatea loop No. 20 Tunnel 130 No. 19 Tunnel 642 No. 18 Tunnel 209 209.61 Rakautara (Aniseed) No. 17 Tunnel 187 No. 16 Tunnel 123 No. 15 Tunnel 217 Mangamaunu 201.02 Hapuku Hapuku River 191.12 Kaikōura Kowhai River 184.18 Kowhai 180.67 Puketa Kahutara River No. 14 Tunnel (Rileys Hill) 452 No. 13 Tunnel 116 No. 12 Tunnel (Parititahi) 897 No. 11 Tunnel (Kowhai) 313 No. 10 Tunnel 100 No. 9 Tunnel 253 No. 8 Tunnel 154 No. 7 Tunnel ( Raramai Road ) 114 No. 6 Tunnel 126 172.28 Goose Bay No. 5 Tunnel 208 168.35 Oaro No. 4 Tunnel deviated 188 No. 3 Tunnel (Amuri Bluff) 975 Okarahia Viaduct 21 m high No. 2 Tunnel 51 No. 1 Tunnel 76 157.98 Claverley 152.27 Hundalee Conway River 143.48 Ferniehurst Mendip Section (formation only) 133.19 Parnassus Waiau River 129.18 Spotswood 125.92 Phoebe 119.57 Mina Nonoti 113.54 Domett 105.43 Tormore 100.02 Ethelton Hurunui River 93.15 Greta 86.09 Scargill 76.98 Spye 72.32 Omihi Waiau Branch (Weka Pass Railway) 62.88 Waipara Waipara River 58.25 Glasnevin 55.91 Greneys Road ( Greeneys Road ) 51.57 Amberley 49.92 Grays Road Kowhai River 44.90 Balcairn 39.53 Sefton 32.87 Ashley Ashley River deviation 18 Dec. 1961 30.11 Rangiora Oxford Branch 27.15 Southbrook 23.29 Flaxton Eyreton Branch 18.93 Kaiapoi Waimakariri River deviation 1 Sep. 1958 293 15.22 Kainga (Stewarts Gully) 12.41 Chaneys 11.32 Belfast 8.58 Styx 5.33 Papanui 3.79 Bryndwr (Bryndwyr) 2.03 Riccarton Addington saleyards 0.51 Christchurch (Addington) Main South Line km0 distances from Addington This diagram: view talk edit

Map

The Main North Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk railway, is a railway line that runs north from Christchurch in New Zealand up the east coast of the South Island through Kaikōura and Blenheim to Picton. It is a major link in New Zealand's national rail network and offers a connection with roll-on roll-off ferries from Picton to Wellington. It was also the longest railway construction project in New Zealand's history, with the first stages built in the 1870s and not completed until 1945.