A Te Huia Adventure

An adventure on board Te Huia from The Strand to Frankton, covering the entire journey
38 photos in this gallery. Showing photos 1 - 24

Our adventure starts at Parnell station, pictured here with AM 484 on a Southern Line service. While Waitematā (Britomart) is the main station for the city, Parnell station is a slightly shorter walk to The Strand and cuts out the time required to travel the rest of the line

5 February 2024

Passing over the two bridges crossing The Strand and Parnell Rise, AM 497 descents from Parnell and heads into the curves at Quay Park Junction on its way to Waitematā

5 February 2024

Heading out to Henderson on the Western Line, AM 497 passes around the curves at Quay Park junction on its way out ot Watematā. The curves here pass through the original platforms at the old Auckland station, before a replacement station was opened as Britomart in 2003 (now Waitematā)

5 February 2024

With Auckland's iconic Sky Tower in the skyline behind, DFB 7295 sits at The Strand station waiting for departure towards Frankton as train 101

5 February 2024

The train's first stop after departing the city is at Puhinui, the recently opened interchange station. Here, Te Huia connects to the Southern and Eastern lines, as well as the Airport Link bus service towards Auckland International Airport; the latter gives Hamilton residents a full public transport option to catch their flight

5 February 2024

At Papakura, the original terminus of Te Huia, the train is the near-sole user of Platform 1. Across on Platform 3, a 6-car EMU service waits to depart back towards Waitematā

5 February 2024

We sat at the front of the train on this journey, giving us a view of DFB 7295 through the door windows. After Papakura, the train's onboard destination signs announce the next stop as Huntly

5 February 2024

From the train, Huntly's main landmark, the power station, is visible across the Waikato River

5 February 2024

The other landmark, the lauded DEKA sign, is also clearly visible from the train. The sign is the sole survivor of the department store chain that closed in 2001

5 February 2024

Stopped at Huntly station proper, the train exchanges passengers on its journey south. In the background is the boarded up station building, half which was set alight in suspicious circumstances before the other half was relocated back to the station

5 February 2024

DFB 7295 looks ahead as it waits for departure from Huntly. The station is on the loop here, so Te Huia is clear of both mains while it waits

5 February 2024

One of two stations in Hamilton itself is at Rotokauri, situated next to The Base shopping centre. Here, train 101 again waits for passengers to alight before continuing to Frankton

5 February 2024

DFB 7295 waits for departure, near the end of train 101's journey

5 February 2024

Sitting at Frankton station, DFB 7295 now sits at the rear of the train while passengers collect their belongings and disembark the train

5 February 2024

DFB 7295, as a dedicated Te Huia locomotive, is kept clean, and shines in the sun at Frankton station

5 February 2024

The train sits next to the shelter at Frankton station, shortly before departure back to Te Rapa empty

5 February 2024

After hanging around in Te Rapa for some time, DL 9348 departs the yard with train MP99 in tow, heading towards Tauranga along the East Coast Main Trunk. The platform in the foreground has not seen any regularly scheduled passenger trains since the cancellation of the Kaimai (to Tauranga) and Geyserland (to Rotorua) Expresses in October 2001, but does see occasional charter use

5 February 2024

DL 9348 powers out of Te Rapa with train MP99 en route to Tauranga

5 February 2024

Shortly before departure, Te Huia's driver chats with passengers

5 February 2024

SRV 5993 framed by the station sign at Frankton, showing the three names the station is known by. These represent the Māori and English names for the city as a whole, and the suburb the station is located in

5 February 2024

Te Huia's driver calls for clearance from Train Control to proceed back to Te Rapa, with the train stabling in the yard between the arrival of train 101 and the departure of train 102

5 February 2024

SRV 5993 leads the consist out of Frankton station and heads back to the yard to stable and be cleaned before the next service

5 February 2024

SRV 5993 departs Frankton station, with a signal to proceed into the yard

5 February 2024

With our journey taking place on a Monday and being a quiet freight day, the only other train to pass through between Te Huia services was a shunt service to Waitoa, with DC 4467 leading DC 4260 light loco out of Te Rapa. The locomotives are heading to collect loaded wagons, and two DCs are now required due to the banning of long hood leading; a consequence of the rollover of DCP 4605

5 February 2024

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