A Te Huia Adventure

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

Arriving back at Frankton station for train 102, DFB 7295 again finds itself idling at the platform, this time to be at the rear of the service

5 February 2024

Now the lead vehicle for the passenger service, SRV 5993 sits at the platform also waiting for departure

5 February 2024

Heading out of Te Rapa light loco, DL 9227 heads south towards Te Awamutu

5 February 2024

DL 9227 passes SRV 5993 sitting at the platform, with the locomotive heading to Te Awamutu light

5 February 2024

Shortly before departure, passengers take their place on board the train, with SRV 5993 leading the service to The Strand

5 February 2024

Inside SR 3285, now the last carriage on the train. The SR class features seating only, with an SRC class carriage second in the consist having an onboard café and the SRV class carriage having a generator and driving cab

5 February 2024

Passing through Te Rapa, the other two Te Huia consists sit outside in the yard, connected to shore power

5 February 2024

Further north at Amokura, SRV 5993 comes across one of its problematic crossings. Because of collision protection concerns, trains are restricted to 25km/h over crossings where the SRV class is leading and the crossing does not have barrier arms. As most of the line between Hamilton and Auckland is double-tracked, only two crossings are affected

5 February 2024

Back at Papakura, inside the Auckland metro area, AM 471 pulls out of the stabling yard while AM 509 waits its turn to exit for peak hour services. Both units happen to be wrapped with rail safety artwork

5 February 2024

The problems (albeit minor for this train) began for train 102 just before Homai. After sitting behind a suburban unit for some time, Te Huia was switched to the Down Main at Wiri, here overtaking stationary AM 864 on the Down Main

5 February 2024

At Puhinui, train 102 used the opposite platform from usual, with AM 306 and AM 212 sitting on the northbound platform. Te Huia was routed around this train, using the Down Main in the Up direction until at least Otahuhu

5 February 2024

At Puhinui, Te Huia quickly exchanges passengers while AM 212 and AM 306 block the Down Main

5 February 2024

SRV 5993 waits for passengers to disembark at Puhinui, a set-down only station for train 102. The train is also about to make an unusual departure in the "wrong" direction

5 February 2024

With Te Huia now long gone, AM 212 still sits on the Up Main, now displaying "Out of service" on the destination board

5 February 2024