Miscellaneous and Happenings

DFB 7335 brings train A083 into Papakura on a certification run, with a 5-car train and DFB 7077 on the drawgear

19 January 2022

Heading south after spending the holidays in Auckland, DL 9020 leads the ballast cleaner back home towards Hamilton, as train WT19

20 January 2022

In the middle of the train, ETM 567 has a YK class wagon coupled at each end, and support vehicles for the train are also visible

20 January 2022

Passing through Pukekohe, DFB 7295 leads train 101 as it slows down for a work site just ahead

14 February 2022

With DFB 7077 on the tail end, train 101 rolls through Pukekohe station before stopping for a work site

14 February 2022

Train 101 passes the southbound platform at Pukekohe just before stopping for a work site. To the right is the new departure signal for the Up Main, moved from the road overpass

14 February 2022

Heading south, DFB 7077 stops at Rotokauri with train 101 to drop off passengers before heading to its final destination of Frankton

1 March 2022

Heading back north again, DFB 7295 leads train 102 into Rotokauri station, with DFB 7077 on the other end for the return journey

1 March 2022

DFB 7077 leads train 103 through Pokeno past construction for new housing. The train was running wrong line at this point, before switching back to the Down Main at Mercer

9 March 2022

After swapping with DFB 7077, DFB 7335 leads train 102 into Papakura, with DFB 7295 on the rear, as Te Huia heads into the Strand

17 March 2022

DL 9475 heads down the Whangarata bank with train MP7X as the train enters Pokeno. Although a Sunday, metroport services ran to a regular weekday timetable on this day to help clear some of the backlog from Easter closures

24 April 2022

A wider view as DL 9475 leads train MP7X into the new development at Pokeno

24 April 2022

Coasting down the Whangarata bank, DL 9475 leads train MP7X past multiple houses still under construction

24 April 2022

Train MP7X curves around the outskirts of new Pokeno development as DL 9475 leads the train through the town

24 April 2022

DFB 7049 leads train 102 into Papakura on a cloudy day, with DFB 7077 on the rear. DFB 7049 is standing in for DFB 7335 after the latter was sent to Hutt Workshops, and also features the now-standard door controls to be fitted to all DFBs

16 May 2022

Heading slowly into Papakura, DL 9325 leads train B66 with DL 9262 and DFB 7049 dead. The train was conveying two SR carriages from Hamilton to Auckland to use the wheel lathe at Westfield

26 May 2022

In a gap between shuttle services, the train passes through Papakura at a restricted speed of 40km/h, with two SR carriages en route to the wheel lathe

26 May 2022

DFB 7158 coasts down the Whangarata bank running as train B01, with the Northern Explorer consist in tow. The train is running a series of refresher courses in advance of the recommencement of the service in September

1 August 2022

ETM 432 heads through Pokeno on a run from Hamilton to Mission Bush, checking the quality of the track along the way

7 September 2022

DFB 7173 leads the Northern Explorer consist south through Pokeno. Running as train B021, the train is running a charter service from Auckland to Wellington on the regular Northern Explorer timetable. The charter was pushed back a week due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II

21 September 2022

Heading south through Pokeno, DFB 7307 leads train 201 back towards the locomotive's home of Wellington. DFB 7307 is nominally a Wairarapa locomitive, escaping to run the Northern Explorer

16 January 2023

AM 456 stops at Kingsland station on its way to Swanson, having just cleared the single track section through Mt Eden for City Rail Link construction

3 March 2023

Heading north, DFB 7077 leads Te Huia across Oram Road and the Whangamarino River as the train heads into Mercer, with DFB 7295 on the rear

14 April 2023

Heading south, Ww 644 on its first solo mainline trip crosses the Whangamarino River on a repositioning run to Hamilton. The train is set to run a KiwiRail charter over the weekend

14 April 2023