Videos

Train 243 passes south through Pokeno with DL 9072 in charge. DL 9164 and DFT 7008 were along for the ride. Train 243 is the southbound weekend overnight service, departing Westfield on Saturday evenings and arriving in Wellington on Sunday mornings

Following train MP7 from Papakura to Hemopo, with DL 9469 on the head. Also features DL 9325 at Papakura with MP4

DL 9037 heads the port shunt through Glen Innes and Judges Bay, with a load of wagons bound for the Port and then Wiri. Although it was rare to see a DL on these trains, it has been increasingly common owing to the withdrawal of the DBR class and the limited availability of the DC class

Otorohanga hosted the Steamfest festival in August 2017, celebrating the golden era of steam and vintage machinery. The star of the show was Mainline Steam's newly named Ja 1275, running a number of short excursions between Otorohanga, Te Kuiti and Te Awamutu, as well as a dinner train to Hamilton. Here, Ja 1275 races a convoy of Model T Ford cars to Te Kuiti, named the Great Train Race. After returning to Otorohanga, it heads for Te Awamutu on the Kiwiana Capital Connection

DL 9400 and DFT 7104 lead train 228 through Papakura, in a gap between periods of rain. DFT 7104 was the only member of its class (alongside three DFBs) to be leased to Auckland Transport for their SA carriage trains, until electrification

Two freshly overhauled DFBs, DFB 7322 and DFB 7023, visited Auckland on trains 201 and 228. Both locomotives were in storage for a period of time before going in for overhaul and DFB conversion

DFB 7173 leads WT10 north through Kaipara Flats, Wellsford and Topuni. The work train originated at Westfield and travelled to Whangarei, dropping ballast along the way

DC 4444 leads DL 9014 on train MP5 through Paerata (wrong line running) and Buckland. DC 4444 was undergoing testing as part of allowing the DC class to lead trains again. The DC was taken off the train at Waharoa and headed back on MP6

On 7 May 2017, a memorial service was held at Tangiwai to honour the efforts of driver Charles Parker and fireman Lance Redman in their efforts to save 134 lives during the Tangiwai disaster in 1953. Shown here is footage of Ja 1275's photo run near Te Kuiti on its run south, as well as excerpts of speeches from Hon. Maggie Barry, Ian McKelvie and Rob McAlpine

DA 1431 hauls the NIMT Scenic Delight excursion from Paekakariki to Glenbrook, run by Steam Inc. The consist was bring positioned for a Christchurch Press charter later in the week. Trains 240 and 200 both overtake DA 1431, at Marton and Taihape respectively

After being repainted in April 2016 from MAXX into KiwiRail livery, DC 4444 finally returns to Auckland. Here, it leads trains 166 and 197 from Wiri to Auckland Port and then to Westfield

Former MAXX locomotive DC 4951 shunts the dairy factories at Hautapu and Waitoa, seen here both light and with wagons. The shunt brings wagons from the factories, as well as Morrinsville, to Te Rapa. The line to Hautapu is the remains of the former branch line to Cambridge, while the line to Waitoa is a stub left over from the old ECMT, later the Thames Branch

Train 390 (Palmerston North - Tauranga) pulls into Te Rapa yard to change from EF class locomotives to diesel locomotives for the run to Tauranga. EF 30059 and EF 30226 lead the train into Hamilton on the NIMT, then DL 9072 brings the train (now running the opposite way) through Eureka on the ECMT. Recently, KiwiRail announced that the EF class will be withdrawn within 3 years, bringing an end to electrification on the NIMT. The DL class will be their likely replacement

On its final weekend before leaving service for an eventual overhaul, Ja 1250 is seen hauling the regular day's services at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway on 29 January 2017. On the same day, it and Ww 644 attended the opening ceremonies for the new turntable at Glenbrook station, with Ww 644 officially becoming the first locomotive to be turned

DL 9210 leads special train C39 through Te Kauwhata, en route from Mission Bush to Mt Maunganui

DL 9066 leads train 483 through Tirau, on Christmas Day Observed (Tuesday 27 December 2016). The loaded train is heading for Mt Maunganui, and is one of several trains still running over the holiday period

DC 4939, DC 4571 and DC 4260 bring the port shunt over the hill and down into Ellerslie, with a completely empty rake of wagons. The shunts were sent via Newmarket during the weekend of 19/20 November 2016 due to work on the NIMT north of Otahuhu, and an extra DC was added to cope with the grades (with a loaded train)

One of a handful of locomotives to escape Wairarapa Line service so far, DFB 7160 heads train 200 through Whangamarino and Drury. Locomotives used on the Northern Explorer are now required to be fire suppressed, and it appears as if a single pool of locomotives are being used across the Wairarapa and on the Northern Explorer

DFB 7200 leads train 200 wrong line out of Paerata, half an hour before the Block of Line on the Up Main expired. The BOL expiry released a queue of three trains that were waiting at Papakura and Pukekohe (trains MP9, 334S and 235) that were held up by train 200 running wrong line in the section. The three freight trains passed through Drury in the space of 8 minutes

With Silver Fern railcar RM 30 tacked on the back, DL 9072 and DL 9204 lead train 243 across Sutton Road at Drury, heading south towards Wellington. The train serves as the weekend overnight service, departing Saturday evening and arriving in Wellington on Sunday morning

ADL 806 passes across Opaheke Road northbound on a shuttle run from Pukekohe to Papakura, followed seconds later by DL 9095 and DL 9515 leading dead DXB 5074 and train 235

DC 4594 and DBR 1267 lead Saturday special freight service A25 down the grade through Ellerslie, with empty log wagons on the rear of the train

DC 4594 and DC 4939 made an incident-free trip on L22D on 30 August 2016, dropping off empty wagons at Otiria and returning south to Whangarei with loaded four wheel wagons. The train also picked up wagons from the Kauri dairy factory on its journey south

DCP 4790 and DC 4916 lead train L22C and L22D on 29 August 2016, with containers heading to the dairy factory at Kauri, empty four wheel wagons bound for Otiria and loaded log wagons heading back to Whangarei. DC 4916 later failed on the southbound trip, requiring assistance from L1. L1's locomotives, DBR 1267, DCP 4663 and DC 4565, lead the train south from Maromaku with DCP 4790 also in power

Suburban trains around the Sarawia Street level crossing in Newmarket. The crossing is scheduled to be removed in the near future once AT build an overpass from the next street over. Although the crossing has low road traffic levels and is not unsafe, this is the busiest level crossing in New Zealand by rail movements and presents challenges to operations at Newmarket

The third and final batch of SAs return from Mt Maunganui to Taumarunui, behind DL 9008. The carriages were running as train B79 from Hamilton to Taumarunui.

Glenbrook Steel Mill's Niigata shunt locomotive on the move from Mission Bush to Otahuhu, towed by DCP 4790. The shunt ran as train L9P

DL 9348 leads dead DL 9452 and train MH9 through Tuakau, the first MHx series train to run (with MH3 earlier in the day being cancelled). Trains MH3 and MH9 are renumbered from MP3 and MP9, with the trains stopping at Hamilton for CT work

DL 9446 leads a rake of seven SDs and three SAs from Mt Maunganui back to Taumarunui, running as trains C98 and B79. The rumour is that the sale of the SAs has fallen through, and the space is needed at Mt Maunganui

Silver Fern RM 30 on the southern suburban circuit at Penrose, Panmure, Papakura and Remuera on a short excursion from Auckland to Huntly via Mission Bush and return. It was the first time in several years that the Railway Enthusiasts Society had run to the steel mill at Glenbrook

DXC 5310 and DXC 5483 head train 714 from Christchurch to Picton, crossing (and exchanging crew with) train 725 near Clarence

Loading coal wagons using a low loader at Stillwater, then following the TranzAlpine from Stillwater to Darfield via Greymouth

DSG 3304 runs trains Y33C and Y33D from Invercargill to Bluff and return, stopping to shunt at the Wool Dumpers siding en route. The train also shunts at Bluff before returning to Invercargill

DXC 5460 and DXC 5425 run as train 935D from Dunedin to Invercargill, crossing DXB 5080 and DCP 4755 running train 926 at Mataura

Trains 934, 920D and two DCs on the Main South Line between Dunsandel and Timaru

Transdev's first day of running the Wellington suburban network, with the Wairarapa Connection operating as a hook and tow using KiwiRail drivers. As an extra, DFB 7213 and DFT 7145 haul log train F49 through Trentham

Chasing the Northern Explorer from Orakei (near the train's origin at Strand) to Wellington, following the train through fog and through the hilly central North Island. DFT 7051 heads the train for the southbound journey

DXB 5074 leads train MP6S through Papakura shortly after switching to the Down Main, with the Up Main closed for work at the Takanini motorway interchange

Scenes from the Eastern Line between Westfield and Panmure, including three shots of the port shunt with DC 4951 and DC 4939

RM 30 heads south on a repeat trip to Kinleith, then is seen returning north across the Ngaruawahia bridge and Kellyville. The trip was delayed a week due to LE crewing issues, and ran as a repeat trip of the same excursion a month and a half earlier

EMUs running abbreviated services on the Western Line over Queen's Birthday weekend, terminating at Newmarket with bus replacements to Britomart. The trains themselves laid over at Newmarket before continuing on to Onehunga as a different public service, rather than running as two separate runs

Former Auckland Transport locomotive DFB 7200 makes its first appearance on the Northern Explorer, having come out of overhaul just weeks prior. DFB 7200 heads train 200 through Huntly and Pokeno, still showing off its gleaming paint work

DC 4254 and DCP 4611 lead train B62 (Taumarunui to Te Rapa) and C12 (Te Rapa to Mt Maunganui), conveying 20 SA carriages to Mt Maunganui for export. The wagon on the end was used solely for carrying the train end monitor. The SA fleet were partially withdrawn in July 2015 and fully with drawn in September 2015, after the AM class EMUs took over all services between Papakura and Swanson, and then the ADL class reclaiming the Pukekohe shuttle services, and have been stored at Taumarunui ever since

Silver Fern railcar RM 30 on the final leg of Pukekohe Travel's lower North Island tour, returning home from National Park to Auckland. The railcar spent a week travelling around the North Island, visiting Napier, Wellington and the Wairarapa

On its first excursion of the winter 2016 season since returning to Auckland the previous week, RM 30 heads from Auckland to Kinleith and return, with a Railway Enthusiasts Society charter. The railcar will be kept busy over the season as it started a week-long Pukekohe Travel charter the following day. At Ngaruawahia, the railcar ran wrong line due to track work on a level crossing ahead

DFT 7051 leads train C91, Auckland to Mt Maunganui, with redundant ADK and ADB class carriages in tow. The DMUs were being moved to Mt Maunganui for shipment. The consist of the train was DFT 7051 leading ADB 774, ADK 688, ADK 681, ADK 685 and ADK 684. The SX set and most of the remainder of the ADK fleet travelled down to Mt Maunganui on two separate trains the previous day

Silver Fern railcar RM 30 returns home on the back of train 226 across Boundary Road, with DFT 7051 leading dead DL 9164 on the head. RM 30 spent summer in the South Island during the cruise ship season, and returned from Dunedin to Auckland over three days

Some suburban passenger trains around Takanini and Manurewa, as well as DL 9423 on train MP7 and DL 9020 on train MP4