This article is about the railway in New Zealand. For the railway in New South Wales, Australia, see Main Southern railway line, New South Wales.
Main South Line
Main South Line and shunting yards at Dunedin.
Overview
Status
Operational
Owner
KiwiRail
Locale
South Island, New Zealand
Termini
Lyttelton
Invercargill
Service
Type
KiwiRail rail freight
Operator(s)
KiwiRail
History
Opened
22 January 1879
Technical
Line length
601.4 kilometres (373.7 mi)
Number of tracks
One
Character
Main Line (Lyttelton-Dunedin)
Provincial (Dunedin – Invercargill)
Track gauge
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification
14 Feb 1929 – 19 Sep 1970 (Lyttelton to Christchurch)
Route map
Legend
km
0.0
Port of Lyttelton
(
former ferry
to Wellington
)
Lyttelton rail tunnel
2,595 m
to Ferrymead Historic Railway
9.8
Christchurch
Moorhouse Avenue
Main North Line
Christchurch
14.3
Middleton
Hornby Industrial Line
(formerly Southbridge Branch)
31.9
Rolleston
Midland Line
Selwyn River / Waikirikiri
317 m
Rakaia River
1,744 m
Methven Branch
93.9
Ashburton
Ashburton River / Hakatere
Plains Vintage Railway
(formerly Mount Somers Branch)
Rangitata River
Fairlie Branch
170.0
Timaru
Waimate Branch
Waitaki River
914 m
Kurow Branch
250.3
Oamaru
Oamaru Branch
Ngapara and Tokarahi Branches
Moeraki Branch
Shag Point Branch
Dunback and Makareao Branches
314.0
Palmerston
Port Chalmers Branch
377.9
Dunedin
Otago Central Railway
Roxburgh Branch
Kaitangata Line
Clutha River / Mata-Au
437 m
461.4
Balclutha
Finegand Industrial Line/
Catlins River Branch
Tapanui Branch
Waikaka Branch
Mataura River
Waimea Plains Railway
537.2
Gore
Wyndham Branch
Bluff Branch
601.4
Invercargill
Wairio Branch
(Kingston Branch)
km
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The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railway line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin. It is one of the most important railway lines in New Zealand and was one of the first to be built, with construction commencing in the 1860s. At Christchurch, it connects with the Main North Line to Picton, the other part of the South Island Main Trunk.
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