Eyreton Branch

Eyreton Branch
Overview
Type	Heavy Rail
System	New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR)
Status	Closed
Locale	Canterbury, New Zealand
Termini	Kaiapoi Bennetts Junction
Stations	10
Operation
Opened	1878-02-01
Closed	1931-02-03 (Horrelville – Bennetts Junction) 1954-05-26 (Horrelville – Wetheral) 1960s (Wetheral – Eyreton Junction)
Owner	Railways Department
Operator(s)	Railways Department
Character	Rural
Technical
Line length	32.41 km
Number of tracks	Single
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Route map 0 km Main North Line Waverley Wilson's Siding Wetheral Ohoka Mandeville North Swannanoa 23.05 km West Eyreton School Road 27.88 km Horrelville Oxford Branch 32.41 km Bennetts Junction Oxford Branch

The Eyreton Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealand's national rail network. Located in the Canterbury region of the South Island, it left the Main North Line in Kaiapoi and was built a mere ten kilometres south of the Oxford Branch. It opened in 1875 and operated until 1954, except for the first portion, which remained open until 1965.

Despite the implication of the branch's name, it passed north of Eyreton, though its original terminus was located in West Eyreton.

At the start of the 1870s, a number of plans were made for a branch line from the Main North Line, then under construction, to Oxford. This was in response to the realities of the appalling communication and slow transport of the time. One plan, made in 1871, called for a line from Kaiapoi to Oxford, but this was seen as a threat to the interests of a proposed line from Rangiora to Oxford. Intense campaigning from groups in support of either line led to the government's decision to build two branches, one from Rangiora to Oxford and another from Kaiapoi to West Eyreton.

Despite warnings the line to West Eyreton would never be profitable, contracts for construction were let in 1873, and by 1875, construction was proceeding well, with the line opened to West Eyreton on 17 December 1875. This was intended to be the terminus of the branch, but in an attempt to make it profitable, work began the next year to link it with the Oxford Branch. This was completed on 1 February 1878 and linked West Eyreton with Bennetts Junction.

For a while, a break-of-gauge existed at the junction with the Main North Line in Kaiapoi. The Main North Line had been built with the Canterbury Provincial Railways' broad gauge of 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in), while the Eyreton Branch was built to the then newly accepted national standard of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (internationally, a narrow gauge). However, it wasn't long before the Main North Line was converted to a gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and the break-of-gauge eliminated.

...
Wikipedia