Northerner (train)

The Northerner was an overnight passenger train between Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand. Originally numbered 227 southbound and 626 northbound, it replaced the unnamed and less revered ordinary express trains supplementing the luxurious Silver Star (later the Eastern & Oriental Express), which had replaced the Night Limited in 1971. The Northerner operated from Monday, 3 November 1975 to Friday, 12 November 2004.

Overnight services between Auckland and Wellington began in 1908 when the line between the two cities was completed. The inaugural trip took Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward and other Members of Parliament to Auckland to greet the American Pacific Fleet.

Prior to 3 November 1975, the pre-Northerner's were hauled by DA class diesel-electric locomotives. With the introduction of the Northerner branding, DX class locomotives were assigned to the train's haulage. From the 1990s onwards, DF class locomotives were used infrequently, and, on a more permanent basis DC class locomotives were used.

The train used extensively refurbished NZR 56-foot carriages that dated from 1937-40. Ten cars were built as two-lavatory 31-seat first class cars, later designated North Island Main Trunk first class cars, for expresses on this route, two (with staff/hostess compartments retained and augmented) as the South Island Main Trunk Main South Line single-lavatory 29 seat equivalent, along with four 16-berth sleeping cars. In their refurbished form, the day cars seated 30 in the same type of "bucket" seat and the day cars with staff compartments seated 25. The sleeping cars still each accommodated 16 (2 berths in 8 cabins). In 1973 larger train sets were planned with the fitting of 20 first class and sleeping cars (7 + 3 x 2) with Goko heaters from Tohzai Gongyo Boek the tender offer on 21 Jan 1973 from Gongyo in Japan was 4 million yen, for 20 carriage heaters and control systems resulting in a decision to use the old heavy steam vans which in itself limited, train size and suggested completely new trainsets of non stainless steel material would have cost less and allowed better use of the NZRs short staffed rolling stock fitters. However saving overseas funds became the priority after the 1973 war in the Middle East, multiplied oil costs and the final fit out of the train was not approved until November 1974 with instructions to complete the rebuild of the minimum rolling stock for the introduction of the Express replacement within 12 months.

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