Thames Express
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Inter-city rail |
| Status | Superseded |
| Locale | North Island, New Zealand |
| First service | 1908 |
| Last service | 1928 |
| Current operator(s) | New Zealand Railways Department |
| Route | |
| Start | Thames |
| End | Auckland Railway Station, Auckland City |
| Distance travelled | 237 km (147 mi) |
| Average journey time | 6 hours, 45 minutes |
The Thames Express was an express passenger train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between Auckland and Thames. It ran between 1908 and 1928.
In the early 20th century, the railways that fanned out from Auckland were isolated from the national network. South of Auckland, apart from commuter services to suburbs and townships near the city, just one dedicated passenger train operated - the Rotorua Express, which only became daily in October 1902. All other passenger services were "mixed" trains that involved one or more passenger carriages being attached to a freight service. In December 1908, just after the opening of the North Island Main Trunk Railway connected the Auckland section to the rest of the North Island, the decision was taken to introduce a daily afternoon service south of Auckland to Frankton. This service continued on to Thames, with connecting trains to Cambridge and Waihi, and became known as the Thames Express.
The Thames Express competed directly with the Northern Steamship Company for traffic between Thames and Auckland. Due to the circuitous nature of the railway line, the much more direct water route of the steamships afforded them an inherent advantage. The increased implementation of new A class steam locomotives allowed the express to take 6 hours 45 minutes to complete its 237 km long journey, but this did not gain many passengers from the steamships. Instead, passengers primarily used the Thames Express to travel to intermediate destinations rather than from terminus to terminus. For example, in its day, it provided the quickest transport between Thames and Hamilton.
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