Main South Line

Main South Line
Main South Line and shunting yards at Dunedin.
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerKiwiRail
LocaleSouth Island, New Zealand
Termini
Service
TypeKiwiRail rail freight
Operator(s)KiwiRail
History
Opened22 January 1879
Technical
Line length601.4 kilometres (373.7 mi)
Number of tracksOne
CharacterMain Line (Lyttelton-Dunedin) Provincial (Dunedin – Invercargill)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification14 Feb 1929 – 19 Sep 1970 (Lyttelton to Christchurch)
Route map

km
0.0
Port of Lyttelton
(
former ferry
to Wellington
)
Lyttelton Rail Tunnel (Moorhouse Tunnel)
2,595 m
Heathcote Valley
Scruttons Road
Chapmans Road
Woolston
Curries Road
Garlands Road
Opawa
Ensors Road
Linwood
Wilsons Road N
Gasson Street
9.8
Christchurch
Moorhouse Avenue
Montreal Street
Antigua Street
Selwyn Street
Grove Road
Lincoln Road
Addington
Christchurch
Whiteleigh Ave
Matipo Street
14.3
Middleton
Annex Road
Sockburn
Hornby
Hornby Industrial Line
(formerly Southbridge Branch)
Carmen Road
Parker Street
Halswell Junction Road
Islington
Pound Road
Templeton
Kirk Road
Dawsons Road
Curraghs Road
Weedons
Weedons Ross Road
Hoskyns Road
31.9
Rolleston
George Holmes Road
Burnham
317 m
Selwyn
Dunsandel
Bankside
1,744 m
Rakaia
Chertsey
Dromore
Fairton
93.9
Ashburton
Tinwald
Winslow
Hinds River
Hinds
Ealing
Rangitata
Orari River
Orari
Winchester
Temuka
Temuka River
Ōpihi River
Washdyke
Smithfield (Alliance Group Smithfield Plant)
Timaru Port
170.0
Timaru
Pareora
St Andrews
Otaio River
Otaio
Makikihi River
Makikihi
209.4
Studholme
Willowbridge
Waihao River
Morven
Glenavy
914 m
Waitaki Bridge
Hilderthorpe
245.3
Pukeuri
250.3
Oamaru
Oamaru Branch
256.8
Waiareka Junction
Deborah
Totara
Reidston
Maheno
Herbert
Tunnel 2 (Herbert)
Waianakarua
Hampden
Hillgrove (Moeraki)
Shag Point
Bushey
314.0
Palmerston
Waikouaiti
Karitane
Seacliff
Waitati
Tunnel 4 (Cliffs)
Pūrākaunui
Tunnel 5 (Mihiwaka)
Tunnel 7 (Port Chalmers)
367.8
Sawyers Bay
Tunnel 8 (Sawyers Bay)
St Leonards
Maia
Ravenbourne
377.9
Dunedin
Kensington
Caversham
Tunnel 9 (Burnside)
Burnside
Green Island
Abbotford
Tunnel 10 (Wingatui)
389.9
Wingatui
393.0
Mosgiel
Allanton
Henley
Waihola
434.4
Milton
Benhar
457.5
Stirling
437 m
461.4
Balclutha
Finegand Industrial Line/
Catlins River Branch
Clinton
511.3
Waipahi
Pukerau
532.1
McNab
537.2
Gore
Charlton
539.4
Mataura
Brydone
563.8
Edendale
Woodlands
Kennington
601.4
Invercargill
km

Detailed map

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.