Historic rail area gathers momentum

30 April 2009

MEDIA RELEASE

Historic rail area gathers momentum

A 200km stretch of the central North Island Main Trunk Line (NIMT) railway featuring considerable engineering ingenuity is being proposed for heritage recognition by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT).

The Main Trunk has kept Auckland and Wellington connected for 100 years and been important economically for towns linked to it. This legacy of Julius Vogel’s public works policy remains one of New Zealand’s biggest infrastructure works. An Historic Area, from the Taumarunui Railway Station south to the Makohine Viaduct near Ohingaiti, is now proposed for inclusion on the NZHPT National Register.

NZHPT researcher Karen Astwood said the proposed Historic Area is a microcosm for New Zealand’s rail history and home to key 20th century engineering developments. Once the central North Island route was chosen the challenging landscape resulted in a marvel of engineered solutions with a concentration of viaducts, tunnels, bridges, embankments, cuttings, culverts, stream diversions and the Raurimu Spiral. Even today the route remains largely faithful to the original survey – a testament to the legacy of the original surveyors and engineers.

“This 200km stretch of track has incredible architectural, technological, social and historical significance – not to mention aesthetic value as well,” said Miss Astwood.

“The Mangaturuturu Viaduct is the highest altitude railway structure in New Zealand while the Raurimu Spiral is well-known in world terms for its design ingenuity. Of course, the tragedy of the Tangiwai disaster, with the memorial on the banks of the Whangaehu River, is also a reminder of the forces of nature.

“Recognition as an Historic Area would bring these, and newly recognised, heritage sites into a collection we can showcase, be proud of and commemorate.”

Work on the Main Trunk began at Te Awamutu in 1885. Once the Makohine Viaduct was built in 1902 it only took six more years to complete the monumental task of closing the approximately 200km gap between the railheads.

The stretch of Main Trunk railway proposed for Historic Area registration had a profound effect on New Zealand history. Not only did the railway alter the landscape, it brought industry, farming and intensified settlement into the Ruapehu and King Country regions. The dramatic features of this landscape contributed to the central section of the rail line being considered the aesthetic highlight of the railway.

Sites within the proposed historic area that had already been placed on the Register include the Raurimu Spiral, five viaducts and the Ohakune Railway Station. Also included are the Tangiwai Historic Reserve, commemorating the site where 151 people were killed in a 1953 train disaster, and the ‘Last Spike’ Memorial that marked the official completion of the NIMT in 1908.

Miss Astwood encouraged people to send in letters of submission with comments on the technical report or the proposal for registration. Registration as such has no direct short or long term regulatory consequences.

“Many New Zealanders have been associated with the Main Trunk railway in some way – be it travelling by train and admiring the views, driving alongside it in the car to making a living from it. It is a big part of our culture, an important part, and any submission will add to recording the history of the area.”

A copy of the Registration report is available online at www.historic.org.nz. Public submissions close on 22 May.

NZHPT acknowledges the generous support of the NZ Lottery Grants Board – Environment and Heritage, and ONTRACK for this research project.

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