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Railway Signalling In New Zealand
The first railway line in New Zealand (apart from tramways) was the line from Christchurch to Ferrymead (now part of the Lyttelton Line) opened in 1863. Under the “Grand Go-ahead Policy” of public works instituted by Sir Julius Vogel in 1870 (see Vogel Era) the network was rapidly expanded. Initially lines went from the main town and port to the rural hinterland, but the line between the cities of Christchurch and Dunedin (part of the Main South Line) section of the South Island Main Trunk Railway opened in 1878. The New Zealand Railways Department was established in 1876, and the rail network was then run by the central government rather than by provincial governments. Signalling installation was handled by district engineers in the maintenance branch. The Rakaia rail accident in 1899 when four passengers were killed showed the deficiencies in railway signalling and braking; Rakaia did not have fixed signals, and rolling stock apart from locomotives did not have air brake ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lyttelton Line
Lyttelton Line is a name sometimes used to refer to the section of the Main South Line in New Zealand's South Island between Lyttelton and Christchurch, and can also be used to refer to the operations on this section. As it has always been part of the Main South Line (originally the Canterbury Great Southern Railway), this name has never been officially used to refer to the track itself. The line between Lyttelton and Christchurch is notable for several reasons, including: incorporating part of the first public railway in New Zealand, between Ferrymead and Christchurch; including in its route the still operational first railway tunnel in New Zealand; and, having been the site of the first electrified suburban service in New Zealand. History Part of the Lyttelton Line was originally operated as New Zealand's first public railway, connecting the city of Christchurch to a wharf at Ferrymead. Because of the inaccessibility of the harbour at Lyttelton, shipping traffic berthed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
