The Little River Branch was a

branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industr ...

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

that formed part of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

national rail network In United States railroading, the term national rail network, sometimes termed "U.S. rail network", refers to the entire network of interconnected standard gauge rail lines in North America. It does not include most subway or light rail lines. F ...

. It diverged from the Southbridge Branch in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

and ran down Banks Peninsula in the

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

region of the South Island. It was opened to

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

in 1886 and operated until 1962.

Construction

Little River contained one of only two significant stands of timber in the Canterbury region (the other, near

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, was serviced by the Oxford Branch), and accordingly, plans were made to build a line to provide convenient transportation and stimulate economic activity. These were finalised in 1879, and construction was under way by the next year. On 16 May 1882, the first 27.44 km of the line were opened to

Birdling's Flat Birdlings Flat, originally named Te Mata Hapuku, is a settlement in Canterbury, New Zealand, at the eastern end of Kaitorete Spit and the southern end of Lake Forsyth, where the lake discharges to the sea. It is not far from eastern end of Lake ...

, and almost four years later, the next nine kilometres were opened to Little River. There were proposals to extend the line as far as Akaroa, but these did not eventuate and Little River remained the terminus.

Operation

In the early years of the line, it operated profitably as large quantities of timber were transported by rail to destinations off the branch. This freight was mainly but not solely loaded in Little River. There was also significant agricultural activity in the area; livestock and farming supplies were important commodities at all stations. As time progressed, the timber traffic declined as no effort was made to replant and sustain the industry, and accordingly, the line's traffic became increasingly focused on the agricultural industry that was expanding into the felled areas. Passenger numbers totalled over 10,000 in the line's first year of operation, though no dedicated passenger trains ran. Instead, until 1927, passengers were carried on

mixed train A mixed train or mixed consist is a train that contains both passenger and freight cars or wagons. Although common in the early days of railways, by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. Typically, service ...

s. In 1927, an experiment was conducted on the Little River Branch when the Edison battery-electric

railcar A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a dri ...

was trialled. It provided a twice daily dedicated passenger service each way between Christchurch and Little River, completing the trip in 69 minutes. Affordable and efficient, the railcar proved popular with travellers, but its life was abruptly cut short in 1934 when it was destroyed in a depot fire and not replaced due to the poor economic conditions of the Great Depression, forcing passengers back to the slower mixed trains. Around this time, traffic started to seriously decline. Timber traffic was becoming non-existent because resources were almost exhausted, and road transport was increasingly competitive with rail. A Royal Commission in 1930 had recommended that passenger services be cancelled and freight trains operated only thrice weekly, but provisions were made for passengers until 14 April 1951, and in 1952, goods trains were still operating nine times a week. However, the line was making a financial loss and service cuts could not alleviate it. With the line becoming too uneconomic to continue to operate, it was closed on 30 June 1962, along with the Southbridge Branch beyond Lincoln.

The branch today

The Little River Branch is one of New Zealand's best preserved former railways. The

Little River Rail Trail The Little River Rail Trail is a cycling and walking track on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. Location The rail trail utilises the formation of the Little River Branch railway, which ran from a junct ...

has been established as a walking and cycling track utilising the former

track bed The track bed or trackbed is the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links. According to Network Rail, the trackbed is the layers of ballast a ...

of the branch, in much the same style as the

Otago Central Rail Trail The Otago Central Rail Trail is a 150-kilometre walking, cycling and horse riding track in the South Island of New Zealand. A pioneering project for New Zealand, the successful rail trail joined the New Zealand Cycle Trail umbrella organisation ...

. On 28 May 2006, the first section, from Motukarara to Catons Bay Reserve, was opened to the public, and plans exist to convert the entire line into a rail trail, though it may deviate from the railway's original route in places to ensure easy accessibility. Furthermore, the Little River station has been well preserved by the local community, who have converted into a centre that sells local craft and historical items. The platform and goods shed are still in good repair, and some metres of trackage have been installed so that a number of preserved freight wagons can be displayed.

References

Bibliography

* * * Hermann, Bruce J; ''South Island Branch Lines'' pp 9,10 (1997, New Zealand Railway & Locomotive Society, Wellington) *

External links

Patrick Dunford's Railways of New Zealand - Little River Branch
contains photos of the Little River Rail Trail and restored station. {{NZR Lines Railway lines in New Zealand Rail transport in Canterbury, New Zealand 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in New Zealand Railway lines opened in 1886 Railway lines closed in 1962 Closed railway lines in New Zealand