Eastern Line, Auckland

The Eastern Line in Auckland, New Zealand is the name given to Auckland suburban (northern) part of the North Island Main Trunk. Suburban services are operated by Veolia under the MAXX brand. Just recently it had an upgrade with the new Sylvia Park station.

Construction

The line from Auckland - Westfield via Glen Innes was constructed as the Westfield deviation of the North Island Main Trunk. This deviation had been proposed as early as the 1870s, but various events meant that it was never constructed, until traffic on the Auckland - Newmarket Line began to significantly increase delays. The Westfield deviation avoided the major grades of the former main line, which had a highest point of 81m above sea level, compared with the new line's highest point of 24m.

A small reclamation had been made in the early 1920s 2km out of Queen Street into Mechanics Bay for goods yards and maintenance sheds. The remaining 14km section was built between 1924 and 1930 by the Public Works Department as part of general improvements to Auckland's rail network. The construction and opening of this line coincided with the then new Auckland Railway Station.

The section from Mechanics Bay to Orakei required significant reclamation over Hobson Bay. At the same time a new road, Tamaki Drive, was built alongside part of the railway line. A notable feature of the deviation is that no rail crossings were created by its construction. The line was completed on 24 September 1929, but did not open for traffic until 11 May 1930cite book|title=North Island Main Trunk An Illustrated History|author=Bill Pierre|date=1981|publisher=A W Reed] .

References

ee also

* Public transport in Auckland
* List of Auckland railway stations