Waitara Railway on Track

Our Stories: Issue 53 

A ceremonial spike was hammered in for the official opening of the Waitara track extension at Lepperton Yard in October.

The Waitara Railway Preservation Society was formed to look after the 7km-long branch line from Waitara to Lepperton. The stretch of track between Waitara and New Plymouth was the first railway to be constructed in Taranaki, opening in 1875. 

Mike Zeier, Chairman of the Waitara Railway Preservation Society, said a new extension of the track into Lepperton Yard adds an extra 300 metres. “Now we have access to Lepperton Yard. This gives us the ability to run the train around instead of pushing it, which makes it a lot safer,” Mike said.

A grant of $21,600 from TSB Community Trust helped with digger costs and materials, like sleepers, bolts and screw spikes. With the extension, the track needed to comply with current safety standards.

“We got the funding first. The Taranaki Electricity Trust gave us a grant but that was on the condition that we got the rest [of the project costs]. It was really good how TSB Community Trust got behind the project. It all came together.”

A lot of the hard work on the project was done by members of the Society earlier this year. The Society is working with Kiwirail to get the track fully open. “We have had the health and safety sign-off and we can use most of it now.

The branch line is now finally 'finished', having access to the yard, instead of stopping 300 metres short of the destination.

Lepperton Yard has been attractively landscaped by the neighbouring farmers, which can now be enjoyed by the passengers."

“We have special trains running each day for the garden festivals. We will be able to bring in steam trains too. That will attract people from outside of the region. We get about 3000 - 5000 people a year riding the train,” Mike said.