Marlborough Railscene

The railway line through Marlborough connects Picton with Christchurch and through the ferry connection from Wellington to Picton forms part of the route from Auckland to Christchurch. That's why quite some tonnage is transiting on this line.

The Coastal Pacific Express also departs from Picton on its way to Christchurch. A DCP locomotive stands in Picton ready to haul its train south. [Mar 2013].

The Coastal Pacific stands at the Picton Railway Station ready to depart for Christchurch. Part of the railway yards have now been converted to a waiting area for cars. [Jan 2020].
But not always do things look so good in the Picton yard. In November 2009 this derailment had to be cleared up before the Coastal Pacific Express could depart. It seems that the class DQ loco led by the DX derailed as it entered the Picton yard with a freight train. [Nov 2009].
Two DX locomotives are about to depart Picton with a freight train into the night. [Jan 2020].
The line rises steeply from Picton to the pass at Elevation. On the way out of Picton trains also pass over the Waitohi viaduct, which passes over the Waitohi Stream and the Alexander's Holiday Park. We stayed in one of the cabins, a converted railway carriage, for two nights. The Coastal Pacific on its way out of Picton. [Jan 2020].
This is the view of the viaduct in Picton from the train. [Mar 2013].
A freight train approaches Elevation from the South. This is the highest point of the section between Picton and Blenheim. [Jan 2020].
A freight train crosses the Wairau River north of Blenheim. [Jan 2020].
The Blenheim freight terminal is north of the city at Springs Creek. Here containers are also interchanged for transport to and from Nelson. This terminal is fairly busy and there are two trains a day that just travel the short distance between Picton and Springs Creek to carry freight to or from the ferries. [Jan 2020].
The Coastal Pacific leaves Blenheim towards Picton. Since the Coastal Pacific was reinstated on 1 December 2018 after the Kaikoura Earthquake it has been hauled by one of the two DXR class locomotives. [Jan 2020].
The Coastal Pacific Express has left Blenheim, the one city in Marlborough, behind and now travels south towards Christchurch. [Jul 2008].
Travelling towards Blenheim from the south this freight train is hauled by three locomotives. [Jul 2008].
Before trains reach Blenheim from the south they have to travel across Dashwood Pass. The gradient is quite steep for the heavy freight trains. At the top of the pass the railway line is crossed by the state highway. The train seen in the previous picture is seen at Dashwood Pass. [Jul 2008].
As the train travels down the pass, the three engines can be clearly seen. Between the two DX engines is a DQ. The DQ locomotives were rebuilt in New Zealand from old Queensland locomotives to get some cheap motive power. [Jul 2008].
DXR 8022 hauls the Coastal Pacific passenger train northwards across the Awatere River. This bridge, built in 1902, once used to carry the State Highway on the lower deck. In 2007 a new road bridge was opened just west of the former combined bridge, which now only carries trains. [Jan 2020].
South of Ward the railway line runs close to the coast. Here DFT 7199 hauls a freight train north near Parikawa. [May 2004].
On 14 November 2016 the Kaikoura Earthquake jolted the area and caused various landslides and land movements. As a result the transport links north and south of Kaikoura were destroyed. The government decided to reinstate both the rail and road link along the coast. On 15 September 2017 the railway between Picton and Christchurch was re-opened. The state highway was re-opened 3 months later on 15 December 2017. Further work continued to be done on the road and rail lines well into 2020. A freight train at Okiwi Bay. [Jan 2020].
The earthquake lifted the land, so that it is now further from the sea. The freight train travels north at Okiwi Bay. A DSG shunting locomotive is also transferred on this train. [Jan 2020].
For some distance the road and railway line are squeezed in right between the hills and the Pacific Ocean. This is the view from the Coastal Pacific Express. [Mar 2013].
Two Dx locomotives haul a train near Mangamaunu. [Jul 2013].
Two DA locomotives from the North Island sit on a siding in the seaside town of Kaikoura. These two heritage locomotives were brought here to haul a special tour train a few days later. In the background are the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges. [Apr 2021].
Even though Kaikoura is technically in Canterbury, not in Marlborough, I include it on this page. It is part of the Marlborough tourist infrastructure and its landscape is also more characteristic of Marlborough. In the background are the Kaikoura Ranges as the Coastal Pacific stops in the town of Kaikoura. [Nov 2009].
A few years later, this DCP locomotive in full KiwiRail livery is at the head of a Coastal Pacific train in Kaikoura. [Mar 2013].
The Coastal Pacific Express leaves Kaikoura southward. [Nov 2009].
After the driver was changed in Kaikoura, the new driver at the front of the Coastal Pacific Express gets a drink before the train departs northward. [Apr 2021].
From 2018 onwards one of the two DXR locomotives was normally used to haul the Coastal Pacific Express. Here DXR 8022 haul the passenger train northwards out of Kaikoura. [Apr 2021].
DXR8022 arrives into Kaikoura with the Coastal Pacific from the North on an autumn afternoon. It had been delayed by a fire on the coast near Kaikoura. [Apr 2021].
The Coastal Pacific Express travels along the Pacific Ocean coast near Oaro. [Apr 2021].
At Oaro the Coastal Pacific Express travels along the coast. Here only the railway line is near the coast, while the state highway is further inland. [Mar 2013].