RAIL-142 RAIL TRANSPORT IN MEWZEALAND - RAIL TRANSPORT IN WORLD COUNTRIES SERIES VOL-02
krishna rao khanapur
Rail transport in New Zealand is an integral part of New Zealand's transport network, with a nationwide network of 4,375.5 km (2,718.8 mi) of track linking most major cities in the North and South Islands, connected by inter-island rail and road ferries. Rail transport in New Zealand has a particular focus on bulk freight exports and imports, with 19 million net tones moved by rail annually, accounting for more than half of rail revenue.
Rail transport played an important role in the opening up and development of the hinterland outside of New Zealand's predominantly dispersed and coastal settlements. Starting with the Ferry mead Railway in 1863, most public railway lines were short, built by provincial governments and connected major centers to their nearest seaport (such as Christchurch and its port at Lyttleton Harbor). From the 1870s, the focus shifted to building a nationwide network linking major centers, especially during the Vogel Era of railway construction following the abolition of the provinces. Narrow gauge of 3ft 6in (1,067mm) was adopted nationally. Bush tramways or light industrial railways sprang up connecting to the national network as it expanded. Railways became centrally controlled as a government department under the names New Zealand Government Railways or New Zealand Railways Department (NZR), and land transport was heavily regulated from 1931 by the Transport Licensing Act 1931. NZR eventually expanded into other transport modes, especially with the Railways Road Services, inter-island ferries and Rail Air service. NZR also had an extensive network of workshops. By 1981, NZR employed 22,000 staff.