X-Nico

7 unusual facts about Midland Line


Mainline Steam

The organisation regularly operates excursions out of Auckland and Christchurch, the latter operating excursions primarily along the highly scenic Midland Line.

Midland Line

Midland Main Line between London St Pancras station, the East Midlands and Sheffield.

Midland Line, New Zealand

The other primary source of coal traffic is from the Solid Energy facility at Ngakawau, north of Westport.

New Zealand DX class locomotive

Generally the DXC sub-class is assigned to the South Island, as the modified air intakes were designed to assist in are useful for working the Midland Line, coal trains (see above) particularly in the formerly electrified Otira Tunnel section, whereas the DXB sub-class were predominantly assigned to the North Island.

NZR KB class

As intended, the KB class were based solely in the South Island and performed most of their work hauling freight trains on the Midland Line.

Following the success of the K class in the North Island, there was a need for similar locomotives to operate the Midland Line, primarily between Springfield and Arthur's Pass.

Railway preservation in New Zealand

However, the remains of WMR NO 9 (N 453) were found at Bealey on the Midland Line, and in 2003 the locomotive's frames were retrieved, followed by the tender tank, underframe, and bogie frames in 2005.


New Zealand Midland Railway Company

The New Zealand Midland Railway Company partially constructed the Midland line between Christchurch and Greymouth and the Nelson railway in the South Island.

NZR ED class

A further seven locomotives were assembled at the Hutt Workshops and two at Addington Workshops for use on the Otira - Arthur's Pass section of the Midland Line.

Swiss Central Railway

From Olten the midland line connected to Bern and Thun, the Olten–Brugg line connected with the Swiss Northeastern Railway's (German: Schweizerische Nordostbahn, NOB) line to Zürich, the Jura foot line connected to Biel and the Olten–Lucerne railway line connected to Lucerne.


see also

Avonside Locomotive Works

The company used the shunting line into Fishponds railway station and onto the Midland line in order to get their engines onto the mainline and onto their customers.

Chapel-en-le-Frith railway station

The Midland line is still in situ and used for freight to and from Peak Forest.

North Midland Railway

From 1966, Sheffield - Doncaster services were switched from Sheffield Victoria to Sheffield (Midland) station, and thus ran over the North Midland line through Rotherham Masborough as far north as Aldwarke Junction (south of Kilnhurst).