Thames Branch

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Railway line in New Zealand

title: "Thames Branch" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["railway-lines-in-new-zealand", "rail-transport-in-waikato", "railway-lines-opened-in-1898", "railway-lines-closed-in-1991", "3-ft-6-in-gauge-railways-in-new-zealand", "closed-railway-lines-in-new-zealand"] description: "Railway line in New Zealand" topic_path: "geography/new-zealand" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Branch" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Railway line in New Zealand ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rail line"]

Field	Value
name	Thames Branch
other_name	Waitoa Branch
color	6699FF
image	Former Train Station, Goods Shed In Thames.jpg
image_width	300
caption	The former station in Thames.
type	Heavy Rail
system	New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR)
status	Closed Waitoa - Thames
Open Morrinsville - Waitoa
locale	Waikato, New Zealand
start	Morrinsville
end	Thames
open	(Hamilton - Thames)
event1label	Junction moved to Paeroa
event1
event2label	Junction moved to Morrinsville
event2
event3label	Closed beyond Waitoa
event3
owner	New Zealand Railways Corporation (land)
KiwiRail (track)
operator	KiwiRail (as far as Waitoa dairy factory)
character	Rural
stock	None
linelength	74.07 km Morrinsville - Thames
11 km Open
tracks	Single
gauge
map
map_state	expanded
::

|navbar = Thames Branch |title = Thames Branch |title-color = white |title-bg = |text-width=80 |map= -startCollapsible-collapsed exKBHFa~~~~ \exHST~~~~ hbKRZWae~~Kauaeranga River \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exBHF~~~~ \exHST~~~~ hbKRZWae~~Ohinemuri River \exKRWgl%2Bl!~exHST+r~~~~ exSTRformer East Coast Main Trunk \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ \HST~~~~ hbKRZWaeWaihou River \exHST~~~~ \exHST~~~~ hbKRZWae~~Waitoa River \HST~~~~ \HST~~~~ \HST~~~~ hbKRZWae~~Piako River \KRWl\KRW+lr~~East Coast Main Trunk \BHF~~~~Morrinsville -endCollapsible-

The Thames Branch railway line connected Thames, New Zealand, with Hamilton and was originally part of the East Coast Main Trunk railway. Part of the line between Morrinsville and Waitoa remains open and is in use as the Waitoa Branch line, connecting to the Fonterra Dairy Factory at Waitoa.

History

The discovery of gold in the Thames area in 1852 provided the impetus for building a railway line from Auckland to Thames. In 1873 surveying was carried out for the Thames to Waikato line. This surveying was disrupted by natives from Ohinemuri. Despite the opposition the surveyor wrote that most natives supported the railway line. Thames to serve the gold mining industry. Surveys were completed in 1878, despite opposition from local Maori, putting the cost of the 54 km line at £178,000. The 32 mi Thames-Te Aroha section had cost £159,340 (about $30m in 2018 values) when opened. Premier Sir George Grey turned the first sod of the line at Thames on 21 December 1878, but 18 months later work from Thames was stopped by the 1880 Royal Commission ordered by Grey's successor. The track bed had been built as far as Kopu by 1884, employing about 30 men.

Construction of the section from Hamilton continued, albeit slowly. The line crossed the Waikato River and was opened from Morrinsville to Te Aroha on 1 March 1886, to Paeroa on 20 December 1895, and finally to Thames on 19 December 1898. The Minister of Railways, Alfred Cadman, drove the first train into Thames, headed by an F class locomotive.

One of the lines first major traffic sources was A & G Price of Thames, who started producing locomotives for NZGR from 1904.

Following the completion of the North Island Main Trunk in 1908, the government began planning the East Coast Main Trunk in 1909, eventually to connect to Gisborne. Work began in 1911 on a link from Paeroa through the Karangahake Gorge to Waihi. From this stage the Thames Branch was defined as Paeroa to Thames, with the Morrinsville - Paeroa section being designated as part of the East Coast Main Trunk.

In 1928 the passenger service was being provided by a steam railcar. Station closed to passengers on 28 March 1951. Freight was declining by 1930, leading to the loss of the porter at Puriri.

The opening of the Kaimai Tunnel in 1978 and the closure of the Paeroa - Katikati section of the East Coast Main Trunk led to the re-designation of the Morrinsville - Thames section as the Thames Branch.

Scheduled trains to Thames ceased in 1985. The last service on the line was on 28 June 1991, following the reduction in output from the Toyota New Zealand assembly plant at Thames resulting in loss of traffic. While New Zealand Rail did attempt to win this traffic back, the branch was officially closed on 31 May 1995. The Toyota plant closed for vehicle assembly in 1997 and 60 km of track was then lifted between Thames and the dairy factory at Waitoa. In 2004 the section of the line as far as Waitoa, which was still in place, was re-opened for dairy traffic, as part of Fonterra's policy of reviewing its transport links.

The Thames Railway Station building of 1898 survives as it was listed by NZHPT Category II in 1982. It is a standard Vintage station, with gables, finials and scalloped bargeboards.

Services

Currently, services to Waitoa consist of scheduled weekday shunts to Hamilton and Morrinsville carrying dairy products, usually powered by a DSJ class shunting locomotive, or by a DC class mainline locomotive when higher tonnages are being moved.

Stations

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Parawai_in_flood.jpg" caption="Parawai railway station in flood, in August 1907"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Parawai_railway_station_site_and_Thames_airport.jpg" caption="Parawai railway station site and Thames airport in 2023"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Mangaiti_railway_station_site.jpg" caption="Mangaiti railway station site in 2023"] ::

Stations were at Thames North (formerly known as Grahamstown, then Thames), Thames (Shortland until 1 October 1915 and Thames South until 28 April 1929), Parawai, Kopu, Matatoki, Puriri, Omahu, Wharepoa Rd, Hikutaia, Komata North, Paeroa (junction for Tauranga), Tirohia, Waitoki, Mangaiti, Tui Pa, Te Aroha, Herriesville, Waihou, Waitoa (current terminus), Tatuanui, Piako and the present junction with the ECMT at Morrinsville.

Cycleway

Most of the former rail alignment is now part of the Hauraki Rail Trail of the New Zealand Cycle Trail network, with the local councils in 2011 securing a 20-year lease, though the option of prior termination remains should KiwiRail intend to relay the railway to run trains along the corridor again.

References

Citations

Bibliography

Hermann, Bruce J; North Island Branch Lines pp 19–24 (2007, New Zealand Railway & Locomotive Society, Wellington)

References

http://www.ew.govt.nz/PageFiles/11027/TR0522.pdf Waikato Regional Land Transport Strategy - Transport Baseline Report, May 2005] {{Webarchive. link. (23 May 2010)
[http://www.ohinemuri.org.nz/journal/01/river_thames_history.htm The History of gold mining on "The River Thames"] {{Webarchive. link. (15 October 2009 - Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 1, June 1964, A.M. Isdale B.A.)
(1976). "Land of the Three Rivers: A Centennial History of Piako County". Wilson & Horton.
(1898-12-19). "Thames Railway.". Auckland Star.
(25 August 2022). "Inflation calculator".
"D-01 PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT, BY THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. EDWARD RICHARDSON, 24th OCTOBER, 1884. (Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1884-01-01)".
Zealand, National Library of New. "Papers Past {{!}} Thames to Kopu Railway. (Thames Star, 1884-10-01)".
[http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/M/Morrinsville/Morrinsville/en Morrinsville] - Te Ara, Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1966
(1928-01-07). "Local And General News.". The New Zealand Herald.
"Station Opening and Closing Dates".
"LESS TRAFFIC BY RAIL. (New Zealand Herald, 1930-02-05)".
Hermann, Bruce. (1995). "Small Lots". [[New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society]].
"Fonterra and Toll Sign 20-year Rail Agreement {{!}} Scoop News".
[http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/719 NZHPT listing with photo]
[https://railheritage.org.nz/buildings/thames-station/ Rail Heritage Trust - Thames]
Scoble, Juliet. (2010). "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations".
[http://www.aktnz.co.nz/2011/05/15/thames-line-handed-to-cycleway/ Thames Line Handed To Cycleway] - AKT Blog, 15 May 2011

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