Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Kiwirail southbound freight train 721 nears the end of its journey from Picton to Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand's Main North Line (MNL)
The Main North Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk railway, is a railway line that runs north from Christchurch in New Zealand up the east coast of the South Island through Kaikōura and Blenheim to Picton.
It is a major link in New Zealand's national rail network and offers a connection with roll-on roll-off ferries from Picton to Wellington. It was also the longest railway construction project in New Zealand's history, with the first stages built in the 1870s and not completed until 1945.
Kiwirail southbound freight train 721 nears the end of its journey from Picton to Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand's Main North Line (MNL)
The Main North Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk railway, is a railway line that runs north from Christchurch in New Zealand up the east coast of the South Island through Kaikōura and Blenheim to Picton.
It is a major link in New Zealand's national rail network and offers a connection with roll-on roll-off ferries from Picton to Wellington. It was also the longest railway construction project in New Zealand's history, with the first stages built in the 1870s and not completed until 1945.
