History / Life And Society

Season 2 Ep 10: NZ Railways

05:00 am on 28 October 2022

All aboard for a voyage into the history of New Zealand’s railways! 

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From a standing start of little tank engines chugging along wooden rails, New Zealand built a vast rail network, made up of enough steel rail to wrap halfway around the moon.

If our rail network was once so massive, why is it now a shadow of its former glory?

In this episode we discuss:

  • How Māori originally travelled overland in Aotearoa.
  • The development of railways in the UK and the impact they had on society.
  • Early efforts at building short railways in New Zealand.
  • Premier Julius Vogel’s massive expansion of the rail network.
  • The importance of rail for New Zealand’s economy, education, politics and culture.
  • The challenges and opportunities rail created for Māori.
  • The lives of those who built and maintained the rail network.
  • The replacement of rail with automobiles and aircraft.
  • Arguments over the return of rail 

For more on this subject:

  • Can’t Get There From Here by Andre Brett
  • Trainlands by Neill Atkinson
  • Te Ara Encyclopaedia - Railways https://teara.govt.nz/en/railways