New Zealand
New Zealand has only a handful of long-distance passenger trains — but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in sheer drama. This is a country of snow-capped alps, glacial rivers, rainforest and wild coasts, and its scenic railways thread straight through the best of it.
Chief among them is the TranzAlpine, which crosses the spine of the South Island from the Pacific to the Tasman Sea — regularly named one of the great train journeys of the world.
Rail journeys in New Zealand
Coastal Pacific
Christchurch to Picton beside the Pacific — over a railway the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake tore into the sea and two years of work put back.
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Driving Creek Railway
A potter hand-built this 381 mm line up a Coromandel hillside to carry his own clay — five zigzags, three tunnels and a viaduct with a track on each deck.
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Glenbrook Vintage Railway
The tail of a branch line the state closed in 1967, relaid by volunteers: 7.5 km of steam an hour south of Auckland, behind a tank engine of 1910.
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Northern Explorer
Auckland to Wellington in a day across the volcanic plateau, and up the Raurimu Spiral — a full circle stacked into a hillside to climb 139 metres.
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Taieri Gorge Railway
Dunedin into the Taieri Gorge on wrought-iron viaducts and through hand-cut tunnels — a railway mothballed in 2020 and selling seats again.
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The Seasider
Dunedin north along the Otago coast to Merton — the only passenger train left on the Main South Line, with a brewery stop halfway.
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TranzAlpine
One of the world's great rail journeys — from Christchurch to the wild West Coast, across the Southern Alps through Arthur's Pass and the 8.5 km Otira Tunnel.
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Weka Pass Railway
The branch that was meant to be the South Island main trunk, kept by volunteers: 12.8 km of limestone cuttings on a 1 in 47, from Waipara up to Waikari.
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Can you get around New Zealand by train?
Only partly — New Zealand has just a handful of long-distance passenger trains, run by Great Journeys New Zealand (KiwiRail), so rail here is a scenic highlight rather than a way to reach everywhere. Most travel is by car, coach or the inter-island ferry, with the trains slotted in as experiences in their own right.
Which are the great scenic trains?
Three: the TranzAlpine across the Southern Alps between Christchurch and Greymouth; the Coastal Pacific down the east coast between Picton and Christchurch; and the Northern Explorer between Auckland and Wellington. Each has panoramic windows and an open-air viewing car.
When is the best time to visit New Zealand?
The trains run year-round. Summer (December–February) brings green valleys and long days; winter dusts the Alps with snow; and the shoulder seasons are quieter. The scenery is superb in any season, so it comes down to the weather — and crowds — you prefer.
How do I build the trains into a trip?
They link up well: the Coastal Pacific meets the Picton ferry from Wellington, the TranzAlpine crosses the South Island to the West Coast, and the Northern Explorer spans the North Island. Pair them with a hire car for the fjords, glaciers and coast the railway doesn't reach.