CHRISTCHURCH – CULVERDEN LINE

THE NORTH CANTERBURY RAILWAY LINE

The first railway in Canterbury was opened in 1863and investigations were made a year later to find the best route for the northern line. Due to lack of finances sthe scheme was shelved until 1870 when a further survey was made. After much pressure from interested groups a railway route was planned and built. It progressively reached Kaiapoi on 29^th April 1872, Rangiora on 5^th November 1872, Amberley of 9^th February 1876, Waikare on 17^th April 1882, and finally Culverden on 9^th February 1886.

Branch lines were also built between Rangiora and Oxford in 1875, between Kaiapoi and Bennetts in 1878, and Waipara as far as Domett by 1907. Because of better communication, many Post Offices were opened along these lines.

The Post Office soon found that the railway was a more efficient means of transporting the mail so that it was not long before it negotiated to have the mails sent by train, and later it established a special carriage to sort the mail en route.