Rail

With the foothills of the spectacular Southern Alps in the background, the scenic TranzAlpine Express travels across the Canterbury Plains.
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In the South Island, Tranz Scenic runs two magnificent railways. Between Picton and Christchurch you can catch the TranzCoastal, which gives you the Kaikoura mountain ranges on one side and the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline on the other. The other intrepid rail route is the TranzAlpine, which travels over the dividing range between east and west. This particular trip, linking Christchurch to Greymouth, has been called one of the world’s top six train journeys.

In the North Island, the Overlander train links Wellington and Auckland as it travels through the central North Island and winds the famous Raurimu Spiral.

Our other rail experiences rely on the passion and dedication of enthusiasts. Southland has the Kingston Flyer, Dunedin has the Taieri Gorge Railway and Auckland is the launching point for amazing boutique steam train trips around the whole country.