Taieri Gorge Railway

When the Otago Central line closed in 1990 the section from Dunedin up the Taieri Gorge was kept and run as a tourist railway - the rest became the rail trail. The train leaves from Dunedin Railway Station, a 1906 Flemish Renaissance building of dark basalt and light limestone that is worth arriving early for, and climbs into the gorge on a route built in the 1880s and 90s: ten tunnels, a series of wrought-iron viaducts including the Wingatui viaduct at 47 metres, and cuttings blasted through schist by hand. The gorge itself is inaccessible by road, which is the argument for the train. Open viewing platforms between carriages let you stand outside. Services were suspended in 2020 and restored in stages under Dunedin Railways, and the timetable and destinations have changed since, so confirm what is running before planning around it.

What you actually see

• The Wingatui viaduct - 47 metres of wrought iron over Mullocky Gully.
• The tunnels and cuttings - hand-cut through schist in the 1880s.
• The gorge - country no road reaches.
• Dunedin Railway Station - the 1906 building the train leaves from.

When to go

Any season; the carriages are heated. Check the current timetable - services and routes have changed since the 2020 suspension. Book ahead on cruise-ship days.

Honest expectations

Timetables are reduced compared with the past and vary by season - confirm before travelling. It is a return trip of several hours with limited stops. The open platforms are cold and windy.

Nearby

Dunedin city and the Otago Peninsula are close; the rail trail begins at Middlemarch.