# Culverden Express

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Passenger train in New Zealand

The ***Culverden Express*** was a passenger [train](/source/Train) operated by the [New Zealand Railways Department](/source/New_Zealand_Railways_Department) between [Christchurch](/source/Christchurch) and [Culverden](/source/Culverden). It ran from 1886 until its replacement by the *[Picton Express](/source/Picton_Express)* in 1945 and its route followed both the [Main North Line](/source/Main_North_Line%2C_New_Zealand) and the [Waiau Branch](/source/Waiau_Branch). In the mid-1920s, the main northern terminus became [Parnassus](/source/Parnassus%2C_New_Zealand), and to reflect this, the name was changed to the ***Parnassus Express***.

## Introduction

On 8 February 1886, the railway line from Christchurch to Culverden was opened. Initially envisaged as part of the main route north to [Marlborough](/source/Marlborough_Region), an express passenger train began operating between the two towns. It was the most important passenger train in the northern [Canterbury](/source/Canterbury%2C_New_Zealand) region and it received modern rolling stock and [steam locomotives](/source/Steam_locomotives), such as the [UB class](/source/NZR_Ub_class) of 1899.[1] In 1919, when the railway was extended beyond Culverden to [Waiau](/source/Waiau%2C_Canterbury), the *Express'*s operation was extended too: it ran twice daily between Christchurch and Culverden, continuing thrice weekly through to Waiau.[2]

## A new route

In 1900, work began on a coastal route north of [Waipara](/source/Waipara), where the Main North Line turned inland to run through the [Weka Pass](/source/Weka_Pass) to Culverden. This line reached [Parnassus](/source/Parnassus%2C_New_Zealand) in 1912. Initially, the service to Culverden remained the main *Express*, with carriages for Parnassus detached at Waipara and operated separately through to Parnassus. However, in the mid-1920s, Parnassus became the primary terminus, with the carriages detached in Waipara now conveyed to Culverden. The name of the train was changed to the *Parnassus Express* to reflect the alteration. This train was used for trials of the 'Midland Red' paint scheme to replace the Railways Department's former olive green with yellow trim livery;[3] this paint scheme later came to be used nationwide through to the 1990s.

## Replacement

The *Culverden Express* route gradually declined in importance as Parnassus became the primary terminus and work began on the coastal route as the line to the north. The [New Zealand Railways Road Services](/source/New_Zealand_Railways_Road_Services) bus operations were actively encouraged, resulting in a stark decline in passenger demand on the Waipara-Culverden-Waiau route on what was now the Waiau Branch. In 1914, 20,000 passengers were carried, but by 1938, this figure was down to 3,000 annually and passenger services on the Waiau Branch were cancelled on 29 January 1939.[4] The service to Parnassus continued to operate until the Main North Line was completed in full from Christchurch to [Picton](/source/Picton%2C_New_Zealand) in December 1945. With the full line open, the Parnassus train was replaced by the *Picton Express*.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Mahoney, J.D. (1982). *Kings of the Iron Road*. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. p. 110.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Leitch, David; Scott, Brian (1998) [1995]. *Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways* (revised ed.). Wellington: Grantham House. p. 62.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMahoney1982105_3-0)** [Mahoney 1982](#CITEREFMahoney1982), p. 105.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Churchman, Geoffrey B.; Hurst, Tony (1991). *The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey Through History*. Auckland: HarperCollins. p. 181.

## External links

- [Tracks on OpenStreetMap](http://www.openstreetmap.org/export/embed.html?bbox=172.5859,-42.9776,172.8268,-42.7468&layer=mapnik) (As dotted line, may require user to zoom in)

v t e Long-distance passenger trains of New Zealand Operational North Island Northern Explorer Capital Connection Te Huia Wairarapa Connection South Island Coastal Pacific TranzAlpine Seasider Taieri Gorge Limited Historic North Island Bay Express Blue Streak Daylight Limited Endeavour Geyserland Express Kaimai Express Napier Express New Plymouth Express New Plymouth Night Express Night Limited Northerner Northland Express Overlander Rotorua Express Scenic Daylight Silver Fern Silver Star Taneatua Express Taranaki Flyer Thames Express Waikato Connection Wairarapa Mail South Island Culverden Express Kingston Flyer Lynx Express Picton Express South Island Limited Southerner

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Culverden Express](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culverden_Express) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culverden_Express?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.