New Zealand - Railway - Opening of the Midland Railway - Stillwater junction - 1889 - James Ring Photo New Zealand Railway - Rail transport in New Zealand is an integral part of New Zealand's transport network - With a nationwide network of 4,128 km of track linking most major cities in the North and South Islands - Connected by inter-island rail and road ferries - Has a particular focus on bulk freight exports and imports - 18 million net tonnes moved by rail annually (Reference: Wikipedia) Midland Line, New Zealand - The Midland line is a 212km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. - The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel. - It is the route of the popular TranzAlpine passenger train. (Reference; Wikipedia) Stillwater, West Coast - A town in the South Island of New Zealand east of Greymouth on the banks of the Grey River in the Grey District of the West Coast, next to Brunner - There is also Stillwater, Auckland in the North Island. - State Highway 7 passes through Stillwater, and it is a railway junction where the Stillwater - Westport Line meets the Midland Line. - The Stillwater Junction Railway Station opened on 14 November 1887. - The TranzAlpine passenger express train which runs the length of the Midland Line from Christchurch to Greymouth passes through Stillwater, but does not stop. - Previous passenger services did stop, e.g. a service to Westport run by RM class Vulcan railcars up to 1967. - The station refreshment room closed at the same time. (Reference: Wikipedia) -------------------- Image source: Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand Reference No. 1/2-060033-F https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationallibrarynz_commons/3057611332/