|
}} }} The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, and on its route passed through Paraparaumu, Palmerston North, Taihape, National Park, Taumarunui, Te Kuiti, Hamilton, and Pukekohe. Most of the NIMT is single track with frequent passing loops, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of . The line is double track between Wellington and Waikanae (apart from a small single track section between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki), between Hamilton and Te Kauwhata, and between Meremere and Auckland Britomart. Around of the line is electrified in three separate sections: one section at 1500 V DC between Wellington and Waikanae, and two section at 25 kV AC: between Palmerston North and Te Rapa (Hamilton) and between Papakura and Auckland Britomart. The first section of what became the NIMT opened in 1873 in Auckland. Construction of the Wellington end began in 1885, and the line was completed in 1908 and fully operational by 1909. The line is credited for having been an economic lifeline for the young nation, and for having opened up the centre of the North Island to European settlement and investment.〔 In the early days, a passenger journey could take more than 20 hours; today, the Northern Explorer takes approximately 11 hours.〔 The NIMT has been described as an "engineering miracle" , with numerous engineering feats such as viaducts, tunnels and a spiral built to overcome large elevation differences with grades suitable for steam engines. == History == 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「North Island Main Trunk」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|