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|} The Waitara Branch is a branch line railway 7.245 km long in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island. It was built as part of the region's first railway, linking New Plymouth with the closest suitable port, then the river port of Waitara. In 1884 the Breakwater port was opened in New Plymouth, but the line was saved when a (meat) freezing works was opened at Waitara in 1885. For many years the line served the Borthwicks freezing works in town, until it closed in 1995. The branch was closed on 2 February 1999.〔 *Hermann, Bruce J; ''North Island Branch Lines'' pp 45,46 (2007, New Zealand Railway & Locomotive Society, Wellington) ISBN 978-0-908573-83-7 〕 The line has since been purchased by the Waitara Railway Preservation Society, who now operate tourist trains on the line. == Construction == In 1872 surveys began for the best route and two were considered: a coastal route which was more direct, and an inland route which was longer, but more convenient for future extensions to the south. The inland route was chosen. The contract to build the railway was let in 1873 and the line was completed and opened in October 1875. In 1874, while the land was being cleared at Sentry Hill for the new railway, the daughter of William Perrett (a labourer working on the line) was abducted after he had ignored requests not to dig through a Māori burial ground from the land wars 10 years earlier. Caroline Perrett (known to all as "Queenie") was not seen by her parents again and not rediscovered by her original family until 1926, 52 years after the incident occurred.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=The Story of Queenie )〕 The line of railway where this occurred was closed in 1908 during alterations at Sentry Hill. 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「Waitara Branch」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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