OUR STORY -
The Waitara Railway Preservation Society was formed in 1999 with the aim of preserving the 7.5km long Waitara branch line in North Taranaki. With grants from the Taranaki Electricity Trust, TSB Community Trust and others, the line was purchased from Tranzrail for $360,000, and since 2003 has run regular excursions, using a mix of former New Zealand Railways locomotives and rolling stock.

The train ride from Waitara climbs the 1-in-40 Waitara Valley gradient (the steepest on a preserved railway in New Zealand), passes under the SH3 overbridge on Big Jim's Hill, through our depot and yards at Waitara Road, and crosses the picturesque Waiongana Stream. It ends in the old Lepperton Yard next to Kiwirail's Marton-to-New Plymouth line. The locomotive 'runs around' the train for the return journey.
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Some history . . .

The original railway line was opened in 1875, the first railway in Taranaki, running between Waitara and New Plymouth, to help with the settlement of the fledgling community.
It became disused after the Waitara Freezing Works closed in 1997.
With help from the Taranaki Electricity Trust, TSB Community Trust, and members, the line was purchased from Tranzrail by the society in 2001.

In 2003 the Society started carrying fare paying passengers.
​In 2004 the former Tahora Station building was relocated at Brixton, Waitara Road.
In 2015, thanks to the generosity of the TSB Community Trust, the bridge over the Waiongana River was re-sleepered.
In 2020 an extension to the Lepperton end of our track was built to enable a connection to the old Lepperton Yard. 
On January 2, 2022, our newly-restored locomotive Portland 11 made its first public run after achieving safety certification.
In March 2022, the former Waitotara Station was relocated to our Brixton depot for restoration.
In April 2023 we replaced our open viewing wagon with a new, larger wagon

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The Future . . .
Our current projects are the restoration of the former Waitotara Station building, and a 1930s passenger carriage