Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Tunnels in New Zealand

This list of Tunnels in New Zealand is a link page for any railway tunnel, road tunnel or waterway tunnel, including any hydroelectric intake or tailrace or gun battery tunnel anywhere in the New Zealand. It includes man-made chambers but excludes caves and mines.

Table of contents
1 Hydroelectric Tunnels and Chambers
2 Gun Battery or Military Tunnels
3 Railway Tunnels
4 Road Tunnels

Hydroelectric Tunnels and Chambers

Gun Battery or Military Tunnels

Railway Tunnels

From longest to shortest.
  1. Kaimai - 8879 m - opened 12 September 1978 - at Apata on the East Coast Main Trunk Line to Tauranga.
  2. Rimutaka - 8798 m - opened October 29(?) 1955 - between Upper Hutt (Wellington) and Featherston (Wairarapa), replaced the Rimutaka Incline, a Fell mountain railway.
  3. Otira - 8566 m - opened 1923 - between Arthurs Pass and Otira, in the Southern Alps on the trans alpine South Island Midland Line - continuous 1 in 33 grade - electrified until 1990s.
  4. Tawa No. 2 - 4324 m - opened 1935, goods on 1 line, 1937 all traffic - longest double track tunnel in New Zealand. Between Wellington and Tawa.
  5. Tikiwhata - 2989 m - opened 1943, between Wairoa and Gisborne.
  6. Lyttelton - 2596 m - opened 1867, between Heathcote valley, (Christchurch) and Lyttelton.
  7. Turakina - 2091 m - opened 1947, between Marton and Wanganui.

Shortest Tunnels not constructed by the cut and cover technique

  1. A 39.83 m long tunnel - opened 1906, between Staircase and Avoca, South Island Midland Line.
  2. A 42.05 m long tunnel - opened in 1891, near Woodville, in the Manawatu Gorge.

Some Disused Railway Tunnels

Sources for Railway Tunnels:

Road Tunnels

See also: List of Tunnels of the World.