In 2019, the New Zealand Government announced an extensive overhaul of the North Auckland Line, which was in significant decline and required a large amount of attention to get back up to standard.
The line was closed for a 6 month period in 2020 to allow the replacing of bridges and lowering/strengthening of tunnels, and was reopened in January 2021 with many speed restrictions, mostly at 25 or 40 km/h.
Since then, the 180 kilometer long section between Swanson & Whangarei sees daily work, replacing rail, sleepers, corridor etc.
At the present point in time, there is one return service daily, 120 northbound from Auckland to Whangarei, and 129 returning in the evening. However, the future plan is to open a spur line to the Port at Marsden Point, opening the opportunity for more trains daily on the network - the construction on this has yet to begin, but funding has been allocated by the current government.
We follow Train 120 between Swanson and Wellsford on 3 separate days, with 3 different locomotive combinations, within the Auckland region's border - as we are under Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and are required to keep within the borders.