Hapuawhenua Deviation opens

 

Opening of Hapuawhenua deviation

In 1987 Richard Prebble was the Minister of Railways and in this undated clipping, he opens the new Hapuawhenua viaduct on the new Hapuawhenua deviation. This project was one of multiple deviations built in the 1980s to improve the North Island Main Trunk line and made a significant difference to the capacity of the line. 7.2km of new line were opened (cutting 2.2km from the route), and the line speed lifted from 45km/h to 75km/h.  Although the upgrade was essential to enable electrification to proceed (specifically the heavier and more powerful Class 30 electric locomotives), it had its own merits in reducing the operating costs and increasing speeds for the line.