Waikaka Branch

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Waikaka Branch: A short rural railway in Southland, New Zealand

The Waikaka Branch was a small offshoot of the Main South Line. It left the Gore–Kelso route at McNab and ran about 21 kilometres to the farming village of Waikaka. The line was single-track, used the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge, and opened on 26 November 1908. It closed on 9 September 1962.

Stations along the line included McNab, Howe, Willowbank, Maitland, Fleming, Pullar, and Waikaka.

Construction began in 1907, with the first sod turned by Acting Prime Minister Joseph Ward. Local residents built the line under supervision rather than by outside contractors. The route carried both passengers and freight to help local farmers access markets, as roads were poor and wagon transport costly.

A daily mixed service ran from Gore to Waikaka and back. Passenger services were cancelled on 9 February 1931 due to low use, and the Waikaka depot closed. By 1950, services had fallen to two or three trains weekly as roads improved and costs rose. A notable 1962 church excursion carried about 800 people to a picnic near Wyndham.

The line stayed open for freight related to the Roxburgh Dam project, but after the dam was completed there wasn’t enough traffic to keep it running, and it closed in 1962.

Today, traces of the Waikaka Branch remain. In Willowbank, you can find a preserved windmill, a wooden water tank, and a Historic Places plaque at the old yard. Fleming still has stockyards and loading chutes, and the former railbed is still visible in parts of the countryside. Waikaka also retains some railway-era staff housing.