Silver Star (NZR train)
Former New Zealand Passenger Train / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Silver Star was a luxury passenger train that ran overnight between Auckland and Wellington on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) railway of New Zealand, operated by New Zealand Railways (NZR). The train ran from Monday 6 September 1971 until Sunday 8 June 1979. It replaced the Night Limited express passenger trains which provided a faster service than the ordinary express trains, by stopping at only six intermediate stations (Palmerston North, Marton, Taumarunui, Taihape, Te Kuiti, Frankton)[2] en route and not hauling a postal (sorting) van as on previous trains.
Overview | |
---|---|
Service type | Overnight Passenger Train |
Status | Terminated |
Predecessor | Night Limited |
First service | 6 September 1971 |
Last service | 8 June 1979 |
Successor | Northerner |
Former operator(s) | New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) |
Route | |
Termini | Wellington Auckland |
Line(s) used | North Island Main Trunk |
Technical | |
Rolling stock | AR/AT class Silver Star carriages[1] |
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
Designed as a "hotel on wheels", the service was unsuccessful and attempts to re-use the rolling stock were thwarted by the presence of asbestos in the carriages. NZR eventually sold the carriages to the Eastern and Oriental Express, where they remain in use.[3]