Onehunga - Transport

Transport

The Onehunga branch railway line opened in 1873 and was one of the first railways in New Zealand built by provincial government. Passenger services ran on the line for 100 years until April 1973. A limited number of freight services continued to use the line until 2006 when the line was mothballed. In late 2006 the Government announced approval for $10 million to be spent on reopening the line. Passenger services resumed on 19 September 2010. The Campaign for Better Transport is currently campaigning to have the line extended south across the proposed new SH20 Manukau Harbour second crossing bridge to Auckland International Airport. Auckland's Mayor Len Brown has also campaigned for such an airport rail link, though it will likely only (be able to) happen after a CBD rail link is completed.

Queen St, named after Queen Victoria and renamed Onehunga Mall in the early 1970s, led onto the 1920s Mangere Bridge and thence to the suburb of the same name. This was one of the main land routes south out of Auckland and the usual route to the airport until the motorway and regional road system in the 1970s diverted the through traffic away from the Onehunga and Mangere Bridge.

Until 1956, a tram line ran all the way from the Auckland CBD to Onehunga.