Castlecliff Branch - Construction

Construction

In 1878, the Foxton and Wanganui Railway was opened. The southernmost portion between Foxton and Longburn became the now-closed Foxton Branch, the section from Longburn through Palmerston North to Marton part of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, the section from Marton to Aramoho part of the Marton - New Plymouth Line, and the 5 km from Aramoho to central Wanganui, opened on 21 January 1878, became the Wanganui Branch. This line was intended to link the ports of Wanganui and Foxton with the Manawatu hinterland and form part of a trunk route from Wellington to Taranaki. However the line's terminus at Taupo Quay was roughly 6 km from Wanganui's port at Castecliff. This led to the formation of the Wanganui Heads Railway Company (WHRC) to provide a direct rail link to the port.

The WHRC was floated in early 1882, and on 4 October 1882 the WHRC issued notice of its proposal to build the line under the District Railways Act of 1877. In July 1884 the WHRC called for tenders to construct the railway. The first sod was turned on 4 August 1884 at a public ceremony attended by approximately 400 people. Construction took a little over a year, and the line opened on 31 October 1885.