Dargaville Branch - Construction

Construction

The Dargaville Branch was built relatively late in comparison to most railway lines in New Zealand. Construction from Waiotira on the North Auckland Line commenced in 1922. Dargaville, however, was not reached for another eighteen years. The first twenty-two kilometres through unstable country took six years to build, with the line not opened to Kirikopuni until 15 May 1928. In January 1931, the line was open to Tangowahine, sixteen kilometres from Dargaville, but construction ceased for five years due to the Great Depression. In 1940, trains commenced running to Dargaville, but the old railway station (used by the Donnelly's Crossing Section) was closed and a new station built at a different location, delaying the formal opening of the Dargaville Branch until 15 March 1943, over twenty years after construction began.

At one time, there was a proposal to build a railway from Kirikopuni north to Kaikohe, but considering the presence of a line from Whangarei, this proposal was discarded. Some other construction did occur around Kirikopuni, however - the line was initially constructed with a balloon loop into the town, which was two kilometres north of the direct line to Dargaville, but a bypass eliminated the loop in 1943.