Kingston Flyer (train) - Demise

Demise

In the 1930s, passenger numbers declined starkly and the Railways Department looked to cancel its services on the Kingston Branch. This occurred on 4 October 1937, bringing an end to the regular Flyers. An abbreviated service continued to operate across the Waimea Plain to the Kingston Branch junction in Lumsden until 17 September 1945. On both lines, the service was replaced by buses operated by the New Zealand Railways Road Services.

However, this was not the end of the Flyers. The timetables retained a 'runs as required' Kingston Flyer, which typically operated at peak holiday periods between Gore and sometimes Dunedin to Kingston. Patronage was initially heavy, but it declined through the 1950s. 1956 was the last year when Flyers ran each way in the same day, and the final Flyer operated during the 1957 Easter holiday period.