consent. Transport and infrastructure State Highway 6 passes through the town, connecting it in the north to Hokitika and south to Hari Hari and Franz Josef. Intercity Coaches provides a bus service tor Ross with daily services to both Fox Glacier and Greymouth. Ross is at the southern end of the West Coast Wilderness Trail, a cycle route with its northern end at Greymouth. A branch line railway known as the Ross Branch was extended from Ruatapu to Ross on 1 April 1909, serving as the southern terminus of the line owned by the New Zealand Railways Department. However, a lengthy privately owned bush tramway ran south from the railway station to serve logging interests near Lake Ianthe and a railway extension from Ross through the Haast Pass to connect with the Otago Central Railway was proposed in the early 20th century, but did not eventuate. From the 1940s until 9 October 1962, a Vulcan railcar service operated directly from Christchurch to Ross twice a day. A lack of traffic and expensive maintenance costs meant the line was closed beyond Hokitika on 24 November 1980. Much of the old track bed between Ruatapu and Hokitika can be driven as it serves as an access road for local farmers, and a disused truss bridge still stands north of Ross. Education Ross School is the sole school in the town. It is a coeducational contributing (year 1–6) primary school with a roll of students as of The school opened in 1875 and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2000. The nearest intermediate and secondary school (year 7–13) is Westland High School in Hokitika. References Further reading Westland District Populated places in the West Coast, New Zealand West Coast Gold Rush Mining communities in New Zealand