Friday but it only ran when required. It takes roughly three hours both ways; the service to Dargaville arrived in the mid-morning and departed before lunch, arriving in Whangarei in the mid-afternoon. October 2014 closure In late October 2014 KiwiRail staff were told the line was closed until further notice. The loading contractor responsible for the loading of rail wagons, Forest Loaders, were also informed and all remaining wood stock will be removed by road. Earlier the line was shut for a number of months due to a washout, the line was repaired but the only activity after the repair was the removal of all stranded rail wagons. In 2015, a tourist railcart service began using the branch line. Motive power Typical motive power on the Dargaville Branch from its opening until the mid-1960s were steam locomotives of the AB and J classes. When the line was dieselised, DA class diesel-electrics took over and worked the line until 1988. In 2000 the sole remaining DJ class locomotive was allocated to Whangarei to work the line. The DBR class and DC class locomotives comprised the typical motive power from then until the closure of the line in 2014. See also North Auckland Line Donnellys Crossing Section/Branch Marsden Point Branch Ōkaihau Branch Onerahi Branch Opua Branch References Citations Bibliography External links Photos - First train and Pukehuia station in 1927 First train over Wairoa Bridge in 1927 Pukehuia station in 1973 Kirikopuni station in 1973 Tangowahine station in 1973 Railway lines in New Zealand Kaipara District Railway lines opened in 1943 Rail transport in the Northland Region Dargaville