The township, at the time named Bealey Flats after the second Superintendent of Canterbury, Samuel Bealey, was originally built as a construction village for the building of the Otira Tunnel, which started on 14 January 1908. The railway from Christchurch reached Arthur's Pass township in 1914, the Westland section having advanced to Otira. Construction of the tunnel was very slow; it finally finished in 1923, and its opening marked by the British and Intercolonial Exhibition. The TranzAlpine passenger rail service passes through Arthur's Pass and the Otira Tunnel as part of its journey from Christchurch to Greymouth. The trip is considered one of the world's great train journeys due to its scenery and views.