TranzAlpine train journey between Christchurch & Greymouth, New Zealand
Climb aboard the TranzAlpine! Experience a world famous train journey with KiwiRail Scenic Journeys through the Southern Alps of New Zealand.
TranzAlpine Train: The Most Scenic New Zealand Train Journey – New Zealand's Biggest Gap Year
Day 214: Today we’re taking the TranzAlpine Train in New Zealand from Christchurch to Greymouth (and back again). The New Zealand train passes through Arthur’s Pass National Park making it one of the world’s most scenic train journeys.
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-- About this video --
Today we’re taking the TranzAlpine Train in New Zealand! It’s considered one of the world’s most scenic train trips. Watch this video to see what it’s like to take a return journey with the KiwiRail TranzAlpine Train between Christchurch and Greymouth. It’s one of the great ways to travel across the South Island.
Admittedly, there is not much in the way of train travel in New Zealand, but with what New Zealand trains they do have, they are pretty amazing. The New Zealand TranzAlpine goes from Christchurch to Greymouth where the train goes through Arthur’s Pass National Park in the Southern Alps. The Arthur’s Pass train station is one of the stops before travelling through the Otira Tunnel, which is 8.5km long.
So what do you think of this South Island train journey? Would you add the Christchurch Greymouth Train / Greymouth Christchurch train to your South Island travel itinerary? Would you use this way to travel the South Island? LUK in the comments.
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-- New Zealand Biggest Gap Year --
365 Days: 365 Activities
BackpackerGuide.NZ is New Zealand’s biggest online travel guide for adventure and budget travel in New Zealand. Join us, as the team behind BackpackerGuide.NZ, Robin and Laura, update the travel guide while taking on 365 Days: 365 Activities in New Zealand! It’s New Zealand’s Biggest Gap Year! We release new videos of the New Zealand backpacking adventure every single day, as well as New Zealand travel tips and 360 videos every Sunday so start making your New Zealand bucket list!
Read more about this Christchurch train trip in New Zealand’s biggest guide for backpackers:
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Train Network in New Zealand ➜
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8 Best Backpacker Hostels in Christchurch ➜
Christchurch City – Guide for Backpackers ➜
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-- More Things to Do in Greymouth New Zealand –
5 Greymouth Must-Dos ➜
Greymouth - Guide for Backpackers ➜
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Self-Drive Off-Roading in Greymouth [VIDEO] ➜
TranzAlpine Train Journey Experience, South Island, New Zealand
The TranzAlpine Train by KiwiRail Scenic Journeys is branded as one of the world's great journeys. A journey of 223 kilometres, it takes passengers through contrasting landscapes, from beech forests to farmlands to gorges to alpine landscapes. The journey is quiet and comfortable, and the views can be enjoyed from the panoramic windows in the carriages. There is also an outdoor viewing carriage offering unobstructed views of the landscapes for photography. A café offering affordable snacks and light meals is available onboard.
The TranzAlpine is a great way to enjoy the diverse and stunning landscapes of South Island, New Zealand.
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TranzAlpine Train Ride. Greymouth to Christchurch.(New Zealand)
The TranzAlpine is a passenger train operated by The Great Journeys of New Zealand in the South Island of New Zealand over the Midland Line; often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes.
The journey is 223 kilometres one-way, taking almost five hours. There are 16 tunnels and four viaducts, with the Staircase Viaduct being 75 metres (246 ft) high.
The TRAIN you WON'T BELIEVE exist in New Zealand || TranzAlpine train || Vlog 19
The tranzAlpine has been a wonderful experience for us and especially when we got to do it on Catalina's 22nd birthday. We couldn't ask for any more! It is one of the greatest train journeys of the world with stunning sceneries and landscapes. The best time to do it is during the winters (June-sep), when you would be able to see glaciers and snow-caped mountains while keeping yourself warm inside the train with wide glass windows. The best thing about TranzAlpine is that you will be able to enjoy the views from the open carriage at the end of the trains well. The train has a mini cafe and bar inside with small cafeteria where you can eat or have some drinks while acknowledging the beauty of southern Alps of New Zealand with your eyes. It is truly once in a lifetime to do journey. We highly recommend this train journey to everybody out there. Thanks for watching guys. Enjoy!
TranzAlpine Train Journey from Christchurch to Greymouth (New Zealand) in Aug 2017
Experience the South Island’s striking natural landscape by taking a train between Christchurch and Greymouth. Along this journey you’ll see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest.
The TranzAlpine is one of the world's great train journeys covering 223 kilometres (139 miles) one-way, taking just under 5 hours. You’ll traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains, to the backdrop of the mighty Southern Alps - the journey of a lifetime.
The Tranzalpine | Christchurch - Greymouth
The Tranzalpine train travels from Christchurch (on the east coast) to Greymouth (on the west coast) and return in the South Island of New Zealand most days of the year. It starts off in suburban Christchurch and then onto the flat Canterbury plains. It then follows a river gorge and makes its way into the high mountains of the Southern Alps, where it plunges through an 8 kilometre tunnel. It then makes its way to the seaside town of Greymouth via Lake Brunner.
The TranzAlpine Train; The Most Scenic New Zealand Train Journey; between Christchurch & Greymouth.
It's the most scenic train ride in New Zealand, and one of the most scenic train trips anywhere in the world.
The Train runs once daily between Christchurch, Arthur's Pass and Greymouth on the South Island's west coast, through the amazing misty mountain scenery of the Southern Alps.
After the rain by Rexlambo
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Driver's eye view - Highspeed TranzAlpine Part 1 - Christchurch to Arthurs Pass
Enjoy an uninterrupted view of the line ahead between Christchurch and Arthurs Pass, with all the viaducts, tunnels and fabulous scenery at 8 x normal speed.
TranzAlpine Train, New Zealand
ROBANCA TRAVELOGUES: One of the World's Great Train Journeys. South Island, New Zealand, Christchurch to Greymouth.
TranzAlpine train journey between Christchurch & Greymouth, New Zealand
The TranzAlpine scenic train journeys between Christchurch and Greymouth, crossing from one coast of New Zealand to the other.
From the comfort of world class carriages, see the fields of the Canterbury Plains and farmland, followed by the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River. Your train then climbs into the majestic Southern Alps to Arthurs Pass National Park, before descending through lush beech rainforest to the West Coast town of Greymouth -- a great base for visits to Punakaiki and the always-popular glaciers.
Enjoy all this in the comfort of new world-class carriages featuring huge panoramic windows, an on board licensed café with a range of delicious Kiwi flavors, and GSP triggered at-seat audio commentary.
TranzAlpine Train Journey - EPIC WEST COAST ADVENTURE!
The website for the TranzAlpine Train Journey -
Yes, this video is probably a surprise to Y'all. Hope you enjoy!
Treetop walk -
Thrifty -
Greymouth Top 10 Holiday Park -
On Yer Bike! -
What a day! Hope you enjoyed Day 1 of our trip over to the West Coast. Such awesome views all day! Keep your eyes peeled for Day 2!
NEW ZEALAND VACATION 2019 - TRANZALPINE RAILWAY - CHRISTCHURCH to ARTHUR'S PASS - Day 11 (Part 1)
Welcome to my channel - Day 11 of our trip to New Zealand after a 1 night stopover at the Distinction hotel in Christchurch we we were taken by the coach captain on the coach to Christchurch Kiwi Rail train station to travel on the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Arthur's pass where the coach collected us & took us on to our next 2 night stopover at Franz Joseph
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New Zealand by Rail - part 1: TranzAlpine Scenic Train Greymouth - Christchurch
Part One of the New Zealand Railway Journey from Greymouth to Auckland; travelling on the scenic Intercity trains TranzAlpine, Coastal Pacific and Northern Explorer via Otira Tunnel, Arthur's Pass, Springfield, Christchurch, Picton, Wellington, Palmerston Nord, National Park, and Hamilton
Scenic Train: № 804 TranzAlpine
From: Greymouth (Māwhera), West Coast Region, South Island, New Zealand
To: Christchurch (Ōtautahi), Canterbury Region, South Island, New Zealand
Route via Midland Line: Moana, Otira, Southern Alps, Arthur's Pass, Broken River, Staircase Viaduct, Waimakariri River, Springfield, Darfield, Rolleston
Car No: E
Travel Class: One Class
Seating Car Model: New Zealand AK class, built by Hillside Workshops in Dunedin
Price: NZD 121.38 (approx. EUR 71)
Scheduled travel time: 5 hours and 26 min
Departure: 14:05
Arrival: 18:31 (actual arrival time: 18:46)
Distance: approx. 223 km
Travel season: December 2019
Train operator: The Great Journeys of New Zealand, tourism division of KiwiRail
Diesel Locomotives Greymouth - Christchurch: Two General Electric DX Class U26C 5460 and 5333 (built by GE Transportation in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States in the early 1970s)
Push Diesel Locomotive Otira - Otira Tunnel - Arthur's Pass: DXC 5229
TranzAlpine Train in Christchurch, New Zealand
The TranzAlpine is a passenger train operated by The Great Journeys of New Zealand in the South Island of New Zealand over the Midland Line; often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes. The journey is 223 kilometres one-way, taking almost five hours. There are 16 tunnels and four viaducts, with the Staircase Viaduct being 75 metres high.
It's perhaps the most scenic train ride in New Zealand, and one of the most scenic train trips anywhere in the world. The TranzAlpine, run by New Zealand train operator KiwiRail as part of their Great Journeys of New Zealand division, runs once daily between Christchurch, Arthur's Pass and Greymouth on the South Island's west coast, through the amazing misty mountain scenery of the Southern Alps. The journey takes 4½ hours, and if you like you can go there and back in a day with an hour in Greymouth. Or take the TranzAlpine one-way, and connect with buses down the west coast to Franz Josef Glacier. Although I rate the North Island's Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington as a far more historic and epic route, and in many ways almost equally scenic, you certainly won't regret buying a ticket for the TranzAlpine! This page explains the TranzAlpine's timetable, fares, how to buy the cheapest tickets, and what there is to see on the journey.
The train has become increasingly popular, and carried 204,000 passengers in the financial year ending 2007. By 2016, passenger numbers were approximately 130,000 a year, but rising again after the setback of the Christchurch earthquake, and were exceeding pre-earthquake levels.
A journey on the Tranz-Alpine...
You should check in at least 20 minutes before departure at Christchurch's passenger railway station. This small modern rail terminal opened in 1993 in the suburb of Addington, about 3 km southwest of Christchurch city centre. You check-in at the desks in the main entrance hall, where you are allocated your seat numbers. Heavy baggage must be checked in to the baggage car. The station stands in the middle of an unremarkable industrial estate, but this whole area was once the massive Addington railway works where many of New Zealand Railways' locomotives and rolling stock were made. There's little left to show for it now! Christchurch's original railway station was located on Moorhouse Avenue immediately to the south of the city centre. Until the recent earthquake, the old station building, completed in 1960 to a design first published in 1938, still existed and was being used as the 'Science Alive' entertainment centre. It's now been demolished.
The TranzAlpine leaves Christchurch at 08:15, and within ten minutes the Addington cement works and freight yards give way to small wooden suburban bungalows. Minutes later the train is crossing flat open farmland, doing 60mph across the Canterbury plain heading relentlessly towards the snow-capped Southern Alps on the horizon.
The train passes fields of sheep, cattle, and red deer, passes the small commuter town of Darfield, and the first tentative foothills appear. At around 9am the train calls at Springfield, where fresh muffins are loaded aboard for the cafe-bar...
At around 09:20 the TranzAlpine starts its climb into the Southern Alps, with views of the stunning Waimakiriri River gorge to the right.
As it climbs, the train crosses a series of steel girder bridges over deep gorges and through a series of short tunnels. The highest viaduct is the famous 'Staircase', 73 metres above the river. The scenery here is spectacular.
By about 09:40, the train reaches a grassy plateau dotted with hills. Hills give way to more mountains, liberally hung with mist.
At 10:15 the TranzAlpine stops at Arthurs Pass station, surrounded by yet more mist-laden mountains, and there's time to get out , stretch your legs and take photographs.
Almost immediately after leaving Arthurs Pass the train enters the Otira Tunnel. At 8.6 kilometres long, it's one of the longest tunnels in New Zealand. It was only completed in 1923, allowing direct train travel from east to west across the South Island. This section of line was once electrified, but now a door closes behind each train, allowing the train to act as a huge piston, forcing the diesel fumes out.
Just the other side of the tunnel is Otira itself, where the TranzAlpine makes a very brief call. Otira was a railway town, running the railway that kept the coal flowing from the west coast coalfields to Christchurch and the rest of New Zealand.
The train now follows a deep valley containing a broad shallow river. It crosses that river on a low bridge several times. Ever more mist-laden mountains flank the valley, a wonderful part of the journey. Watch out for waterfalls...
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TranzAlpine Train | Great Journeys Of NZ | World Culture Network
TranzAlpine train journey is one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world & definitely the most scenic in New Zealand. During our trip, we got a chance to experience this stunning journey between Christchurch & Greymouth. Here's how the entire journey looks like! Drop a comment if you have any questions.
You can read about our TranzAlpine experience in detail here:
Activity Partner: The Great Journeys Of New Zealand (
Supported by: Tourism New Zealand (
Music: Destination Unknown by Ugonna Onyekwe
Created by: Parampara Patil Hashmi & Parichay Mehta
Produced by: World Culture Network
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Coastal Pacific: Christchurch - Picton - Kaikoura (HD)
Today we go for a ride on KiwiRail Scenic's Coastal Pacific from Christchurch to Picton and back to the seaside settlement of Kaikoura. We travel through the Hurunui Gorge and alongside the Pacific Ocean and into the Dashwood Pass before heading into Picton behind DXB 5143. With a change of locomotive at Picton to DCP 4755, we head up the steep grade to Elevation and through the Dashwood Pass once more and then across Lake Grassmere before heading down the coast and finishing this presentation at Kaikoura.
Sorry for some of the rain drops and wind noise in these shots.
Music by Audionautix.
TranzAlpine Train || Christchurch - Greymouth || New Zealand
KiwiRail TranzAlpine Scenic Journey 2015
An extended 1m 30s short film of aerial footage showing the TranzAlpine weaving through the mountains and forests of New Zealand's South Island as it journeys from Christchurch to Greymouth.
Tranz Alpine Train Journey between Christchurch and Greymouth, New Zealand
Climb aboard one of the world's most famous train journeys. Cross the fertile farmlands of the Canterbury Plains, and enjoy thrilling vistas over deep gorges as you travel alongside the ice-fed Waimakariri River. Traverse the mighty Southern Alps, where spectacular views of the chiselled alpine landscape will take your breath away at every turn. Descend through thick stands of native
beech forest to your destination, Greymouth -- a great base for exploring this unspoiled region with its mighty glaciers, wild rivers and famous Punakaiki pancake rocks. Video Credit: KiwiRail Limited
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