Tranz Alpine train marks 30 years
So what’s the prettiest part of that five-hour rail trip between Christchurch and Greymouth, Bill?
That takes retired train driver Bill Gage, from Greymouth, aback. He’s 76 and was one of two drivers who handled the first return run of the TranzAlpine Express 30 years ago.
He’s been talking about speeds on curves, how you keep the train ‘‘stretched’’ to make braking smooth, technical stuff like that. But pretty views? ‘‘Um,’’ he says. Then it comes to him.
‘‘The staircase, coming over that big, high bridge, the highest one. That is beautiful through there.’’ And he hits stride again. ‘‘You’ve got to remember that the West Coast is better looking than the Canterbury side. Got to stick up for us West Coasters.’’
Gage was a special guest at celebrations yesterday to mark the 30th year of the scenic TranzAlpine Express operation.
The TranzAlpine was launched on November 22, 1987, with a couple of flashed-up carriages, including one with revolutionary super big windows, and a buffet car. Sheepskin seat covers, tables for four facing seats and commentary were other novelties in the attempt to rescue the dying railways with a new idea that people would buy train tickets to look out the window, not just use it as cheap transport.
That idea has worked for 30 years. The first year 17,000 took the trip. By 1989 it was 72,000 and this year it’s expected158,000 will climb aboard.
But the star has always been the hypnotic, sweeping, dramatically changing views as the train moves through the bushy hills, high country, beech forests, alongside the braided Waimakariri River, and across ironed-flat sweeping plains. National Geographic calls the TranzAlpine one of the world’s greatest scenic train trips. No-one disagrees.
Gage admits drivers probably get the best views of all, even if their minds are on other things. He drove trains for 49 years and rates it among his best memories.
‘‘Everyone I have ever talked to who has come over as a passenger has always thought it was marvellous. It’s done well. They have done well to keep it going like that.’’