Daylight Limited

Former rail service between Auckland and Wellington

For the Southern Pacific train, see Coast Daylight.

The Daylight Limited was an express passenger train between Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand along the North Island Main Trunk. It commenced in 1925 and was replaced by the Scenic Daylight in 1960.

## Introduction

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After the introduction of the Night Limited in 1924, the New Zealand Railways Department investigated the possibility of a daylight train between Wellington and Auckland. It was introduced on a trial basis in 1925-26, but was then cancelled until another trial in 1929-30. The economic impact of the Great Depression intervened and the service was cut back to operating solely during the Christmas and Easter peak seasons.

## Operation

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In the off-peak season the Night Limited catered for passenger demand between Auckland and Wellington, but at the times of the most intense demand extra trains ran. In the early years of the service, AB and sometimes WAB class steam locomotives operated the train, and later more modern locomotives such as the KA class were used, with ED and EW electric locomotives between Wellington and Paekākāriki from 1940.

The train made extended stops at Mercer, Frankton, Taumarunui and Marton for refreshments: Marton refreshment rooms closed in 1954 and Mercer in 1958.[1]

## Replacement

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In 1963, the train was replaced by the diesel-hauled Scenic Daylight operating year-round.

## References

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* New Zealand History Online - The Daylight Limited: Poster and Article

## External links

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* Photo of Limited Express at Frankton Station c1937

* v
* t
* e

Long-distance passenger trains of New Zealand

Operational|

| North Island|

* Northern Explorer
* Capital Connection
* Te Huia
* Wairarapa Connection

|

South Island|

* Coastal Pacific
* TranzAlpine
* Seasider
* Taieri Gorge Limited

Historic|

| North Island|

* Bay Express
* Blue Streak
* Daylight Limited
* Endeavour
* Geyserland Express
* Kaimai Express
* Napier Express
* New Plymouth Express
* New Plymouth Night Express
* Night Limited
* Northerner
* Northland Express
* Overlander
* Rotorua Express
* Scenic Daylight
* Silver Fern
* Silver Star
* Taneatua Express
* Taranaki Flyer
* Thames Express
* Waikato Connection
* Wairarapa Mail

|

South Island|

* Culverden Express
* Kingston Flyer
* Lynx Express
* Picton Express
* South Island Limited
* Southerner

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