Marsden Point Branch
The Marsden Point Branch is a 19 km (12 mi) branch line railway, which is to be built in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It will diverge from the North Auckland Line at Oakleigh, south of Whangārei, and serve Northport at Marsden Point. The proposal has existed since the 1970s and land for the rail corridor is being actively purchased.
| Marsden Point Branch | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Proposed, subject to funding |
| Owner | KiwiRail (land) Previously KiwiRail-Northland Regional Council joint venture |
| Termini | |
| Service | |
| Rolling stock | None |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 16 km |
| Character | Rural |
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
In October 2017, the new Labour–NZ First coalition government announced that it would spend $600 million on rehabilitating the North Auckland Line and building the branch at a cost of $200 million, the total works to cost $800 million. In June 2021 it was announced that the line would be built and was expected to take about 5 years. In April 2023 it was announced that KiwiRail was "progressing" the business case for the branch.