Midland Railway Bridge 42

Midland Railway Bridge 42
Two DXC class locomotives crossing the bridge in 2015
Coordinates	43°00′40.6″S171°42′51.8″E / 43.011278°S 171.714389°E / -43.011278; 171.714389
Carries	Midland Line
Crosses	Waimakariri River
Locale	Canterbury, Cass
Owner	KiwiRail
Next upstream	Bealey Bridge
Next downstream	Mount White Bridge
Location

The Midland Railway Bridge 42, also known as simply the "Waimakariri Rail Bridge" ^[1] is a single-tracked railway bridge which carries the midland line over the Waimakariri River. It is located at the confluence of Red Beech Stream and the Waimakariri River, near Arthur's Pass National Park between the localities of Cass and Bealey, in Canterbury, New Zealand. The bridge was finished in 1912 ^[2] and is constructed of steel girders and concrete. ^[3] It is currently owned and operated by the New Zealand state-owned rail operator KiwiRail. ^[4]

The construction of the Midland Railway was a major engineering challenge and involved difficult terrain with very little use of machinery. Construction of the bridge formed a major milestone in the progress of eastern section of the railway. ^[5]

References

1. "TranzAlpine". Great Journeys NZ. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
2. "Midland Railway | Engineering New Zealand". www.engineeringnz.org. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
3. McKenzie, Hon. Roderick (16 October 1911). "1911 New Zealand Public Works Statement" (PDF). Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand: 7, 76. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
4. "Maps". gis.kiwirail.co.nz. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
5. "The progress of construction works on the Midland Railway. – Selwyn District Photograph Collection – Heritage – Christchurch City Libraries". christchurchcitylibraries.com. Retrieved 25 October 2025.