The Northern Explorer is in the last 30 minutes of the day long journey from Wellington as it passes through Te Mahia on tracks shared with Auckland Transport trains.
Trains on 3' 6" (1.067m) track from Whangarei to Bluff with virtually heritage rebuilt EMD and GE locomotives still the mainstay power. The network was privatized in 1990's and operated by Toll until 2008 when state owned KiwiRail was established.