[2][3] The first 5 km was authorised in 1910 and required a road-rail bridge over the Waikato River, with an extension which carried the railway over the main highway.

The nearby Wilton Collieries Co complained that they too did not have public money put into building their line and river bridge.

As the works now in hand draw to a close, it is proposed to continue operations on this line in the direction of the Burnt bridge.

In 1928 the line was operated by WW class locomotives, carrying about 350 miners a day and monthly coal outputs of 11,000 tons at Rotowaro, 15,000 at Pukemiro and 12,000 at Glen Afton, as well as bringing in supplies such as pit props.

Passenger traffic reached a peak in 1947, as shown in the graph and table below - The branch line was dieselised in 1966, with a special New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society excursion train on 12 March 1966 to mark the change, hauled by two BB class steam locomotives.

A 1935 schedule allowed 45 minutes for the 8 mi 78 ch (14.4 km)[13] all stations trip from Huntly to Glen Afton.