It used the Silver Fern railcars and operated from Monday 9 December 1991 until Sunday 7 October 2001.
In 1928, when the East Coast Main Trunk Railway was completed to Taneatua, a passenger train commenced operating from Auckland on a slow (12-hour) schedule.
It did not last long, as the circuitous rail route struggled to compete with private cars, being withdrawn from 11 September 1967.
[1] In 1980 Tauranga radio station Radio BoP started running an excursion train from Tauranga to Matamata and Rotorua via the new Kaimai Tunnel under the name Kaimai Express, using NZR locomotives and carriages from Steam Inc and Railway Enthusiasts Society.
In June 2000 timings were changed to enable the introduction of the Waikato Connection morning and evening commuter service between Hamilton and Auckland.