It diverged from the Southbridge Branch in Lincoln and ran down Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of the South Island.

In the early years of the line, it operated profitably as large quantities of timber were transported by rail to destinations off the branch.

Affordable and efficient, the railcar proved popular with travellers, but its life was abruptly cut short in 1934 when it was destroyed in a depot fire and not replaced due to the poor economic conditions of the Great Depression, forcing passengers back to the slower mixed trains.

Timber traffic was becoming non-existent because resources were almost exhausted, and road transport was increasingly competitive with rail.

On 28 May 2006, the first section, from Motukarara to Catons Bay Reserve, was opened to the public, and plans exist to convert the entire line into a rail trail, though it may deviate from the railway's original route in places to ensure easy accessibility.