Built by the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway Company Limited during 1872,[3] the line was approved by and constructed under the auspices of the Otago Provincial Council, not the central government.

[1] The line was formally opened by Sir George Bowen, former Governor of New Zealand, on a farewell trip prior to his transfer to Victoria.

[4] Not long after opening, the central Government purchased the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway Company for £150,000, with the transaction completed in May 1873.

[6] Local popularity ensured the locomotive was retained beyond its retirement from service on in 1917 and is preserved today in the Otago Settlers Museum in Dunedin.

It has evolved from nineteenth century imports of supplies and exports of produce from rural Otago's farms and businesses into today's long-distance containerised freight.

For up to $1.5 million, connecting the site to the Main South Line would reduce truck movements by 7,500 each year, KiwiRail submitted.