[3] The Minister of Public Works (R. McKenzie)[4] turned the first sod, beside the railway at Ohakune,[5] on Monday, 19 February 1912, when 20 workers were about to start building the line.

A 1930 Royal Commission into the state of New Zealand's railway network recommended the termination of passenger services, but this was not actually done until 16 December 1951.

By the late 1950s, timber traffic had declined sharply, and road transport was creating strong competition for the branch line.

The Raetihi station building has been relocated from its old site to a new location in the town and has been restored as part of the Waimarino Museum.

For the rest of the line's length, notable remnants are absent, but the formation can be sighted at points, especially where embankments or cuttings were required.