South of Auckland, apart from commuter services to suburbs and townships near the city, just one dedicated passenger train operated - the Rotorua Express, which only became daily in October 1902.
Due to the circuitous nature of the railway line, the much more direct water route of the steamships afforded them an inherent advantage.
The increased implementation of new A class steam locomotives allowed the express to take 6 hours 45 minutes to complete its 237 km long journey, but this did not gain many passengers from the steamships.
In 1917, economic difficulties created by the conditions of World War I meant that the Thames and Rotorua Expresses were combined into a single train.
The opening of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway through to the Bay of Plenty in 1928 significantly reduced Thames's importance as a terminus.