Unlike the other three narrow gauge lines, it was built through mostly flat, open, agricultural country, following the King River.

The 30.5-mile (49 km) line was built as a narrow gauge one because it was thought that it might be extended into the mountainous country to the south, although that never happened.

It relied mostly on local agricultural traffic, and opened with a daily mixed train.

By the 1930s, that had been reduced to a weekly goods service, and stayed at that level until the railway closed.

There was only one lineside industry, a dairy at Moyhu, and the majority of stations were nameboards at road crossings.