Rimutaka Tunnel The first shot was fired in 1948 when the Public Works Department started the tunnel with bores of at the western end and at the eastern end. A contract for completing the tunnel was let to a consortium of Morrison Knudsen Inc. and Downer and Company on 7 May 1951. The work commenced at the west end in July 1951 and at the east end in August. The contract was expected to be completed in four years, but the headings met on 20 April 1954 with the concrete lining finished a month later. New Zealand Railways took possession of the
Rimutaka Incline railway accident to push it up the steep 1 in 15 ascent to the summit of the Rimutaka Incline. At Cross Creek the two passenger cars and the luggage carriage were put in front of the engine. Then behind this were two wagons of timber and lastly the Fell brake van. All went well until the train reached an area of the incline known as Siberia. A strong north-west wind was blowing across the track. A terrific gust hit the three leading carriages, which were blown off the railway line. The body of the first carriage was torn from its mountings and