Ferrymead Railway is a heritage railway at Ferrymead Heritage Park, Christchurch, rated 4.6 from 14 Google reviews. It is operated by the Canterbury Railway Society, a non-profit group that restores and runs the line. The website says the site is where New Zealand's first public railway began in 1863, and it describes steam, diesel and electric locomotives, rolling stock and signalling equipment. Visitors need to pay the Ferrymead Heritage Park entry fee as well as the train fare. Train runs and special events happen on set days, and the website lists them in advance. Opening hours and booking do not apply to the park as a whole.
Heritage railways run to a timetable of set running days, so check the next date before you travel, since the trains do not run every day. Special events such as night markets draw bigger crowds, so arrive early on those days. Children enjoy the engines, but the tracks and platforms need close supervision. Regulars often return to see a different locomotive running on each visit.
Ferrymead Railway suits Christchurch families and history fans who want to see and ride historic trains at Ferrymead.