- Route
- Christchurch ↔ Greymouth
- Distance
- 223 km / 139 mi
- Audio stories
- 26
- In the app
- Both directions · Works offline
Watch the journey
A short film of the line — the views the guide narrates as they pass your window. English captions in the player.
Route map
Tap to explore the full route.
The route in text
- Route
- Christchurch ↔ Greymouth, New Zealand
- Distance
- 223 km / 139 mi
- Audio stories
- 26, narrated in both directions of travel, fully offline
- On the map
- Illustrated route map of the TranzAlpine with stations, distances, and journey highlights. Station names and distance markers are printed on the map itself.
About this journey
Cross New Zealand's South Island coast to coast on the TranzAlpine, from Christchurch over the Southern Alps to Greymouth. The train climbs from the Canterbury Plains through the braided Waimakariri gorge and the beech forests of Arthur's Pass, then descends to the wild West Coast — one of the great rail journeys of the world in under five hours.
Stops along the way
The stations the narration is keyed to, in order (toward greymouth). Timetables and stops change; check the operator before you book.
- Christchurch
- Rolleston
- Darfield
- Springfield
- Arthur's Pass
- Moana (Lake Brunner)
- Greymouth
Highlights and which side to look
A few of the 26 narrated sights, toward greymouth, with the side of the train they appear on. See every sight, both directions.
| Distance from start | Sight | Look |
|---|---|---|
| 193 km (120 mi) | Lake Brunner & Moana | Left side |
How the app works on this route
- Stories are triggered by GPS as you reach each place, so nothing depends on a signal or a timetable.
- Every story has a version for each direction of travel, and the narration says which side to look.
- Download the journey once at home; everything then works offline, including photos and the route map.
- The first three stories are free to listen to in the app before you buy.
- Narration keeps playing with the phone locked, so you can watch the window instead of the screen.
Questions about the TranzAlpine
- Which side of the TranzAlpine should I sit on?
- Toward Greymouth: 1 on the left, 25 on either side. The app tells you which way to look for every story as it plays, so either seat works; the full list for both directions is in the window guide.
- Does the audio guide work without signal?
- Yes. Download the TranzAlpine once at home and every story, photo and map works offline for the whole ride. Stories are triggered by GPS, which needs no signal.
- Does it work in both directions?
- Yes. Every story has a version for each direction of travel, and "left" and "right" are given relative to the way your train is moving.
- Can I try it before buying?
- Yes. The first three stories of the TranzAlpine are free to listen to in the app, with their photos. The full journey is a one-time $4.99 purchase, or the Rail Journeys Pass ($29.99, one-time) covers every journey, including future ones, for life.
Sources
Route distance (223 km / 139 mi): the operator's published figure — greatjourneysnz.com. Stops and sights: the app's own route data, as rendered in the window guide.
