Trust, DCC delighted to win rail heritage award

The Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust and the Dunedin City Council are delighted to have won a rail heritage restoration award for their work to reopen the Chain Hills Tunnel to the public.

The trust and DCC were jointly recognised with the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand Restoration Award at the Federation of Railway Organisations of New Zealand conference held in Auckland on Sunday (31 May 2026).

The award recognises the tireless work of trust members over many years – supported by the DCC – to restore and reuse the Chain Hills tunnel, as well as work on the track leading to it, as part of the wider Dunedin Tunnels Trail project.

Trustee Gerard Hyland, who first championed the project in 2005, travelled to Auckland to receive the award – a plaque which will be placed on the tunnel portal.

“Winning this award came as a complete surprise but we’re all thrilled. It’s nice to see others are watching and taking note of the project and understand its value,” Mr Hyland says.

Trust Chair Brent Irving says, “This is great national recognition for the project and its heritage values, as well as the efforts of trust members, DCC staff, contractors and volunteers. This project has been many years in the making and is already proving to be popular with the public, which is fantastic to see.

“We’re absolutely delighted and looking forward to making further announcements on stages two and three of the project soon.”

Stage one – which opened to the public in December 2025 – involves a 1.5km trip along a disused rail alignment, through regenerating native bush and the historic Chain Hills Tunnel, before stopping a few hundred metres beyond the tunnel.

Work on the first stage was delivered by the DCC, which provided $1.8 million in funding.

DCC Project Director – Major Projects Dr Glen Hazelton, as project manager for the work, says the award is great recognition for an amazing new community asset, years of advocacy from the Trust and a passionate team of contractors.

“It’s really cool seeing so many members of our community – young and old – out there experiencing the tunnel and the beautiful native bush surrounding it. This award is the icing on the cake for a project we’re all proud to have helped deliver.”

The trust has also received a further funding grant of $2 million from the government, which will go towards delivering future stages of the project, and the DCC continues to work with the trust to support delivery of the project.

This will include making Caversham Tunnel available for future track development.

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