Editing New Plymouth (section)

== Transport ==
An {{convert|18|km|mi|abbr=on}} railway link between New Plymouth and [[Waitara, New Zealand|Waitara]] was completed in 1875; this later became the [[Waitara Branch]]. The next year, work began on a line south to [[Stratford, New Zealand|Stratford]], which was reached in 1879, followed by [[Hāwera]] in 1881. This line, known as the [[Marton - New Plymouth Line]], was completed on 23 March 1885, and when the [[Wellington - Manawatu Line]] of the [[Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company]] was opened on 3 November 1886, a direct railway link was established to Wellington.<ref>''New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas'', fourth edition, edited by John Yonge (Essex: Quail Map Company, 1993), 9–11, 15.</ref> The original routing through the centre of the town was replaced in 1907 by an alignment along the foreshore, which remains today. The [[New Plymouth Express]] passenger train began operating on this route in December 1886. In 1926, it was augmented by the [[Taranaki Flyer]] for the run between New Plymouth and Wanganui, A direct railway route to Auckland was not established until 1932, when the [[Stratford–Okahukura Line]] was completed; the next year, when the line was handed over from the [[New Zealand Ministry of Works|Public Works Department]] to the [[New Zealand Railways Department]], the [[New Plymouth Night Express]] began operating to Auckland.<ref>J. D. Mahoney, ''Kings of the Iron Road: Steam Passenger Trains of New Zealand'' (Palmerston North: Dunmore Press, 1982), 67, 71.</ref> All carriage trains were replaced by [[NZR RM class|RM class]] [[NZR RM class (Standard)|Standard]] and [[NZR RM class (88 seater)|88 seater]] [[railcar]]s by 1956. The Wanganui service ceased in 1959; the Auckland service was truncated to terminate in [[Taumarunui]] from 1971; and the Wellington service was cancelled on 30 July 1977. On 11 February 1978, the Taumarunui railcar was replaced by a passenger train, but it was ultimately cancelled on 21 January 1983. Since this date, the only passenger trains to operate to New Plymouth have been infrequent excursions operated by railway preservation societies.{{sfn|Churchman|Hurst|2001|p=132–3, 140–1}}

The breakwater at Ngamotu was completed in 1883, providing safe berthage for vessels, and the Moturoa wharf was completed in 1888. [[Port Taranaki]] is a critical transport link for the region and the only deep water port on the west coast of New Zealand.

In 1916, the city's electric [[Trams in New Zealand|tramway]] system began, and petrol-powered buses began running four years later. The tramway system was closed in 1954. It was replaced by trolley buses, which operated until 1967.

The first aircraft landed at the racecourse in 1920 and commercial flights began using the airport at Bell Block in June 1937. During World War II, this grass airfield became [[RNZAF]] [[Bell Block (aerodrome)|Bell Block]]; and was replaced in 1966 by the current tarmac [[New Plymouth Airport|airport]], {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on}} NE of the old airport site.