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The one-lane bridge shared by cars and trains

Tom Scott | November 27, 2025



Near Hindon, on the South Island of New Zealand, there’s one of only two remaining one-lane road-rail bridges in the country. No barriers, no lights, no sirens: if you’re driving across this, you need to make sure to listen out for the train horn.

Thanks to all the Dunedin Railways team! You can find out more about them here: https://www.dunedinrailways.co.nz/

Edited by Michelle Martin https://www.youtube.com/@OnTheCrux

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Written by Tom Scott

Comments

This post currently has 50 comments.

  1. @TomScottGo

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    I completely forgot to record my "thank you to Dunedin Railways" outro. It is a beautiful rail journey on the South Island: pull down the description for a link to their site!

  3. @DakotaFiles

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    Looking back at this video 5 years later, I regret not going to visit this location! I lived in Dunedin when this video was posted, and a few years prior I was across the globe in Fort Nelson, Canada driving over a very similar road-rail bridge. A missed opportunity to have shared a lane with a train on opposite corners of a typical mercator map. Shame that both world and personal events sent me back to Canada so soon after learning about this place.

  12. @terylou-u2i

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    Thank you for featuring this. I had to drive across this on my honeymoon on my learner's license! My UK family don't understand what I mean when I tell them

  13. @FremontRailfan983

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    There's a similar bridge like this one between Robaków and Czołnochów in Greater-Poland Voivodeship, Poland. It used to be a 2ft gauge railway bridge that went over the Prosna Canal/Lake. Unfortunately that's the only piece of the railway left ever since it was dismantled in the 90's.

    The name of the Railway was "Jarocińska Kolej Dojazdowa."

  16. @jo2lovid

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    Notice the STOP sign.
    That means STOP, not slow down.
    Not, turn your head, take a gander, then roar on through.
    STOP, and take a good hard look.
    If you fail to stop, and you get collected by a train, your little car / van / truck is definitely going to come off second best!

  19. @blazichaos7181

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    Theres (was) also such a bridge near Greymouth in New Zealand! Didnt have any lights either, although another 2 way bridge was built next to it and the old bridge became exclusive for the trains.

  25. @unpluggedkiwi1063

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    There used to be a combined road/rail single lane bridge on State Highway 1, at Seddon in Marlborough (South Island, New Zealand). The difference was that the bridge was on two levels. The road used the bottom level, and the trains used the upper level. Rather scary to be in a car on the lower level while a fully laden freight train drove over the top of you. Keep in mind that SH1 is the main road and the rail was the main trunk line ie the main rail line in the South Island, so both road and railway were very busy.

  26. @donnajeffries7913

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    There's a shared railroad/motor vehicle bridge across the Green River north of I-80 in Wyoming. I forget what state route and the name of the facility it went to. I drove a truck back and forth over that bridge many year ago.😮

  38. @gallardoo9

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    we have train tracks running through cities here in the US nothing to stop them from hitting vehicles quite a few of them, interesting to watch when they come through the locals have no problem

  47. @Jon-Games-YT

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    The river near where I live (The Rakaia River) used to have a shared bridge
    Also fun fact about the Rakaia River Bridge it's the longest bridge in the southern hemisphere (2km long)

  50. @Niberspace

    November 27, 2025 at 7:48 am

    I drive this bridge regularly on my motorcycle and it's quite scary because (unlike a car) I can't reverse on a motorcycle. so I don't honestly know what I'll do if suddenly a train comes, probably I'd floor it

Comments are closed.

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