PHOTO: CONNOR HALEY
The train, carrying about 100 passengers, departed Addington Station in Christchurch at 8.55am.
It arrived at the Timaru Station at about 11.30am before departing for Dunedin at noon.
The first train trip would take four days to complete, with overnight stops in Dunedin and Invercargill before returning to Christchurch tomorrow.
The Rail and Tourism Group was yet to announce what might be planned for the Mainlander service beyond this week, but the intention was to prove a business case for the project over the coming months.
