Auckland's Papakura to Pukekohe diesel train service will run for the last time on Friday night.
It comes as KiwiRail works to modernise the city's rail network, with buses replacing the service till electric trains take their place in 2024.
Auckland Transport’s Raymond Siddalls, who played an integral role in introducing diesel passenger trains in New Zealand 30 years ago, says it's "the end of an era".
Siddalls told 1News the move to electric trains is sad but it's progress. "It's sad in some ways to see them go because they've been so successful."
He said the other major factor is that electric trains are better for the environment.
"It will be a significant decrease in the country's carbon footprint and that's assisting the Government, the council and Auckland Transport to meet their emission reduction targets."
"We all use social media and emails now, very few people post letters and it's the same sort of thing, modern technology takes over, makes life easier and cleaner and more efficient."
Siddalls said there will be a bit of disruption over the next couple of years while stations prepare for electric trains.
"As much as I am quite sad to see these diesel trains disappear, I'm really pleased that they are gone because it is progress, you have to look forward and plan forward."
Public transport campaigner and rail enthusiast Niall Robertson says it's a watershed day.
"They [diesel trains] have done a fantastic job and I'm actually optimistic that we will find further use for them on various sort of parts of the peripheral system in future."
Robertson said if the trains aren't repurposed elsewhere in New Zealand, he'll be "very very sad".
"I think they're a massive asset and in times of climate change and so forth we need to have more public transport everywhere and we need to be attracting people to rail."
He says he'd also like to encourage politicians to look at trains as an asset and not as a liability.
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