 Proposals for railed transportation out of Wellington were made as early as the start of the 1850s, barely a decade after European settlement of the area began.In 1853 and 1857, investigation of horse-hauled tramways was undertaken, but no action was taken.Robert Stokes, a member of the provincial government, proposed a railway over the Rimutakas in 1858 and finally succeeded in gaining government interest in 1863.