MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 4

MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY.

MINISTERIAL VISIT

The Hon. Hall-Jones, as Minister of Public Works, will on Tuesday next formally open the portion of. the northern end of the Main Trunk railway extending: about fourteen miles from P_ro-o-tarao down to Ongarue (or Kawakawa). This point (Ongarue) is the place at \vhi_h the late Minister of Eailways (Mr Gadman) suggested that the pro* posed divergence to Stratford should be considered, and it is likely that the question of proceeding with the Stratford line will be raised during the Hon. Hall-Jones' visit. The Stratford line is already in progress at the Stratford end, which is in touch with Wellington, but the desire iS that the line shall now be begun also at the Ongarue end, which is already in communication with Auckland. If this were done the line would soon be carried into the rich Ohoiira Valley lands, where five, or six Government, surveyors are now; engaged in cutting up land for settlement. The fourteen miles of line between Poro-o-tarao and Ongarue has for some time past been in working order, and has been used for goods traffic. The line is also completed some eight miles beyond Ongarue, as far as Taumaranui. It passes along the Ongarue River, through poor scoria country. The favourite tourist route in 'the North will in the near future be from Auckland ta Rotorua, thence to Taupo, and Tokaano, and then by coach roach which it is proposed to form to Ongarue, and finally to Wanganui and Wellington. It is anticipated that the Wao* te-atua viaduct, on the main line, will prove a more serious obstacle than the celebrated Makohine viaduct, and will render the early cO__« pletion of the line imjpossible. .