NORTHERN RAILWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 40, 15 February 1918, Page 7

NORTHERN RAILWAYS.

NEED FOR LINKING UP, 3 The following letter on the subject of —the northern railways has been forjjwai'ded- to Sir William Fraser, Minister Public Works, by Mr. Vernon Reed, -_J.P. for Bay "of Islands: — "Your attention hae not been very forcibly drawn to the urgent need of . more expedition being shown in the construction of north of Auckland, and I fear you do not fully appreciate the importance of the work now in hand to connect the southern section of Auckland with the northern. From Auckland northwards the railway is open for a distance of S6 miles to Ranganui. From Whangarei northward the railway is open for 75 miles to Opua and Kaikohe. Between the railheads there is a gap of 42 miles, one-half of which is practically finished. The position, therefore, is that when a further 20 or 21 miles of rail construction is com-pleted-the two sections will be linked i together, and there will be a total length ' of continuous railway from the city of Auckland northward of over 200 miles. This is surely a position to be reached as quickly as possible. From the Dominion point of view it is better to link up isolated railway sections with the main system, and locally it would mean increased settlement and production, as the Far North and all intermediate districts would be given, direct rail access to the Auckland markets. Notwithstanding tbe advantages to be obtained by so small a work as the construction of 20 odd miles of railway, all construction work has now practically ceased on the Paparoa end of the Main Trunk line. If this continues it will take over five years before the link is completed, whereas two years should suffice, even in war time."