IN THE AUCKLAND AREA.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 235, 3 October 1924, Page 9

IN THE AUCKLAND AREA.

DETAILS OF THE WORKS. WESTFE-ED DEVIATION. f-.v Telegraph.— Special to "Star.'') WELLINGTON, Thursday. The following details of works to be done in the Auckland province are given in the report of the chief engineer. Auckland-Westfic.d Deviation: Quite apart from the necessity of this work to cope with the fast-growing increase of traffic, I anticipate the construction of the new line wifl be an economical propoi sition. The new line will carry for the j same power three times the present | traffic. Of the present goods traffic this line will carry, say. .'tod. gross tons per day inwards, and 2700 gross tons per day outwards, and, allowing a 50 per jCent increase in 'Sx years, \vill give a [ total of SOOO gross tons per day, in addition to the passenger services. The saving in goods aud passenger services should total, say, £22,500 per annum, which yvill pay approximately 5 per cent on the. cost, of the deviation, placed at £450,000. Every increase in traffic will, of course, improve the position. Auckland New Station and Yard: The importance of this work cannot be overemphasised. Up to 1014 the curve of annual increase averaged 7\ per cent. This is equivalent to a 40 per cent increase iv five years, or 100 per cent increase in 10 years. The present goods traffic is approximately 3500 tons per day inward nnd 3200 tons per day out!ward. It will take some years to comI plele the work, and, allowing only an increase of 50 per cent in, say, six years' time, tbe traOic will then be 10,000 gross tons per day. Tho saving in terminal and shunting charges is difficult to assess, but may easily reach £15,000 under present conditions, and, furthermore, may largely exceed that figure if the traffic keeps increasing in such a manner as to make tho present facilities inadequate. The yard is designed to give all facilities in the layout—passenger station, local goods yard, marshalling yard, engine depot. In a limited time it will no doubt bo found I necessary to give further accommodation. To enable this to bo done, the marshalling yard will then be shifted to Hobson Bay. At a still later date it may be necessary to remove the engine depot, but by this time I anticipate electrification will bo the only economical proposition. The cost of the new yard I estimate at approximately £550,----000. As a set-off against this there will be tho value of the land between Queen Street and Breakwater Road, probably some £_50,000. A design to give a one-level station has been prepared. Importance of Paeroa. Paeroa Rearrangement: A commencement with this work has already been made. Tho improvement and stopbanking of the Ohinemuri and Waihou rivers has necessitated raising the railway line over the Ohinemuri River and placing the station farther from tho river. At the same time it is necessary to enlarge the yard, as it will be a junction station of considerable importance when the through line to Tauranga and eastwards is opened, and of still greater importance yvhen the Pokcno-Pacroa deviation is constructed. Hikurangi Station: Tlie layout of this station is inconvenient and dangerous, the station building being on tho wrong side of the line. A design for rearrangement has been prepared. The cost will amount to £8500. Iluutly Station: A plan has been propared showing the Huntly yard shifted to a site on the south side of the — waroa branch, at a cost of, say, £40,000. In 101!) the chief traffic manager reported that there was insufficient room for the then business. It has since been reported as being much overtaxed. Since 1919 there has been a steady increase in traffic of over 25 per cent. Helensville Rearrangement: Tlie layout of this station is very bad, and rearrangement ia required. An amount of £10,000 has been included to cover this work. Papa kura Duplication. Additional siding accommodation is required at Frankton Junction. An amount of £10,000 has been included to cover this. The estimated cost of the PcnrosePapakura duplication is £80,000. It is a necessary one in view of the growth of traffic. The numbers of time-table trains are: Between Penrose and Otahuhu, 70; •between Otahuhu and Papatoetoe, C 4; between Papatoetoe and l'apakura, 48. In addition to these there is a maximum number of 21 special trains ber day. It may be found advisable to commence this work earlier than shown on the schedule. The capacity of the single line between Ngaruawahia and Frankton Junction has been reached, and in order to avoid the delays which are now of very frequent occurrence and enable the movement of traffic to be earned on efficiently and satisfactorily, the duplication of the line between the stations named is necessary. The expenditure would be spread over two years. Grade casements between Frankton and Te Kuiti will cost £08,200, and at the Te Awamutu yard £19,000, a total of £57,200. The daily traffic iv both directions is 4000 tons. The saving by improving to a one in 100 grade will be £27,800, or 13 per cent on capital cost. The Taupiri station requires rearrangement. Tlie cost may be put at £10,000. The necessity not being so pressing as some of the others, it can Wait until other works are finished. In connection with the rearrangement at Taumarunui, it is proposed to shift the engine depot from its present site to a site south of the present yard, on land already acquired for the purpose. This will enable an extension to be made to the general yard as required to meet the growth of business. The cost is placed at £25,000. Tlie work is not to be commenced immediately. . . lorrinsville is a junction station on a curve, and requires rearrangement. It is proposed to shift the site farther west to enable a more satisfactory lay-out to be made. Land has been taken for the purpose. The cost of the yvork, _part from the land, will be £10,000. Tlie work is not urgent. An amount of £10,000 had been included for improvements to the Otorohanga station yard. The work is not required at the present time, but it is anticipated that it may be within a few years. The probability is that this will be one of the last of the yvorks to be undertaken. The Ohinewai-Huntly duplication is proposed as part of the general scheme of duplication between Frankton Junction and Auckland, and is necessary to relieve congestion which now exists on the single track. The Mcrcer-Franktoii grading is included in order to complete the regrading or the line to give one in 100 between [Auckland and Frankton.