A NEW RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 24, 29 January 1926, Page 6

A NEW RAILWAY.

KAKAHI TO TAUPO. BRITISH COMPANY TO CONSTRUCT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this clay. There is every prospect of an early start being made with the construction of the railway from the North Island Main Trunk line to Lake Taupo. via the Upper Wanganui and Kuratau Rivers, subject to certain local interests falling into line with the general scheme, according to a statement made to-day by Mr. Bertram Philippe, who is interested in the project. During recent years several British firms of world-wide repute have been mentioned as likely to undertake, the capitalisation and construction of this railway from Kakahi to Lake Taupo, but negotiations by them witli the holders of the timber and landed rights were never finalised. The last name mentioned was that of Messrs. Cammell. Laird and Company. Mr. Philipps took the matter up about a year ago, when he was in New Zpaland for some months. He has since been Home, made his arrangements, (including assurances with regard to the Trade Facilities Act), and returned. He states very simply and positively that if the local interests are reasonable, flic project so long in the air will very soon pass into the sphere of action. Even if the unforested pumice plains did not in themselves warrant the construction of railways, the timber on the foresteil areas may do so, and thus railways, introduced primarily for tim-ber-getting will remain a permanent transport aid to the development of the soil. Indeed, it has been sugg-sted that the timber crop could be made to repay the whole cost of the needed railway transport.