RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 164, 13 July 1929, Page 12

RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS

ESTIMATE LARGELY EXCbEDED. HALF A MILLION" SHORT. REVIEW BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter;). WELLINGTON", this day. Tile final costs of railway workshops reorganisation quoted to the House of Representatives by the Minister of Railways, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, disclosed the fact that the original estimate of £1,820,000 will be exceeded by £578,782, It is intended to expend £600,000 on new rolling the year 1929-30.

The Minister stated that the Wellington station rearrangement was a scheme which was decided upon for a complete rearrangement of facilities in Wellington, the tentative estimate of the cost of which was £1,075,000. Up to March 31, 1929, expenditure on this work was approximately £425,000, mainly in connection with reclamation, retaining walls, etc. Auckland station rearrangement involved the complete rearrangement of the Auckland yard and provision of a new station, goods shed, etc. The total scheme was estimated to cost approximately £1,200.000. Up to March 31 approximately £760,000 was spent. In regard to workshop reorganisation, estimated cost, including interest during construction, was £1,820,000, but he now found that the final costs to completion would be: Otahuhu, £586,554; Hutt, £777,912; Addington, £387,419; East Town, £32,189; Hillside, £495,385; electrification and lighting of the new shops, £179,323. -Total, £2,458,782. These figures revealed that the works in question were now to cost £578,782 more than was provided for in the original •estimate.