CLOSING RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 16, 20 January 1931, Page 8

CLOSING RAILWAY.

NGATAPA BRANCH LINE. GOVERNMENT'S DECISION. 'LOSSES NOT NOW JUSTIFIED. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Stai , .") : GISBORNE, this day. As;soon, as the necessary adjustments can be made, the Ngatapa branch line of the Gisborne railway section will be closed, according to advice received by Mr. W.D., Lysiiar, M.P., from the Minister of Railways. The branch line is 11 miles Jong. ■■■■■■ . .''. ;■ In the " opinion of the Minister, the Hon. W. A. .Veitch, 'there?ia no justification for ; the line now that there will be no traffic in connection with the transport of metal from the Repongaere quarries for ballast for the GisborneWaikokopu railway. '

Mr. Veitch wrote: "In ■ view of the Government's decision to abandon construction work on the Gisborne-Wairoa line in the meantime, the necessity for maintaining the Ngatapa line to work the Repongaere quarries for ballast supplies docs not now arise, and it has been decided to close down the line in the near future. The metal traffic from the quarries constituted the main traffic for the line, the remaining traffic being negligible. In view of' the financial position of the country, and the pressing necessity for economy, the Government is faced with the position that there is no justification for continuing the heavy losses incidental to keeping this line open, losses that have to be borne by the community as a whole." The closing of the line has been placed in the hands of ' the stationniaster at Gisborne, Mr. A. H. Northover, who has announced that operations on the line will cease in a few weeks. The support promised by the settlers,' Mr. Northover explained, was insufficient to warrant the line being kept open. The only traffic offered consisted.of sheop and woolj and when such seasonal offerings ceased there would be on traffic.for the line.