TRAFFIC BLOCK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 68, 22 March 1933, Page 8

TRAFFIC BLOCK.

MAIN TRUNK LINE. NO THROUGH TRAINS. LIMITED PARTLY DERAILED. TTO INJURIES; XITTLE DAMAGE $ ' Railway traffic on the Main Trunk has been- seriously dislocated through subsidences, washouts, and slips on the permanent way between Okahukura and Raurimu. The Auckland - Wellington night Limited wae partially derailed about a mile north of Okahukura ( IC7 miles south of Auckland). The ordinary express, from Wellington to Auckland struck; a jainor slip near Oio (19 miles south of Taumarunui).. Tho Wellington-Auckland Limited express was held at Waiouru, owing to floods at Karioi." No passengers were injured, and damage to the engines Avas not serious. The ordinary 3 p.m. express from Auckland left this afternoon, but will travel as- far as Taumarunui only. The Limited express leaving at 7 p.m. ■will go to Frankton only. There will be no transhipments to-night, and the Railway Department announces that it is not accepting passengers for destinations south of Taujnarunui. Passengers desirous of proceeding past Taumarunui must make their own arrangements. Passengers from the two Auck-land-bound- expresses which left Wellington " yesterday are proceeding to-day by road to Tau-v marunui, whence they will entrain for Auckland, arriving here to'-night. " Miraculous "■, i* . the description applied by passengers-, to. the' escape from £ serious derailment w-hicK- was experienced- by. the • Limited express which f left. Auckland, 'at 7 ( o'clock- last night for Wellington. For four hours between 8. o'clock and midnight yesterday torrential, rain fell. in J the. Taumarunui district, exceeding any previous recorded downfall, and produced many slips and subsidences.' The dislocation caused; in the railway services is regarded as. being the most serious in the history -of the Main Trunk. ! : -Limited Travelling Slowly, Leaving Auckland at 7 p.m. yesterday, the Wellington-bound .Limited .express was partially, derailed shortly before midnight a. mile north' of Okahukura. The train, • which carried " 120 passengers, all of whom escaped injury, passed over a subsidence, and about 40ft of rails shot into the air behind it. The small bogie wheels of the engine were buried in the earth and the front bogie of the ./following carriage went off the rails, also the drag van at the-rear of the trainv Though their couplings broke, .the other carriages Remained , on the. line and the lighting .was not affected. ■'' . .'- •" ■:•■': -■■' ' ; ' The express was travelling slowly at the time, as warning had been received that the track might be affected by the rain. -, ■Thei passengers remained on the train all night, and a relief train, of an engine and three- cars, went from Taumarunui early-this morning and embarked the passengers. TJi-jy arrived in Taumarunui ait 8.30, . . V Clearing the Line. A slip one mile north of Taringamotu impeded the progress of a goods train, which had to be hauled back to.Taumarunui, the line meanwhile being cleared by gangs for relief trains to go through and get the Limited's passenEvery, available man was dispatched immediately, and a crane was sent from Frankton. It will be/some time before the iline is clear, and meanwhile the service was maintained from Frankton to Ongarue. Nose in Mud 1 . The ordinary Main Trunk express, which left Wellington for Auckland at 2 p.m. yesterday and which reaches Taumarunui at 12.30 a.m., ran into a slip near Oio. ' The engine buried its nose into the mulloch, but there was no derailment. Subsequently the line was cleared, and the train proceeded to Owhango, where it was held up by further slips and washoute between Owhango arid Taumarunui. which have occurred at Karioi, seven miles south of Ohakune, caused the Limited express, which left Wellington at 7 p.m. yesterday for Auckland, to ie held up at Waiouru. After the water subsided the express was taken on to Ohakune. A train from Stratford arriving at Taumarunui at midnight was delayed by several slips oil the line between Ohura and Matiere, and the service on that line has been suspended. Twenty wash-outs have ■ been reported between Raurimu and Taumarunui, and ten slips have occurred between Owhango and Kakalii. The line is scoured for some distance between Manunui and Taumarunui. Where Passengers Are. Passengers on the down Limited were taken by relief train to Taumarunui this morning, the express itself remaining at Okahukura. Passengers on the 2 p.m. express from Wellington are staying with it at Owhango, and those on the up Limited at Ohakune. • The 3 p.m. express from Auckland this afternoon is to travel as far as Frankton only. Yesterday's 3 o'clock train reached Wellington this morning. Although the railway authorities an.ticipate that the line between Okahukura and Taumarunui will be cleared some time to-night, they say both the permanent way and road communication between Taumarunui and Owhango is in such a bad state that traffic will not be- possible at present. Difficulties have been accentuated by a severe slip at Matiere, but breakdown and working trains have been dispatched.