FIFTEEN YEARS' WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 283, 29 November 1937, Page 5

FIFTEEN YEARS' WORK.

ELECTRIFIED RAILWAY LINE. i SOUTH AFRICA LEADS WORLD. DURBAN. The longest electrified railway line in the world has been completed, and a test train has drawn into Volksrust station, Natal, to bring triumphantly to conclusion 15 years of work. It was in 1922 that a start was made on the far-sighted and colossal undertaking of electrifying the Natal main line. Maritzburg to Glencoe was the first section tackled, and the final link completing 321 miles of main line pjfis station yards between Durban and the Transvaal border has now been forged. It has been a magnificent piece of work, placing the South African railways on ai footing with the world's best. The results will be far-reaching.; Faster hauling of bulk goods, cheaper working and increased capacity of the line will bring Durban still nearer the hinterland and will mean an increase in the prosperity of the Natal province. This last section from Glencoe North, , comprising 78 main line miles and 100 ■ with station yards, was started 2J years - ago. It is an engineering triumph, ■ having been organised and carried out , by the small staff of 50 Europeans and 200 natives.