LYTTELTON TUNNEL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18194, 3 October 1924, Page 8

LYTTELTON TUNNEL.

■ DUPLICATION DECIDED UPON. TO BE COMPLETED IN SIX YEARS. OTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO LOCAL RAILWAYS. The most important matter affecting the people of Christchureh and of Canterbury in the report of the Hon. J. G. Castas, Minister of Railways, on tie programme of improvements and works in connexion with the Dominion's railways, which was laid on the table of the House of Representatives yesterday, is the decision to duplicate the Lyttelton railway tunnel. There are also several other rail-way improvements in Canterbury that will have the effect, when completed, of increasing the efficiency of the railway services in the province.

"GATEWAY OF THE SOUTH ISLAND." NATIONAL VALUE OF TUNNEL. MR COATES'S STATEMENT. (srECIAL TO "tub *k*s#.") WELLINGTON, October *2. The Minister of Railways, the Hon. J. G. C'oates, in his report on the programme of railway improvements and new works, which he presented to the House of Representatives this afternoon, states: — "Both the General Manager and Chief Engineer of Railways are of the opinion that there is present no justification for the duplication of the Lyttelton Tunnel, and indeed that view is to a large extent justified by a close investigation of the business done over a period of years. It has been pointed out that when the 1914 proposals for duplication were made, traffic had increased progressively for somo years, and the figures for the years 1913-14, on which the proposals were based, represented praetieally the peak of the business. From 1915 until date the Christchureh goods business has remained practically stationary. The Lyttelton traffic declined sharply for the live years. 1915-20, anS, although it has increased since 1920, the goods tonnage is belovy that handled in 1910. The alteration in the scheme for dealing with goods traffic, and the location of the marshalling yard in the vicinity of Woolston instead of at Middleton, is the result of a close investigation made of the tonnage recently. These investigations show that the great bulk of the shipping traffic is either from or to Christchureh, and that considerable economy can be effected .in operating by abandoning the projected yard at Middleton and substituting one near Woolston. "The proposal to duplicate the tunnel, however, has been the subject of very careful consideration by the Government, and the decision to proceed with the work has been arrived at after every aspect had been closely investigated. The position of the Port of Lyttelton and "the Hole in the Hill" as the gateway of the South Island has been recognised. Through this centre flows th'e growing inter-Island traffic and a large proportion of the overseas business of the South Island. There ia, justification from a national aspect in- the interests of reasonable conditions of travel, for taking a more liberal view of this undertaking than is strictly warranted by a survey of traffic volume. Apart from this, the Government has already approved the work in the schedule of the Railways Improvement Authorisation Act, 1914, and eouSsidered itself more or less in duty bojind to give effect to the previous proposal;" As toj electrification of railways the Minister's report states that, as indicated in the Railways Statement, the Government iB obtaining a_ comprehensive report in connexion with the suggested electrification of the suburban sections! at the four main centres from Messrs iMerz and MeLellan, consulting engineers, of London. The report of the Chief Engineer of Railways, appended to the Minister's rebort, has the following: "If the traffic increases sufficiently to justify it, the duplication of the Lyttelton tunnel can be gone on with at a future date. At present there appears t<f be no justification in sight for the jexpenditure." V Oest of Works. In the table setting out the proposed new works and their cost, the cost of duplicating the tunnel is not given separately, hut the Chief Engineer of Railways states in his report that the estimate of the proposals for a marr shalling yard at Woolston, with a rearrangement to suit at Lyttelton, and a rearrangement at Christchureh to give full accommodation for passengers and local goods, is under £250,000. The total cost set out ia the tahle for Woolston marshalling-y&rd, Christ-church-Lyttelton works, and Lyttelton double line tunnel ia £515,000. From these figures it seems probable that the cost of duplicating the tunnel will be about £265,000. The expenditure on the works referred to above will be spread over six years as follows:—First year, £100,000; second, £75,C00; third, £100,000; fourth, £100,000; fifth, £75,000; sixth, £65,000.

niarshalling-yard were placed between Christehurch and Lyttelton over SO per cent, of the goods traffie would bo dealt with there without any overrunning. The balance would have "the extra shunfc from Christehurch, but on a separate goods-line. By placing marshallingyard at Woolston a very large saving in capital coat can be made, and also a very large saving in working-expenses. The estimate of one of original proposals may be put at £720,000. The estimate of proposal for niarshallingyard at Woolston with a rearrangement to suit at Lyttelton, and a rearrangement of Christehurch to give full accommodation for passengers and local goods, is under £250,000. The graphs show that the increase of traffie expected in 1915 has not kept up, apd it may be said that with the construction of the new inward shed and siding additions, reasonable demands have been met. The large expenditure involved in the rearrangement of Lyttelton and Christehurch stations in the 1914 programme does not appear justified at the present time. Timaru Station. The Chief Engineer Railways states that in 1914 it was proposed to make a big rearrangement of the Timaru station. !From 1905 to 1915 the local goods traffie had increased by 34 per cent. Since 1915 it has dropped again. Of the through business requiring marshalling he has no reeord, but, basing it on the South Island business generally, the growth is as follows: —1905 to 1915, 30 per cent, increase; 1915 to 1923, 4 per cent, increase. Passenger business is steady. The present facilities at Timaru are not sufficient for satisfactorily and economically dealing with the business. An amount of £75,000 for complete scheme is included in the schedule. Of this, a proportion, say £30,000, should be spent at an early date; the balance later, when other urgent • works are completed. The expenditure is proposed to be spread over three years, as follows :■ — Fifth year, £20,000; seventh, £30,000: eighth, £25,000. Minor Improvements. An amount of £IO,OOO is included for the rearrangement of the Bakaia station to bring it up to requirements. There is not likely to be any considerable increase of business in the immediate future. The work is placed well down on the schedule. It is proposed to make the expenditure iu the eighth year, after the whole scheme Has been started. For the rearrangement at Stndholme £12,000 is provided, to be spent in the fifth year. [The Minister's report, eis it affects railways outside of Canterbury, will be found on page 11.]

Other Improvements. The other improvements in connexion with the Christehurch-Lyttelton line are thus referred to by the Chief Engineer of Bailways:— Various designs were prepared in connexion with the working facilities between Addington and Lyttelton: (1) Eearrangement to deal with all marshalling at Chri&tchureh, and rearrangement of Lyttelton; (2) rearrangement to deal with passenger and local goods at Christehurch, marshalling at Addington, and rearrangement of Lyttelton; (3) rearrangement to deal with passengers at Christehureh, marshalling and local goods at Addington, and rearrangement of Lyttelton. These proposals are all costly, und do not, in my opinion, meet the requirements. An analysis of the traffic shows that if the