PHENOMENAL TRAFFIC

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 18 May 1929, Page 5

PHENOMENAL TRAFFIC

HEAVY DEMAND FOR ROLLING STOCK. May will probably set new figures for the goods, traffic through the Otira Tunnel from the West Coast to Canterbury. The Australian strike has speeded up the production of coal in the West Coast mines, and goods engines are panting up the long incline from Stillwater to Arthur's Pass under the weight of long rakes of waggons from the collieries. Every day the power house staff at C* ; ra must provide haulage through tuc tunnel for trains aggregating at least 2000 tons in weight. The following figures supply a revealing comparison of the traffic for this and last year, the totals given being the gross weight of all goods trains, exclusive of engines, passing through the tunnel from west to east: — 1929. 1928. Week ending Apr. 27th —9,652 7,940 May 4th —12,080 7,567 May 11th—11,036 9,Csi> May 18th—12,214 10,968 The following are the tonnages for this week:—Monday 1476, Tuesday 1526, Wednesday 2212, Thursday 2250, Friday 2500, and Saturday 2250. Railway officials would be glad if customers of the Department awaiting tracks would remember the heavy demands which they are meeting from all lines. In addition to the trucks wanted for the tunnel traffic, an unprecedented number has been needed to deal with a great rush of shipping at Greymouth, where the loading of timber and coal has reached record proportions, and also at Lyttelton, the outward cargo at port being principally meat Taking the average load of each truck as ten tons, it will be seen that over 1200 have been needed this week for the Otira Tunnel traffic alone.