RIMUTAKA RAIL TUNNEL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27303, 20 March 1954, Page 6

RIMUTAKA RAIL TUNNEL

Completion Likely Before Easter

WORK YEAR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 19. Ahead of schedule by more than a year, the driving of the Rimutaka tunnel is expected to be completed just before the Easter holidays. The firing of the last shot will give New Zealand its longest tunnel, arid will be. the highlight of an engineering achievement marking the greatest advance yet made inr railway transport between Wellington and the Wairarapa district. “I can think of no finer Easter present the Government could give to the people of (Masterton and all the Wairarapa district in their centennial year than this.” said the Minister of Works (Mr W. S. Goosman) today. • “The completion of the Rimutaka tunnel, now close in sight, is of great significance,” he said. “It means the removal of the main obstacle barring the way to an improved railway service between two important and interdependent districts. Both will benefit considerably bv this achievement. “The Rimutaka mountains have been

a barrier to railway progress for many years. The .first sleepers and rails of the line now to be brought up to modern standards were laid in 1872. From an engineering standpoint, we could not claim to have fully conquered the Rimutkkas when we succeeded in building a railway over them between Wellington and Masterton, but now that we will soon be able to build one under them, we can say definitely that rio longer are they a serious problem.

Improvement of Service “The project is ahead of schedule by more than a year,” Mr Goosman said, “This gives great satisfaction to the Government, for it has always been eager to improve the railway service to the Wairarapa, and to do that as Quickly as possible.

“Shorter and speedier passenger journeys are now in sight on this route. Goods will also be carried in greater quantities and at higher soeeds. There will be many time-table improvements. I cannot announce these in detail at present, but I will do so later. “The shorter railway, with its easier grade and faster service, .which will follow the. completion of the tunnel, will result in reduced haulage costs to the people of the Wairarapa and the people of Wellington,” Mr Goosman saia. “It will also mean substantial savings in operating costs to the Railways Department.

“Rapid, even spectacular,, progress has been made on the Rimutaka project since 1951, when the contract for its completion was let by the present Government,” he said. “In May. 1951. the American firm of Morrison and Knudsen undertook to finish the tunnel in a venture with the New Zealand firm of Downer and Company, under the direction of the District Commissioner of Works, Wellington •(Mr C. Langbein), who has watched the Government’s interests in the scheme throughout three successful years.”

Mr Goosman saicUthM. after the completion Of the tunnel, Masterton would be an hour and a half distant from Wellington by rail. Rail-cars would reach Featherston from Upper Hutt, in less than 25 minutes, on a journey that now took them' almost ah hour and a quarter.