The Press MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1954. New Station and Its Environs

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27489, 25 October 1954, Page 10

The Press MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1954. New Station and Its Environs

Christchurch has every reason for satisfaction with the announcement by the Prime Minister that tenders for the new railway station are to be called “as quickly as possible”, although Mr Holland’s use of this phrase does not suggest that the Railways Department is ready to call for tenders immediately. Even greater cause for satisfaction is to be found in the plans of the building. As the illustration in “The Press” on Friday clearly showed, the new station will be a credit to the city 'architecturally and aesthetically. The i plan follows fairly closely the plan announced in May, 1938; but jthe main block will be of four storeys instead of three and the bicycle storage—a special require-

ment in Christchurch—will be in the basement of the main block instead of the west wing. It seems that both departmental administration and public convenience will benefit from the results of the overseas study of modern stations made recently by officers of the department.

The long delay in starting the building will not be without compensations for Christchurch. The revised plans will cater far better for bus and motor traffic than the original plans, which were drawn to fit the tramway system. The Railways Department has been able to make some land available for parking motor vehicles and for garden plots, which will be of considerable help to the City Council’s planners. It will be no small advantage to the city to have the new station built soon after the lifting of the tramway tracks. The City Council and the people of Christchurch will be able to look upon the station project; the reconstruction and beautification of Moorhouse avenue, and the projected Colombo street overbridge as a single work. Fortunately there is space enough in Moorhouse avenue to allow the city to give this important new building a worthy setting. There ha' ’

ve been suggestions from time to time that with the increasing popularity of air travel the days of the railways, as a passenger-carrying utility, are numbered. Aircraft may carry ah increasing proportion of international passenger traffic, and possibly of tourist traffic within the country; but there will always be some persons who will prefer the more leisurely pace of travel by ship and train. Christchurch must turn a pleasant welcoming face to these visitors. If it attaches any importance to civic pride it must make its “ railway entrance ” as gracious and as dignified as possible for the benefit of its own citizens whose business or pleasure takes them to and from the railway station. That will not be an easy task for the City Council’s experts, for with one or two notable exceptions the buildings in the vicinity are neither gracious nor dignified. Much can be done, however, by the skilful planning of gardens and the grouping of trees, shrubs, and flowers. With the help of the engineering department, the landscape architects on the City Council's staff have turned less promising places into beauty spots. They should be given the means and the encouragement to do the same in Moorhouse avenue.