WORK ON NEW STATION

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27832, 3 December 1955, Page 10

WORK ON NEW STATION

EXTENSION OF PLATFORM VERANDA The main block of the new Christchurch railway station and the east wing of the new building will eventually go up in the area between the old station and the overhead footbridge at the end of Madras street which has been cleared in preparation for building. The tenders for the construction of the foundations for this part of the building and a basement have now closed. To clear this area, the old lamp room, the men’s conveniences and the checked luggage office at the northern end of the old station and the old Lyttelton train sidings and platform had to be demolished. Heavy concrete from the area was railed to Oaro, near Kaikoura. for use in protecting the South Island main trunk line against erosion by the sea.

Soon another step will be taken in the framework of the new station elans. In the railway yards near olombo street columns fabricated al the Hillside railway workshops are now being welded together in preparation for extending each end of the new platform veranda. The placing of the columns and the roofing of the veranda is expected to be under way early in the new year. Alterations to B shed near Durham street have almost been completed. Inside the shed at the south-west end, a loading platform has been constructed with cart docks to facilitate the handling of fruit traffic. This part of the work is now almost completed. As a result of this change, it has been necessary to make a new entry for lorries on the Cass street side of the building. This alteration is now complete.