Minister Ready To Discuss Sale Of Branch Railway

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29193, 2 May 1960, Page 12

Minister Ready To Discuss Sale Of Branch Railway

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 1. The Minister of Railways (Mr Moohan) will now consider approaches from an unnamed Northland farmer who wants to buy the defunct Darga ville-Don - nelly’s Crossing branch railway line and run a daily train service. Mr Moohan said yesterday that the successful tenderer for the removal of the 24-mile line, Waste Metals, Ltd., of Papakura, was financially unable to fulfil the contract He said that normal procedure would be for the contract to go to the next highest bid from the six or seven original tenderers or for fresh tenders to be called, but he could hold this in abeyance. “I have received no representations from any individual,” said the Minister, “beyond an earlier telegram from Mr W. J. Scott, M.P. for Rodney, that one of his constituents wanted to buy the line.

“Now, however, if that person still wants the line, I woulcU.be happy to consider his represehta-

tions, while pointing out that he has so far not approached me.” Train services on the line ended almost a year ago, when the department faced spending tens of thousands of pounds on maintenance. “We’re definitely interested still in the purchase of the DargavilleDonnelly’s Crossing branch railway line,” said Mr Scott in a telephone interview today. Mr Scott said that they would send a telegram to Mr Moohan on Monday, asking him to arrange a time and place for the beginning of negotiations for the purchase. Mr Scott said he had known for a week that the successful tenderer would not be able to fulfil his contract. Consequently, they had been preparing their case again. He believed that the Northland farmer was the second highest tenderer anyway.

The fanner said that the Idea was to use the line as though it were a road freight and transport route, stopping wherever it was convenient to the passengers or the freight consignees.