Coast Services Resumed

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31318, 14 March 1967, Page 1

Coast Services Resumed

All West Coast rail services and the service between Christchurch and Greymouth affected by slips and torrential rain on Friday were now operating, the District Traffic Manager of Railways (Mr M. R. Leineweber) said in Christchurch yesterday.

The first train to travel between Greymouth and Otira since wash-outs and slips affected the line was a rail-car which departed from Greymouth at 10.30 a.m. yesterday. The ChristchurchRoss rail-car left yesterday as scheduled at 10 a.m. Trains crossing a bad section of line near Omoto, near Greymouth, were required to travel slowly. Mr Leineweber said difficulty had been experienced on the section for a number of years. West Coast roads affected by the rain were all passable yesterday, the Automobile Association (Canterbury) reported. However, damage to

the Arthur’s Pass road had been so severe that motorists were requested not to use the route. The Otira gorge route was not recommended at present, said the Ministry of Works engineer in Greymouth, Mr H. A. Grigg. Conditions were poor along some sections and a lot of work remained to be done in repairing damage caused by slips and scouring. In parts the width of the road had been considerably reduced. The highway at Omoto slipped about a foot during the night and Ministry of Works gangs built up the depression with gravel to make it negotiable yesterday. The rail-cars were both delayed through having to travel very slowly over sections of the track between Otira and Aickens where wash-outs had occurred. The cars were also forced to crawl over a short portion on the roadway at Omoto where a slight subsidence of the highway and rail track had taken place. The rail-car from Greymouth was half an hour late in arriving at Otira and in consequence the car from Christchurch travelled from

Arthur’s Pass to Otira where the change of drivers and guards took place instead of at Arthur’s Pass as normally. The rail-car was half an hour late arriving at Greymouth although the driver was able to make up time on some stretches of the line. The main highway between Otira and Aickens was covered in many parts by huge masses of rock, rubble and trees. Rocky bridge was almost entirely covered by rocks. Heavy machinery and trucks were working hard to get the highway back in condition for road traffic. Hit badly are many local farmers who have reported heavy losses of stock. Between 300 and 400 sheep is the loss counted by a Camerons farmer, Mr G. A. Smith. His property was swept by the Taramakau river which broke its banks. State farming blocks in South Westland reported similar losses. The Rimu block at Kokatahi lost between 300 and 400 sheep, while 60 to 80 sheep were swept from the Kaniere block. A number of cattle are feared to have drowned, many

being washed down the swollen rivers. At Hokitika some of the stronger beasts managed to battle to shore after reaching the sea. Others got to river banks before the current dragged them under. Mr Mark Wallace, a Kokatahi farmer and chairman of the Westland County Council, said the Kokatahi river was at its highest since 1935. At lower Kokatahi the raging river entered several homes—the first time this has happened ii living memory. Flooding In Hokitika was the worst for nine years. Water about 2ft deep rushed through the home of Mr W. O’Brien at the corner of Hoffman and Stafford streets, and other houses in Hoffman and Livingston streets had water 2in or 3in deep. The Buller river rose by between 35ft and 40ft at Hawk’s crag, about Bft below the 1955 level. Water was 2ft over the Ohlka-nui Bailey bridge on the main highway to Christchurch. The depth at high water on the Westport bar yesterday was 21ft 3in, considerably more than it has been for many months.